Steady climb in interest

With the weather turning distinctly warm, hordes of people are flocking to Longtan Park - not for its picturesque scenery, but for a 18-m-high climbing wall, billed as Asia's biggest.

This wall is certainly the tallest in Beijing, and a favorite with the city's more experienced climbers.

The Longtanhu Climbing Center attracts about 80 people per day who come to challenge themselves on the wooden wall speckled with multi-colored hand and foot ledges imported from Europe. Spongy mats cushion any falls.