Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
HIKING AND JOGGING
If you thought that Beijing's crowded streets and polluted air put paid to any thoughts of
physical exertion… you'd be right. If you
do
fancy
jogging
, one interesting option is the road
running between the Forbidden City's east and west gates; this is near empty at night, and
incredibly atmospheric.
BeijingHikers
010 64322786,
beijinghikers.com
.
Expat-run group organizing frequent,
imaginative hikes in the city's environs to dilapidated sections of the Great Wall, caves and
the like. Reservations are required. Meet every Saturday at the
Starbucks
in the
Lido Holiday
Inn
.
ICE SKATING
In winter, try Qianhai, the Summer Palace (see
Boating and skating on Kunming Lake
) or the
Shicha Lakes for
ice skating
. Otherwise, there are a couple of indoor venues around town.
However, you may not fancy visiting any of these places as a novice, as Chinese skaters are
very good and expect a certain degree of confidence.
Le Cool
B2 China World Trade Centre; Guomao subway (lines 1 & 10).
The city's most ac-
cessible indoor rink: small, but still a lot of fun, and family-friendly. From
￥
30 for 90min.
Mon-Sat 10am-10pm, Sun 10am-8pm.
MARTIAL ARTS
Beijing has some good places to study Chinese
martial arts
such as
tai ji
, Shaolin kung
fu and
bagua
. However, if you're visiting China for this reason, it may be better to arrange
things though your own school or national association beforehand. For
kickboxing
and other
non-Chinese martial arts, try
Evolution Fitness
.
Note that both of the following places have
facilities for English-language instruction.
Beijing Language and Culture Institute
15 Xueyuan Lu, Haidian 010 66629493,
Beijing Milun Kung Fu School
33 Xitangzi Hutong, off Wangfujing 138 1170 6568,
kungfuinchina.com
; Dengshikou subway (line 5).
Renowned school with a wonderful
hutong
location, though they decamp to Ritan Park during the summer months. Rates start at
￥
100 a session.
