An ice and snow carnival opened at the Yudu Mountain scenic area in Beijing on December 20, 2025. The launch featured a traditional ice-harvesting ceremony and the debut of a winter catch festival.
Each year, Wangyou Lake in Yudu Mountain freezes into a thick layer of ice around the winter solstice. Blocks harvested here are transported to Longqing Gorge, where they become the raw material for an annual ice lantern festival, which opens just before the traditional Chinese New Year, which falls on February 17 this year.
Winter catch is a nod to a northern Chinese tradition where fishermen pull fresh fish from frozen lakes to welcome the new year. Located near the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics alpine skiing venue, the scenic area also offers visitors the chance to try ice climbing on a dramatic, multi-story frozen waterfall throughout the carnival.
(Text and photos by Wei Yao)
