The Roundabout presents a guided Frozen River Hike that won’t have you screaming Yikes! Instead you will be too busy enjoying the mountainous views of Miyun. A perfect day out for all the family that embraces the cold, and invites you to join others on a winter’s drive through the mountains, where you will start a hike to a small scenic area.

You and the family will follow the park trails down to the riverside, walking down through a forested canyon where you will follow the river on a journey through deep and wide canyons with twists and turns and steep rocky cliffs. This is an Alice in Wonderland hike that will be sure to deliver a true “down the rabbit hole” experience (but less disorientating – you will have a professional guide with you!), you and the family will never forget.

It’s winter, and you may be wishing for the long summer months to return to Beijing, so that you can enjoy Sauvignon Blanc alfresco while the kids play or tuck into summer plates of yumminess, but don’t despair. With winter come glorious opportunities to see this ever-evolving city in a new light – remember mountains surround us – why not go and see them?

Forsake the indoors; dust off the old hiking boots (I’m assuming you own at least one pair? – if not go down to Decathlon!), and have yourself a frozen adventure. This trip has all the makings of a thrilling and memorable day. Pick up will be at the Roundabout Boutique at 8am, and drop off will be around 4.30pm. Everyone is advised to bring along a packed lunch, snacks, water, and of course appropriate clothing and footwear. For further information contact: roundaboutvolunteer@yahoo.com, or visit www.roundabaoutchina.com. What are you waiting for?

Frozen River Hike, Jan 23

RMB 300. January 23. 8am – 4.30pm. Cathay View Plaza, 2 Xiangjiang Bei Lu, Chaoyang District (137 1877 7761 or 137 1805 3814)

Photos: Michaela Kobiolka

Two weekends ago, my friends and I escaped to Wulingshan National Forest Park (雾灵山国家级自然保护) in Hebei. Over a period of six hours, we hiked 19km – around 1,000m in elevation – to the top of the mountain and stayed at the only hotel on the summit. Along the way, we saw “strange trees,” circled sunny mountain roads, and saw a cartoonishly beautiful sunset.

We left on the express bus (980快) on a Saturday at 7.30am from Dongzhimen; though there was a queue, it moved very quickly as buses arrived back-to-back. Tickets cost RMB 15 without an IC card and only around RMB 5 with an IC card. After encountering some traffic on the airport expressway, we arrived in Miyun around 3.5 hours later.

We got off at a pre-arranged stop where a driver with a minivan was waiting for us. You can also disembark at the Miyun bus station, where there are plenty of black cars available. It cost us RMB 350 to get to the west gate of Wulingshan Park.

Part 1: Strange Trees
We paid admission at the west gate and finally started our hike. This trek is best-suited to older kids, and even then it would be a stretch to scale the entire 19km to the summit. Luckily, there are several parking lots along the way so that families can opt to start their hike closer to the top or hire one of the numerous black minivans when they’re tired.

The first stretch consisted of easy stone paths and stairs winding underneath a canopy of trees. Relatively swanky squat toilets are scattered throughout this section, so take advantage of them while you still can. We soon arrived at the impressive Longtan Waterfall, where we had lunch; kids will have fun spotting tiny shrimp in the cold, clear waters.

Take a moment to read the bilingual English and Chinese descriptions; some of the translations were downright baffling. One entitled “Strange Trees” sat in front of some perfectly normal-looking trees. “The unique ecological environment, created the tree growth shapes, all sorts of strange things, part of this strange trees – strange trees,” read the sign.

There’s a cable car towards the end of this section, which the tout with the loudspeaker near Longtan Waterfall will try to convince you to shell out RMB 50 for. Personally, I didn’t think it was worth it because it only covered a short distance; tired kids may beg to differ. Be warned that the alternative path is quite challenging in parts, with steep stairs and roots jutting out of dirt paths. I don’t recommend it for people with bad knees.

Part 2: Winding Roads
Once we cleared the difficult path, we arrived at another parking lot where we restocked on water and had a break. Take the stairs to the top level of the parking lot; it’s worth the panoramic views.

We then set off for the second leg of the hike, which led us on paved roads winding around the mountain. At first, cars threatened to run us off the road but they soon tapered off, leaving us to admire the purple wildflowers and tree-covered peaks.

After about an hour of hiking, we arrived at a plateau with a garish orange hotel that someone compared to The Shining. We could see a telecommunications tower in the distance that marked the summit of Wulingshan, where we’d be staying overnight. So close and yet so far!

Part 3: “The Best Sunset I’ve Ever Seen”
The last stretch was the longest, if not the hardest; it took us around two hours to reach the top. We soon cleared the tree line, which made us stop and admire the breathtaking views. Half of us took off our shoes for the last 30 minutes of the climb, feet aching with the exertion of walking nearly six hours uphill.

Just before reaching the top, we could see rays of sunlight reflecting off the Miyun Reservoir; from far away, it looked like a diamond in the distance. We started to feel the mountain chill as the wind picked up and the sun started its descent.

When we rounded the bend and finally reached Wulingshan Summit Hotel (雾灵山顶峰西山宾馆), it was with an overwhelming sense of relief and accomplishment. We put in an order for roast lamb leg (RMB 220) at the attached restaurant and hurried to the peak to catch the sunset. One of us declared it “one of the best – if not the best – sunset I’ve ever seen.”

We took celebratory photos next to the stone marker on the peak – 2,118m! – and settled in to watch the sun go down. The view was only slightly marred by the telecommunications tower, which lent the scene a futuristic feel.

We then rushed down again for an unobstructed view of the sunset, but missed the last rays by a matter of seconds. Upon heading back to the hotel, we were surprised to discover the moon already in the sky – huge, round, and milky white.

Part 5: Mao Coats and Lamb Legs
There was only one problem: three of us rather stupidly forgot to bring warm layers. Luckily, a hut near the hotel rented out Mao-style padded cotton coats for RMB 10 (RMB 50 deposit required). As you can imagine, we took loads of silly photos.

After the sunset, we gobbled up our dinner like ravenous wolves. Apart from the lamb leg, we ordered two plates of delicious wild vegetables called “dragon’s beard grass” (龙须草, longxu cao), hot pot vegetables, shredded potatoes, deer meat omelet, and more. The country-style dishes tasted delicious after a long day of hiking.

Our accommodations were surprisingly pleasant, with clean sheets, western-style toilets, warm blankets, and plenty of hot water. Between the eight of us, we booked one room with a double bed and two rooms with three beds each. The latter cost RMB 320 per night and the former cost RMB 480 per night on weekends – a bit steep, but not surprising given the season and the fact that they have a monopoly on the summit.

Two people from our group got up at 4am to watch the sun rise, but most of us opted to sleep like logs. “Take a video,” we told them. As far as we can tell from the pictures, it was a glorious affair.

The next morning, we decided to rent a minivan to get down the mountain; some of us were adversely affected by the altitude, and had developed colds and/or headaches during the night. Secretly, I was relieved. After some haggling, a driver drove us to the north gate of Wulingshan National Forest Park for RMB 50 per person.

Our original driver was waiting for us at the foot of the mountain and took us to the Miyun bus station for another RMB 350. We were back in Beijing by 2pm, with plenty of time to do other things and full of great memories from the trip.

In a Nutshell

• Where? Wulingshan National Forest Park in Chengde, Hebei
• What? Hiking, admiring the scenery, and staying overnight on a mountain peak
• Who? Ages 10 and above
•  How much? RMB 120 for admission to the park
• What to bring? Good hiking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, comfortable clothes for hiking, warm layers and a windbreaker for the summit, and enough cash to cover food, transportation, and accommodations

Travel Tips:

• A simple Chinese breakfast of mantou, pickled vegetables, fermented tofu, and soup was included in the price of the hotel rooms. Chinese guests tend to eat very early, so get there before 8am if you can.
• It’s very cold at the peak (between 10-15°C at sundown), so make sure to bring warm clothes.
• Sunrise was around 4.20am in mid-July; check before going if you want to rise on time.
• The hotel staff don’t speak English, but were very friendly and accommodating; they can help you book a car from the summit to the foot of the mountain if needed, but you’ll have to do your own haggling.
• Don’t forget your passport for check-in.

Photos: Sijia Chen and courtesy of Wu Tong

On a sunny October day in 2016, a three-year-old began her ascent towards the top of Mt. Everest. Stefen Chow, father of “Little Chow,” as she is affectionately called, was the mastermind behind the adventure and hiked alongside his daughter and wife as the three of them made the journey towards the top of the mountain. After ten days, the trio had climbed 4,000 meters in the Himalayas, just below Mt. Everest’s South Base Camp (which stands at an altitude of 5,364 meters) before deciding to turn back, ensuring the perfect end to a beautiful and educational adventure.

While Chow does not simply ignore the fact that others would regard taking his daughter up Mt. Everest as a risky endeavor, he believed that Little Chow was up for the adventure. Chow researched and took careful medical precautions, packing emergency medical supplies as well as creating plans in case the family needed to be evacuated. “I did my research… if there was an emergency, helicopters could come and save us, there were doctors on the mountain,” he said.

“I knew the potential risks I was walking into, so I had all these contingency plans,” Chow added. Chow himself is also an experienced mountain climber, having scaled Mt. Everest with a team of five men eleven years ago, and thus is aware of symptoms of altitude sickness and other health issues that may arise when climbing.

Chow says that even though his daughter may not remember the trip, he is still happy that they went on the adventure together. Chow almost became a professional mountaineer after his first trip to Mt. Everest and said his “life is in the mountains.” His daughter gained such concrete knowledge during their trip, for example as how sherpas live in the mountains. Chow said what made the trip memorable was it gave him the opportunity to share this part of his life with his daughter.

Father-Daughter Solo Trips

Chow’s trip with his daughter, when measured by most societal standards in the developed world, would be considered quite outrageous. He does not think that everyone must take their children on such extreme treks. Chow advocates for all parents to simply take one-on-one trips with their children. Chow recognizes that his thought process might be simply founded in stereotypes, but he particularly advocates that fathers take their children on what he calls “solo trips.” From his own personal experiences taking his daughter to Taiwan and Thailand, Chow believes these trips have allowed the two to form a deeper bond.

As a professional photographer, Chow spends a lot of time on the road. Since he has begun taking his daughter on trips, he believes her perception of him has changed. “I think, for my daughter, the father is a very fun person to have around so that part of the dynamic has changed. The mom has always been there, but since I travel now when I come back, Little Chow expects that I will do something with her at some point.”

Chow began taking his daughter on trips when he realized she was becoming more aware and conscious in her daily life. Instead of making simple, linear connections, Little Chow had begun to make lateral connections, finding relationships between seemingly unrelated events. Chow said an example of such a connection would be Little Chow making an association between a meal cooked at home and a meal eaten at a restaurant days later. Once he saw her making these associations, Chow thought his daughter was ready and would get more out of their trips together.

On these trips, Chow intentionally focuses on giving him and his daughter the opportunity to interact with local people and to try, for a short time, integrating into the local culture. He says that most of their time is spent walking in small towns and speaking to people rather than shopping and going to the typical tourist attractions. Little Chow is given as active a role as any three-year old can have during these trips. Chow says that during these excursions, as well as family adventures, he sees the two of them as partners rather than a strict parent-child pair. He also plans to take his son, now one and a half, on similar adventures when he can communicate similar connections.

Everyday Adventures

In the family’s daily life, Chow and his wife hope to guide their children and show them they have their own sense of agency as well. During weekend trips, the couple give their daughter (who is old enough to communicate verbally and coherently) choices between destinations. After Little Chow makes her choice, Chow and his wife will make arrangements to travel to that location. In a recent trip, the family chose between a trip to Weifang and Jinan, both in Shandong Province. Instead of Chow and his wife deciding, they gave their daughter the choice between the two cities. In the end, Little Chow chose Weifang due to intrigue over the city’s well-known kite flying, and so the family traveled to the city for the sole purpose of flying kites.

Chow attributes part of his parenting philosophy to experiences with his own father, a businessman in Singapore. As a child, his father would consciously bring him to business meetings in an effort to carve out quality father-son time. As a result, Chow witnessed business meetings that succeeded and failed, as well as the everyday life of his father outside of his parental role. These experiences allowed Chow to understand his father in a more holistic way.

Outside of traveling to different parts of China and the wider world, Chow and his wife also make an effort to take their kids with them when they go out with friends. Chow also says that he and his wife made a conscious decision to try and maintain their pre-parental lifestyle as much as possible. The family goes to kid-friendly locations and bars such as Great Leap Brewing. When asked how he and his wife balance being present with their friends while also looking after their children, Chow did not seem to think that it was an issue. Chow says that his children are well behaved and he attributes part of his children’s’ public behavior to having been exposed to many similar adult situations.

Chow hopes that his children will learn how to interact with different kinds of people through these daily and otherwise planned adventures. He also hopes above all to show his kids what his life is like outside of his parental role. “A lot of us parents today have a lot to offer our children, but if you can spend time with them and show them your world, I think the children will all benefit a lot.”

In allowing them to make decisions during their travels, taking them together to adult gatherings, and encouraging them to speak to different types of people, Chow hopes his kids can become independent thinkers. As for the next big adventure? Chow says the family is looking into a bike tour in Taiwan on Europe. Either way, the kids and the parents are sure to be present together.

All photos courtesy of Stefen Chow

This article originally appeared on p. 42-43 of beijingkids March Issue. Download a copy here.