On January 15, the 40th Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival kicked off. This weekend, let's head there with family or friends for a short winter getaway — a delightful blend of ice, snow, colorful lights, and seasonal charm.

DAY 1: Yongning Ancient Town (Yongning Market) — Yongning Huoshao + Yongning Tofu — Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival — Taihou Meat Pie + Ahui Chaiyao Handmade Pizza — Longqing Shanshui International Resort / Ziyou Zizai Automobile Culture Theme Guesthouse

Yongning Ancient Town

Yongning Ancient Town was founded in the Ming Dynasty, yet its iconic landmark, Yuhuang Pavilion, is even older with a history of over 1,300 years. Yongning Market is the longest-running and largest traditional market still operating in Yanqing District, and is designated as a Historical and Cultural Protection Zone of Beijing Municipality.

Yongning Huoshao (Baked Wheaten Bread)

A traditional baked wheaten bread from Yongning Ancient Town, it is crispy and fragrant outside and soft and savory inside. It's absolutely an unbeatable treat when stuffed with meat and vegetables.

Yongning Tofu

Known for its fine, tender texture, Yongning Tofu is often called the "jade of tofu", and it can be pan-fried, stir-fried, stewed, or boiled. Its production techniques date back to the Han Dynasty. During the Qing Dynasty, it was even presented as a tribute to the imperial court.

Longqing Gorge

The 40th Longqing Gorge Ice Lantern Festival takes visitors into a breathtaking winter wonderland with lifelike ice sculptures and dazzling light effects. This year's highlights include the "frozen" iconic scenes from the classic animated film "Uproar in Heaven".

Event Period: January 15–Early March

Opening Hours of the Festival: 10:00–18:00 on February 16; 10:00–22:00 (last entry at 21:30) on other days

Opening Hours of the Glacier Canyon: 10:00–16:00

Taihou Meat Pie

This pie features four thin, golden, crispy layers wrapped around three generous layers of juicy, savory minced meat, simply seasoned to highlight the natural flavors of the ingredients.

Ahui Chaiyao Handmade Pizza

The pizzas here are made with doughs freshly kneaded and hand-stretched daily. They are expertly baked in a professional oven to lock in a wheaty aroma, with a unique flavor from the fruitwood fire.

Longqing Shanshui International Resort

Located in the heart of Longqing Gorge Scenic Area, the hotel is just a 5-minute walk from the main ice lantern exhibition zone. There, you can enjoy yourself in a setting accompanied by ice lanterns, starry skies, and canyons.

Ziyou Zizai Automobile Culture Theme Guesthouse

This guesthouse is themed around automobile culture, known for its decorations like vintage steering wheels on walls and gear ornaments. Rooms have names like "Off-Road" and "RV", demonstrating an industrial aesthetic.

DAY 2: Yudu Mountain Scenic Area — Jianghu Yipin Stove Fish / Guizhou Kaili Sour Soup Fish — Shijinglong Ski Resort

Yudu Mountain Scenic Area

The 7th Yudu Mountain Ice and Snow Carnival is now underway! Get ready for a 30,000-square-meter alpine meadow snowfield, 5,000 meters of icefalls, and the first-ever open Ice Stream Valley. Don't forget those thrilling activities like sliding on a 200-meter ice slide, ice curling, ice carting, and more — it promises endless fun!

Jianghu Yipin Stove Fish

Fresh local fish are simmered slowly with specially concocted sauces in an iron pot over a traditional stove, creating a nutritious meal.

Guizhou Kaili Sour Soup Fish

Most ingredients are air-freighted from Guizhou Province to recreate the authentic local flavors. Besides the classic sour soup fish, you can also try specialties like sour soup dough slices and sour soup beef.

The ski resort features 10 sunny slopes and operates day and night for endless skiing fun.

(Source: Official WeChat account of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism)