Source: NYT (6/25/22)
‘Wild Swimming’ in Restricted Beijing Offers Refreshing Break From Rules
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China’s congested and highly regulated capital is not known for either its natural refuges or its rule-bending. But swimming in the city’s lakes and waterways is a cherished, if contested, tradition.
By Vivian Wang

Swimmers in June in the Liangma River in Beijing. Staircases have been fenced off to prevent people from easily entering the water, but this hasn’t stopped enthusiasts. Credit…Gilles Sabrié for The New York Times
BEIJING — Beneath a curving concrete overpass, behind a wall of green fencing, surrounded by the roar of traffic, a swimming hole beckons in the heart of Beijing.
The water, a slim current running along Beijing’s often-congested innermost ring road, may not look like an ideal spot for a dip. Vaguely oily-looking algae drifts on its surface. In places, it is a bit pungent.
But for those in the know, it’s an oasis.
The shore is lined with willows, and a concrete ledge doubles conveniently as a diving platform. And some regulars have made the hideaway their own: They have set up chairs, a cream pleather couch and even a makeshift shower station of plastic water jugs strapped to the beam of a shed.
Every day, from early morning until dark, two dozen or so people filter in and out of this unlikely retreat, one of several destinations for what is sometimes locally called “wild swimming.” They sunbathe, gossip, eat takeout — and, of course, swim. The bravest arrive year-round, even when Beijing temperatures plunge below freezing, with knives for breaking up the ice. Continue reading →