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It's such a mix of interesting people.
Lovers embrace as they peck each other's frozen lips at the edge of the lake while families with little children slip and slide with laughter in the middle.
To round things out, near a small island in the middle of the lake vendors have set up small booths where you can play games like throwing darts at balloons or even buy snacks and drinks.
For a small fee, you can rent the goat to pull you around the ice on a sled. Quite bizarre and pointless given the immeasurably more fun ice sleds, but it's there nonetheless.
It costs 10 yuan to get onto the frozen lake and 20 to rent an ice sled (other things are more expensive), but the fun you can have with your family, friends or lover is well worth it.
But easily the strangest thing on the ice has to be an oversized goat wearing little leather booties.
The best plan in my opinion is to head there earlier in the morning spend an hour or two playing on the ice and then enjoy a nice lunch in one of the many restaurants or bars that line the lake.
After lunch, if it is not too cold, you can enjoy a nice walk through the hutong shops or even enjoy a hot drink at a local cafe.
Just watch out for those annoying bike taxi/tour guides that assault you with requests of patronage every two seconds.
It's much nicer to go exploring yourself.
Once the spring comes around, you will have to wait through the hot muggy Beijing summer before you can enjoy its wintry delights again.
It's well worth your time, so what are you waiting for, get out there and enjoy some winter fun at Houhai Lake.
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