The freak snowstorm of early November caught Around Town completely off guard. We like to give readers tips on some of the particularly picturesque places to be in the capital when the flakes are falling and begin to collect. Our first snow came and went without sticking around long because the weather wasn't cold enough. However this won't be the case after Wednesday as the thermometer continues to drop in the capital.

Savoring Beijing snow at its best is a limited time opportunity and the memories are priceless: bundle up, bring your camera, and get out there!

There are certain rules to follow in order to maximize one's pleasure in snowbound Beijing. First is to determine what price tag you place on your soul.

The second essential rule is to plan ahead and know exactly where you want go. There is one thing worth remembering: the first day of the snow is the best day of snow. Timing is everything because on subsequent days the snow clearing efforts, daylight melt-offs, freezing temperatures at night and pollution transforms pretty snowflakes into treacherous black ice or depressing dirty piles of the shoveled stuff in rock hard mounds.

The third critical law governing snow enjoyment in the capital is transportation. The last place you want to be when it snows is in a motor vehicle. Several years ago a snowstorm struck on a Friday at rush hour causing hours of nightmarish grid lock. The old saying, "pure as the driven snow," means pure misery if you drive in this city.

Hide the car keys and think long and hard about the efficacy of taking a taxi, provided you can find one. If you live or work close enough, try to exploit one of Beijing's three subway lines. Line One goes west-east between Shijingshan and eastern Chaoyang district. The loop line follows the second ring road except on its southern spur piercing the middle of town. Line 13 provides a lifeline to Haidian District and western Chaoyang. This form of public transportation gets crowded, but will get you where you want to be quicker than anything else aside from perhaps snowshoes, skis or a dog sled.

Nevertheless one of the best snow destinations is Tian'anmen Square and the environs of the Forbidden City. There are numerous options depending on how long you want to stay outdoors. Getting there isn't a problem since it is served by two subway stops: the loop line's Qianmen Station at the south end of the square and Line One's Tiananmen East Station southeast of the gate.

If you want to do hutong in the snow, head south from Qianmen into the great alleyway mazes on either side of Qianmenwai Dajie. Otherwise Qianmen is good for the old city gate and watchtower, or a visit to the old foreign legation quarter behind the Museum of Chinese History on the east side of Tian'anmen Square.

Tian'anmen in snow

Tian'anmen East offers a plethora of places for traipsing around in the snow. Besides the Forbidden City, Zhongshan Park on the west (left) and the Working People's Cultural Palace to the east are options most people forget about.

The photos shown here come from a new addition to this itinerary - the Changpu He Park which is not quite a year old yet. Changpu means calamus, a genus of Asian climbing palm with stems used as a source of rattan or underground stem of a plant also known as 'sweet flag' yielding an oil used in perfume. It grows in marshy places and has grass-like leaves and minute green flowers. Calamus can also be the quill of a feather.

Snowy attractions

The park, divided into two sections, is part of the urban renewal programme for Beijing's Imperial City. Planners did an excellent job with the landscaping and have created a new history for what was originally a drainage ditch removing the excrement of emperors. Admission is free in this lovely park.

The only downside to the park is you cannot enter from its westernmost end located at the eastern grandstand for dignitaries at Tian'anmen. You have to go around to Nanchizi Jie. If you need to take a break from the snow, on the north side of the western section of the park is a new museum, the Huangcheng Yishuguan, or Imperial City Art Museum. Stocked with a great array of Beijing artifacts and bilingual captions, it's a must see. Open daily 9 am-4:30 pm. Tickets cost 20 yuan (US$2.40). Call 8511-5114 for more information.

(Beijing Weekend December 2, 2003)