Cycling in a Winter Wonderland: Exploring the northern Huairou, Beijing
China's capital, Beijing, is a thriving city with a diverse population from many nationalities and a long history from the early stages of human civilization. Being a populous city, it is also home to some breathtakingly beautiful natural landscapes, such as the Huairou District's mountains, lakes, and woods, especially in the northern area of Huairou. Though Huairou is around 65 km north of the city center the district is very large with a span of another 100 km north to the end of Beijing's municipal area. I am lucky to live in such a beautiful area where you can explore nature with different views around the year in different seasons.
As it is the beginning of the winter here the temperature has dropped to 5 5-degree centigrade range in day time and at night dropped to around -7/8 freezing area. But sometimes the temperature slightly increases and last Sunday was a little bit warmer with 7/8 degrees during the noo and I went cycling in the northern area of the city. I enjoyed the ride so much though the cold was bitter for my hands and I needed to use thick gloves most of the time. Maybe it would be the last cycling in this year as temperature is going to drop and I am lucky that snowing has not happened yet this year. After the starts snowing, Huairou City is changed into a wintry paradise with snow-covered peaks and frozen lakes throughout the winter.
The city is enough large to cover a span of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) from south to north can be a bike route that meanders through the district's mountains and woods by these roads. The trail is a fantastic choice for cyclists of all skill levels because it is well-maintained and simple to follow as you will get a different cycling portion by each high road. The Huairou roads are a wonderful site on a bright winter's day. Magnificent beauty will envelop you as you ride along the way. The woodlands are covered in gray and brown leaves, while the mountains are also brown without any leaves currently with some greeny spots.
The quiet silence of the winter woodland surrounded on the whole way as I ride through its core heart in a soothing and pleasant atmosphere. The once-vibrant leaf canopy has given way to the harsh realities of winter, revealing a skeleton structure of bare branches that reaches up into the overcast sky. The scene has changed from a lush tapestry of greens and browns to a monochrome one of soft greys and whites.
It is very necessary to wear heavy clothes in the winter here as the wind is very strong often with extreme dryness. The cold air grazes my skin, a sharp contrast to the heat I'm producing with my effort and with the air-tight jackets. The only sounds breaking the stillness are the crunch of my tires on the dry leaves-covered path and the sporadic breeze through the bare branches.
The winter forestland has an unmistakable charm despite the bitter winter with its burning appearance without the greeny glimpse and colorful flowers. A trickling brook breaks the stillness as I make my way farther by the road. I follow the sound, attracted by its promise of life in the dead of winter. I am met with an astounding sight of the flowing water from the water reservoir through the channel. In the sunshine, the flowing water with the stream's ripple gleams like diamonds.
I was thinking about life's cyclical nature as I was paddling along the way. The winter forest appears lifeless, yet it is actually in a condition of rest, getting ready for springtime rejuvenation. The trees that are naked and without leaves are not dead; rather, they are only dormant and are waiting for the sun's warmth to rouse them from their slumber.
The bleak gray surroundings are magically transformed into a gentle, ethereal radiance that covers the entire area when it was almost afternoon the sun was in the more west-south than normal time and the cold has started increasing.
I hope you like my outdoor activity in such an amazing place on my weekend. It was amazing to have such tours to an amazing place like this with the beauty of nature to enjoy and lose myself away from the whole busy life! If you have any queries, let me know in the comments, and I will try my best to answer them.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention, I will catch you at the next one.
Wish you a great day!