It’s the ultimate winter holiday dilemma: do you embrace the cold or grab your sunscreen and escape to warmer climes? Wherever you choose to go, with Christmas and New Year rapidly approaching, it’s better to start making plans now, as China’s most popular destinations get booked up quickly.

Now is the perfect time to book with Accor’s Double 11 flash sale. For 48 hours only, organize your stays for the rest of the year and enjoy up to 50% off some of the most luxuriously comfortable suites around, with more than 140 hotels to suit all budgets and tastes available in the sale.

From November 10-11, 2021, members of ALL – Accor Live Limitless can enjoy the following discounts and benefits when booking participating Accor hotels (for stays between November 10 and December 31, 2021):

• Up to 50% off suites with complimentary breakfast.
• 30% discount on basic room types. Accor Plus members enjoy an additional 10% discount. 

Read on to discover two of our favorite destinations this winter.

Hit the slopes at Changbai Mountain

Beijing may be hosting the 2022 Winter Olympics, but you need to travel a bit further north to find China’s best slopes.

Located in Jilin province at the border of China and North Korea, Changbai Mountain (aka Changbaishan) is on a similar latitude to Switzerland and is one of the best places in China to enjoy snowy scenery. The mountain is actually a dormant volcano, and an incredibly picturesque lake, known as Heaven Lake, sits in the caldera at the top.

Both the north and west slopes of the mountain are open to tourists (the east slope is off limits as it is in North Korea!), but the west slope offers both the best access to Heaven Lake and better skiing. There are slopes to suit skiers of every level, from beginners to challenging red and black runs and even International Ski Federation certified cross country runs. Equipment rental is available at hotels or the scenic area.

Recreate that Swiss ski resort feeling at Swissôtel Changbaishan

As one of China’s premier skiing destinations, Changbaishan boasts a wide range of hotels to suit every family. Lean into the Swiss connection at Swissôtel Resort Changbaishan, which blends Swiss ski resort-style with local northeastern Chinese characteristics. The hotel features 684 rooms built right into the mountains, including 24 individual family lodges constructed from imported pine wood. Inspired by healthy, outdoor lifestyles, Swissôtel incorporates the concept of “Live It Well” into every detail, from sleeping to dining in one of the hotel’s four uniquely-themed restaurants.   

Mountain vistas are built into every aspect of The View Changbai Mountain MGallery

Mountain views are built into every aspect of The View Changbai Mountain MGallery, the area’s only high-end boutique hotel, boasting just 49 rooms. Nestled in the heart of the forest and with majestic Changbai Mountain rising in the distance, serenity is the watchword here, the perfect place to refresh body and mind. For a unique experience, relax in the outdoor infinity pool and jacuzzi while enjoying the views.

The Pullman Changbaishan is located close to ski facilities

The Pullman Changbaishan Resort is just 3 minutes away from the entrance to the west slope scenic area, with easy access to two famous ski resorts, Luneng and Wanda. The winter forest location is thoughtfully integrated into every part of the resort — the buildings are connected by a glassed-in corridor so guests can enjoy the snowy scenery without catching a chill. Both parents and kids alike will love finding out more about the unique culture of this part of northeastern China in the guest hub, which is also home to two friendly sika deer, which are native to this region.

Work on your tan in Sanya

For a fun beach getaway, it doesn’t get better than “the Hawaii of China”: Hainan. Most families rightly head to Sanya for its long sandy beaches and tropical weather — especially perfect during the winter dry season. If you want to escape the crowds, Haitang Bay is our top choice, home to a number of newer, high-quality hotels.

Haitang Bay is also the perfect place to get the whole family involved with water sports. For example, just across the water from Haitang Bay, Wuzhizhou Coral Island offers fantastic opportunities for snorkeling in its crystal clear waters.

Fairmont Sanya’s leafy grounds are just waiting for you to explore

Fairmont Sanya, the Fairmont brand’s latest hotel in China, is a 15-minute ferry ride away from Wuzhizhou, and water is built into every aspect of the hotel, too. The Yun River seawater canal, the first of its kind in a hotel, snakes around the property and can be toured in a dragon boat steered by staff of in your own paddleboat — think Venice, but with tropical temperatures. The outdoor pool has multiple areas for kids to play and parents to relax, and there is a kids club to keep young hands occupied while parents tour the on-site Wood Art Gallery, filled with Ming and Qing-era wooden treasures.

With so many activities on offer, you’ll never get bored at Sofitel Sanya

A few minutes from Fairmont Sanya, Sofitel Sanya Leeman Resort celebrates the “Art de Vivre,” with Sofitel’s signature thoughtful French touches incorporated into everything from dining to room amenities from Lanvin or L’Occitane. There are fun-filled activities for kids and adults alike, including helicopter sightseeing, Le Bakery, indoor go-karting, tennis courts, a kid’s club and kid’s pool, and more.

Relax into the island lifestyle at Raffles Hainan

For a true escape from it all, Raffles Hainan is a tropical hideaway in the quieter Clearway Bay. As one might expect from Singapore’s most famous hotel brand, the whole resort has a truly Southeast Asian feel to it, incorporating a mix of Balinese and local Hainan ethnic architecture. The extensive tropical grounds stretch right down to the white sandy beach, with multiple pools to explore. Raffles’ Rascals Kids Club will entertain the little ones while adults enjoy a spa treatment or a signature Hainan Sling cocktail in the Long Bar. Seven restaurant and bar choices, from fresh seafood to Italian cuisine to Hainan specialties will make sure no one goes hungry.

Live the high life at Clear Water Bay Yacht Club

Ever wanted to have your own yacht? You can get at least a taste of the highlife by hiring a private yacht for a few hours at nearby Clearwater Bay Yacht Club. Prices are surprisingly affordable (ask the hotel concierge to help with pricing and bookings), and the boats usually anchor out in the bay so you can enjoy water sports like jet skiing.

Images: courtesy of Accor, Shutterstock/kikujunboyCC Shutterstock/ZCFei

Hey, teenagers of Beijing! Still looking for something to do for the rest of your winter vacation and Chinese New Year? You can be a contributing writer for beijingkids.

We know that being stuck at home during this period might not have been your idea for a fun vacation, but you can use this time to share your thoughts with the rest of Beijing. We would like to hear from you. What has the current school year been like for you? What are your favorite games, or a book you read in the past year that’s inspired you? What are some cool and fun activities that you and your friends get up to when you have the time? And are there any places you might recommend that the rest of Beijing visit when COVID-19 is under control?

If you doubt your abilities in being a great contributing teen writer, just remember that each year beijingkids publishes the TeenTakeover Magazine issue, where students from all over Beijing share their thoughts, ideas, experiences, and lifehacks.

You will not be expected to show up to work, or have office hours. All you have to do is come up with creative, informative, and fun content, draft it, and send it through. This will require a certain level of discipline, maturity, and independence. And also you must have a great passion for writing!

The ideal beijingkids Teen contributing writers are:

• Currently in middle or high school (from age 12 up)
• Excellent English speaking and writing skills
• Well-informed about news and issues affecting expat and local communities
• Social and outgoing
• Creative and enthusiastic
• Able to work without much supervision

Interested? Send a quick letter expressing your interest to our Deputy Managing Editor at cindyjenkins@beijing-kids.com. Tell us a little about yourself and your interests, and what you are passionate about in your free time!

KEEP READING: Don’t Forget to Follow and Subscribe…: Are Beijing Teenagers Too Plugged In?

Image: Uni You

For many students, particularly students in international schools, the end of the fall term is here. For students in the Chinese system, there is still more work to be done! Students are either preparing for or taking final semester exams or Mock exams. Just after that comes the Winter Holiday. It is a time filled with hard work, some anxiety, anticipation that it will all be over soon, and finally a break for several weeks.

It is important to stress that performance on in-school exams are not only a vital piece of a students’ academic record but also for a students’ application to schools and universities. Most exams are cumulative in nature and show a student’s ability to comprehensively attack information they have been learning all year. Whether a student is applying to boarding school or university, schools will review grades earned up to a certain point. It is these grades, which should show a mastery of their academic subjects. In other words, DO WELL! Always!!

Most students who are applying to schools are in the final stretches of the application process. For students applying to boarding schools, the process ends in early January. The same is true of university applicants. And while there may be the longing to be somewhere else, whether a beach in the South Pacific or already attending the one’s target school, focusing on the tasks at hand is imperative.

Some teenagers are masters of procrastination. “Oh, I’ll get to that tomorrow!” and “tomorrow” and so on. But here’s the thing, procrastination does not make that task go away, it only makes the “doing it” more anxiety filled. Studying for exams, completing the project that needs to be done, writing those application essays – it only gets harder as time passes.  Guilt and anxiety rule the day, and trying to maintain high expectations in conjunction with negative feelings only leads to poor outcomes.

Those who succeed focus on their target, seek extra-help if needed, ask for guidance and direction, and ultimately win out in the end. But the average teenager hoping to prove their maturity will try to do everything on their own. If taken broadly, teamwork can apply to one’s education – such as by seeing one’s teachers not only as a coach, but also as a guide and a mentor. Teachers and classmates all make up a team whose aim is to help each individual win. Mavericks rarely win over the long haul.

Teachers throughout the course of the semester provide information and hope that students who are struggling will seek needed advice. Students may expect teachers to see their struggles and approach the student. The responsibility is on the student, not the teacher, to seek out help when needed. A teacher, like most humans, cannot read minds nor should they be expected to!

Many counselors may to get students to complete applications before the holidays and well before deadlines, however some students wait to work on applications and essays during this period. Thinking that the holidays are a time to attend to these major tasks. Without the guidance of adults, students will most likely not do as well as they could have had they planned ahead.

Even if the application process is a year or two down the road, make sure you, as the student, are seeking out all the help and guidance you need to succeed. Here is an important question – “What have you done today for that school you are dreaming about?” Have you worked on you vocabulary? Have you created something new? Have you prepared for all your exams? Have you written, reviewed and edited your essays? Dreams don’t just happen because you dream. They happen because you work for them, tirelessly!

So get to work!

Photo: lawschooltoolbox.com