Capital steeped in autumn splendor

Crisp days, blue skies greet residents and visitors alike as they head out to enjoy the city before winter's arrival

Nights are getting colder and winter may be just around the corner, but a string of sunny autumn days forecast for the end of October promises ideal weather for Beijing's hikers, bikers, bird watchers and chestnut roasters.

Some of the best weather the capital city has to offer is on display in the fall, luring residents outside to the many parks, lakes, woods and farmer's markets before the blue skies and crisp days disappear into a winter's gloom.

In the autumn, Beijing's cloudy, foggy days of summer are drifting away in the winds from the north, which cool its neighborhoods, drive away the smog and blow colorful leaves around the city's thoroughfares.

Red maple leaves and yellow ginko and poplar leaves color many of Beijing's landmark attractions, adding a festive flare to the Palace Museum, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Fragrant Hills and the Great Wall.

Ginko leaves, which cover the ground in autumn, turn a common street - Diaoyutai Boulevard - into a famous seasonal attraction. The golden foliage is a magnet for photographers and couples taking wedding photos.

Warm days and pleasant weather mean autumn is an excellent time for outdoor recreation. At the weekends, joggers swarm the city's parks, bikers flock to the hills on the outskirts of the city and hikers throng to the ancient temple roads, scenic ridgelines and off-the-beaten-track valley floors. Ornithologists head to the city's myriad wetlands in search of migrating birds.

Autumn is also the harvest season. At the city's fruit markets, shoppers can find grapes from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, apples from Shandong province, pomegranates from Yunnan province and pears and fresh Chinese dates from Shanxi and Hebei provinces. It's also the time to enjoy just harvested chestnuts, roasted on street corners around the city.

(China Daily 10/28/2015 page7)