Five Ways to Enjoy Beijing’s (All too brief) Autumn

14975798681_b2b3fb1c7a_zAutumn is Beijing’s best season and it’s not even close. Sure spring has similar weather, but it also has the occasional Mongolian dust storm and the not so occasional explosion of poplar fuzz — both work against Springtime in the contest for Beijing’s best time of year. 

The problem of course is that Beijing’s autumn is far too short.  For example, I missed all of autumn last year because we had a meeting that afternoon.  Really. It’s that short. One day it’s gorgeous skies and perfect weather and then the grey of winter descends and the Siberian winds make their first blow through our fair city. 

With so little time to take advantage of such great weather, we humbly submit five of our favorite ways to enjoy our brief but but beautiful Beijing autumn.

1. Eat outside. Yes, we know that some neighborhood committees have declared war on outdoor seating but there are still plenty of places where you can enjoy food in the great outdoors.  In the area around our corporate offices on Xingfucun there is Hutong staff favorites Big Smoke and El Gran Bocado as well as the soon-to-reopen-for-real (and very cool) Ocean Grounds which has cafe seating on the first floor of Shimao Plaza. Further afield, one of our favorites is Schindlers Tankstelle whose back patio extends into the greenery of Ritan Park. There are of course many more, but really…how many weeks a year in Beijing can you have a meal under blue skies with mild temperatures and low humidity? Find your favorite, and enjoy dinner outside while you can.

2 (Or actually 1A). Drink outside. Hutong staff favorites near our courtyard venue in Beixinqiao include the tiny porch at Stuff’d on Wudaoying and perennial evening dive El Nido. Wandering west through the hutongs, it’s hard to beat Great Leap #6 on Doujiao Hutong. It might not have been the first courtyard beer garden, but it might as well have been. Fun place to hoist a beer (or four) on a Sunday afternoon.

3. Play outside. Mashup Sports has their flag football league. The Devils and Aardvarks just had recruiting sessions at their respective HQ bars (The Den and Paddy O’Shea’s)*, Beijing Triathlon Club is running, swimming and biking in preparation for their next race, Beijing Hikers are marching through the hills, the parks are full of local residents dancing, exercising, Taiji-ing, it’s a free for all out there. Join it. Store up that activity for the six months of a sedentary winter. 

4. Find a nice courtyard and spend some time learning a new skill or take advantage of the nice weather and join a tour of one of Beijing’s famous historic sites.  (Come on! It’s a company blog. You knew there would be a shameless plug somewhere in here).

5. Commute outside. Let’s face it, commuting in Beijing can be a tough experience. But with the good weather in autumn, it’s time to ditch the cab, come up from underground, and dust off that bicycle or your walking shoes. Even I (Jeremiah) have joined in, buying my first bicycle in ten years.  I’ve enjoyed biking to work and have even learned new Chinese words to describe what I look like on a bicycle…I can’t make out the exact phrase as I speed past, but I’m assuming it translates as “Hey, Look! A circus bear!”

So while the skies are blue and the weather is mild, let’s all spend as much time outdoors.  After all…well, you know

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*Actually, we should add these to 1A. Both The Den and Paddy O’Shea’s are among our favorite top spots for outdoor imbibing. The Den even has its own entertainment, a show which begins some time after 2:00 a.m. If you’ve been there at that time or later, then you know what we mean…