This is a newly completed ski site in north suburban Yanqing County. It will be open later this month.

As a new entry in the competitive ski market in Beijing, Badaling Ski Course is considered better than most. It is favoured by those who complain Beijing's ski slopes tend to be too short for them to fully exploit their skills.

Covering an area of 150 hectares, Badaling Ski Course offers a wide range of activities including skiing, water-skiing sledging and gliding.

A large artificial pond is available for skating fans.

It will take you 40 minutes (traffic permitting) from downtown Beijing to get to the ski slopes along the Badaling Highway. It is two kilometers north of the Badaling Great Wall.

How to get there: Take the 919 at Deshengmen to Badaling Hua Xue Chang.

Note: at time of press, there is so far no confirmed opening date.

(Beijing Weekend November 21, 2003)