The best part about winter is being able to live out your favorite Frozen moments. While Beijing has no shortage of skating rinks, there’s just something that lights a fire inside when you’re skating at the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube where the world’s greatest athletes once competed for Olympic gold back in 2008.
This winter, the 2nd annual Beijing Ice and Snow Festival takes place at the site where the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games winners will receive their medals. With statues of Bing Dwen Dwen, the winter Olympic mascot, amongst other Olympic collectibles and characters, the competitive hype for gold is already in the air.
Designed by Sports Republic Group, the Cube Outdoor Rink hopes to bring the love for winter sports to China by introducing them to kids at a young age. According to founder Vanessa Folkesson, “Most of the youth in China were not so familiar with winter sports, and Chinese children are not used to be out and active in the wintertime because their parents worry about them catching a cold. But being a non-skater and non-skier living in North America and Europe, I realized that it was important to learn skiing and skating to be able to have more fun with my friends during winter. That is why I wish to give the gift of winter sports learning for youth especially in China, and I wish they learn winter sports as a social skill.”
This year they’ve teamed up with Mulu Restaurant for winter fun and food on ice with the Mulu Cafe on the second floor. So how are the two related? Mulu’s mantra is to bring people together through food and multicultural events to provide a better understanding of people and culture, just like the Olympics.
For the kids who want to spend some time on the ice, while the rink will be open all winter, there’s a special treat for young hockey fans. From January 15 to 19 Sweden’s biggest all-sports club AIK along with the Nordic Vikings will be hosting an outdoor hockey camp for kids to improve their skills with some pros.
The Cube Outdoor Rink will be open until February 8 from 10 am-6 pm and 10 am-8 pm on weekends and holidays. As a safety precaution, the rink will be closed for operations if the weather conditions are determined unsafe for children. We recommend calling in advance just to be sure. Click here for more information.
Entrance into the festival is free. RMB90 to ice skate on the weekends (Saturday and Sunday) and RMB70 during the weekday (Monday-Friday). For information, call Candice 155 1230 8913.
Photos: Courtesy of organizer
