If you’re traveling to Beijing and need a visa to China, I highly recommend getting one through iVisa, which is super easy and takes away all the hassle (I had some problems when I tried to get a visa to China independently on my first trip there).
Remember that time I convinced Alicia to meet me in Egypt when everyone thought it was too dangerous to go? Or that time I convinced her and Bryce to fly to Burma to surprise all of our friends?
Well, can you guess whom I convinced to join Dan and me in China? I mean, who doesn’t want to spend a day at a Chinese embassy the day after traveling for 25 hours? I think they made the right choice!
Our first full day in Beijing just so happened to be Alicia’s birthday, so we immediately set out to make an epic birthday itinerary.
“We want to do something fun today. See the quirky side of Beijing,” we told the staff at our hostel. They recommended going to the Hutongs.
The Hutongs are cool, but also flooded with tourists and not exactly what we were looking for, so we turned to Google to help us out. Except that, oh wait, Chinese Internet is insane, so we had to use Yahoo instead. Same same, I guess.
We went to Maan Coffee to do our research and wow, it’s the biggest and strangest (quirkiest?) coffee shop I’ve probably ever visited. I sort of wanted to call it a day and just hang out at Maan Coffee for Alicia’s birthday, but Alicia said that it wasn’t quite birthday standard. Though she did say she’d like to get married there – I mean, look at the trees!
After sifting through endless lists of “Quirky Things To Do in Beijing” suggesting trips to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Tiananmen Square (maybe Yahoo and I have different understandings of the word “quirky”) I realized I had to get more specific. I couldn’t find any mall roller coasters, and sadly it looks like the abandoned amusement park Wonderland has finally been demolished, so we settled on ice skating!
We went to Shichahai because it was the closest skating rink that we could find, but what a lucky choice it was! We should have known that Beijing wouldn’t be offering just plain old fashioned ice skating, oh no. For under $10/person, Shichahai rents out ice skates, ice sleds, ice bicycles, and rides on an ice slide. We chose two ice bicycles, which by the end of the day we all agreed was definitely the most fun ice vehicle on offer.
There were even yummy snacks to sample while cruising around the ice.
We of course had to go for the cotton candy, because Birthday. 
In the end our search for quirky and unusual things to do in Beijing didn’t turn out quite how I had expected, but I consider it a resounding success. Now I just need to figure out where I can buy/make myself one of these ice bicycles in Norway!
Shichahai is a stop on line 8 of Beijing’s subway. When you exit the station you should see the rink immediately, otherwise just follow the crowds!
In Beijing we stayed at Sanlitun Youth Hostel, which was clean and had a nice location, but the staff were so unorganized and unhelpful that I can’t really recommend staying there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N6jLrGCmSM&feature=youtu.be
PIN IT!
p.s. Please, please do not forget to get travel insurance for this trip!
After being hospitalized in Beijing (on a previous trip there) I swear by travel insurance. I use World Nomads, which has the best reviews, and they helped me find a hospital when I needed PLUS when I filed a claim with them all I had to do was send my receipts and I had a check in the mail from them within a couple of weeks. So easy!
Jub says
Haha classic! Will be coming back to this post when I get there early May 🙂
Silvia says
I hope the lake is still frozen for you in May!
Rebekah says
lol- I’m not sure that visiting the forbidden city is very quirky at all. I can’t imagine Chinese people at a skating rink but I bet it was amazing. I love reading other people’s posts about China. You guys looked adorable
Silvia says
China really is so underrated as a travel destination – I always have so much fun when I’m there (as weird as it is, haha).
Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie says
That is the biggest cotton candy I have ever seen in my life!!
Silvia says
Right?! And it tasted like milk!
Lauren says
This looks incredible! Love how China always finds a way of turning ‘normal’ on its head!
Silvia says
It really does – never any boring times in China!
Christine@ Apple of My Eye says
Ahhhhh I’m dying over how fun that ice cycling looks! I’ve never even heard of it, but the concept is so ridiculous that I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to breathe through fits of laughter haha. And that coffee shop? Beautiful and so unique! Wish I was with you!
Silvia says
The ice cycling was sooo fun; I hope it eventually makes its way to America!
Polly says
Well, just found out what I need to buy before next winter! How cool!
Silvia says
Right? I definitely will have these ice cycles on next year’s Christmas list.
Patti says
That is one ginormous ball of cotton candy and can I just say, “Yum!”
Silvia says
It was delicious too – though bizarrely it tasted like milk!
becky hutner says
OMG, ice bicycling looks sooo much better than skating. Your continued commitment to being a weirdo is truly an inspiration.
Silvia says
We almost got ice skates and then changed our minds. It would have been soooo sad if we had been those losers on skates watching the cyclists zooming by! Phew.
Chalsie says
I literally just got back from Beijing (well, technically a week ago), and your post has just taken me right back!! So for that, I thank you!
Ah, I absolutely loved China and its ‘quirkiness’, because honestly, our entire experience was wowwww, one minute, and did that just happen, the next. Including stumbling upon this frozen lake in the middle of the city, with people riding those totally bazar ice-bicycles.
Oh China, how I love you!
Chalsie | The Workshop Co. x
Silvia says
I’m so glad you enjoyed Beijing too! I’ve heard so many mixed reviews of China from other travelers, but I agree with you that it’s so full of woww moments. The weirdest, haha.
Yosemite says
Ahh! What is this magic?!! That looks AMAZING. Especially the part where there’s only one set of pedals so someone gets to just sit in the back while the other person does the work? My idea of a great time.
Silvia says
Those Asians are so smart. (but like really.)
jennifer says
Those bicycles are so awesome! Even I would try one and I am petrified of ice. China truly is the best place ever.
Silvia says
Haha China is the best!
CL (RealGunners) says
You should absolutely explore how to bring those ice cycles to Norway. You’ll get rich from it! 😀
Silvia says
Perfect, new business plan!
Vanessa @ The Travelling Colognian says
Awwww, I already missed Beijing so much, but after reading your post, watching your photos and the video I am missing it even more. I had booked an In-class TEFL course which was supposed to take place in Beijing in early March but it just got cancelled one week ago. Now I am considering to take the course either in a different location or do it online.
I have passed by Maan Coffee so many times but never went in, definitely need to change that. I’d also like to try out these ice sleds, ice bicycles and ride on an ice slide. Anyway, I hope to be in Beijing in winter sometime in the future because I would really love to hike along the snow-capped Great Wall.
Silvia says
Ugh, that really is too bad about your TEFL course! I hope you can find an exciting alternative. We had passed Maan Coffee a bunch of times as well and I was shocked when we finally made it inside! I love that about Beijing – so many hidden surprises.
kami says
lol, that looks hilarious! I so wanna try!!! 😉
Silvia says
Seriously could not stop laughing. Why don’t we have these in Europe?!
Franca says
That looks like fun! I’m sure I would manage to hurt myself somehow though, considering how incredibly clumsy I am 🙂
Silvia says
Haha I am the queen of clumsy and somehow managed to stay on the cycle!
Christine | The Traveloguer says
This looks like so much fun! I’d love to try ice-bicycles, and that cotton candy looks amazing! 🙂
Silvia says
The cotton candy WAS amazing!
Alanna says
What time of year were you there? If I visit in late February, would it still be cold enough for this skating? Thanks
Silvia says
I was there in January, so I’m afraid I don’t know about late February.
Kim Doe says
Every city should have these ice bikes, what fun! What an enjoyable read , too!
EM says
Super fun read – brings back a lot of memories.
Victoria@TheBritishBerliner says
Haw! Haw!
So funny but really super cool.
‘Love the ice-skating bicycles!