Shunyi stages its first winter carnival

The Lianhuashan Ski Resort is crowded with skiers during a weekend.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Visitors who book through Qiaobo's official WeChat account or website can enjoy 40 percent off ticket prices.

The Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park offers not only skiing but also rides on sleighs, ice-wagons and cross-country snowmobiles.

Chilly carnival visitors can thaw out in the hot springs that trickle throughout the district. Several establishments are offering deals during the celebration.

Indeed, the carnival has also conjured some less-common winter activities, such as industrial tourism. The factories of Beijing Yanjing Brewery and Hyundai Motor enable industrial tourists to witness firsthand the processes by which beer is brewed and cars are made.

Shunyi also hosts one of the country's few butterfly theme parks. Guests can dash through clouds of colored wings, watch the insects feast on flowers and learn about their biology. (This spot may hold extra appeal to people who are missing spring.)

The district is also home to an Italian-style farm and a large red-wine cellar.

The carnival, sponsored by the Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development and Shunyi's government, opened on Dec 19 and runs through February.

Travelers can learn more and make online bookings through the Shunyi tourism department's official WeChat and micro blog accounts.

Then they can discover what makes the cold cool in Shunyi.