travel
China Elevator Stories
The West lake Wetlands in Siping (China Travel)
My children showed me a spot in Siping where people can go swimming and enjoy nature.
07/08/2025
Ruth Silbermayr
Author
Just like most Austrian children, my Chinese-Austrian children love swimming! In China, however, teaching children to swim isn’t quite as common as it is in Austria.
I remember that growing up, all my siblings learned how to swim, and my parents could swim too. In Austria, taking a swimming test in secondary school is mandatory, and most people pass it. I wasn’t one of them, by the way—I failed one part of the test where you had to swim a certain distance (I can’t remember how far) within 2 minutes and 30 seconds. I needed 2:33 on the first try and 2:32 on the second. I passed all the other sections but didn’t receive the certificate that the other students got.
When I met my children in person for the first time after almost six years apart, they took me to a beach with a natural pool in the center. My younger son played in the water but didn’t swim, as he hadn’t learned how. My older son only played in the sand—he didn’t like the water.
When I took them to other places in China, especially tourist spots, I often saw them running near water. I always find it risky when children who can’t swim get close to water. They’re naturally curious and often play with it, looking to see what’s inside—fish or turtles, usually. After we moved back to Siping, my younger son showed an interest in learning to swim.
They had been taught that knowing how to swim is actually more dangerous than not knowing—supposedly because more people who know how to swim drown. I disagree with that kind of logic. Sure, swimmers can drown too, but if someone is often near lakes, ponds, or other bodies of water, I believe it’s much safer to know how to swim. Accidents happen. We’ve all heard stories of children who fell into pools or lakes and died because they couldn’t swim. I personally know of a case where a 4-year-old drowned after falling into a pool—his mother, who couldn’t swim either, had to watch helplessly and couldn’t get help in time. Such tragic stories do exist. While most 4-year-olds aren’t expected to swim yet, many children start learning at age 5 or 6 and can begin to protect themselves when around water.
Anyway, my older son said he didn’t want to go into the dirty water and preferred swimming pools with cleaner water. (Note: not all public pools in China are clean, but there are exceptions where hygiene isn’t a concern. This particular pond is natural—I wouldn’t say it’s truly dirty, but my son didn’t like the smell of the “natural” water.)
After my younger son agreed to try learning, we bought a swim ring from a small stall nearby and went back to the swimming area. He went right in and started happily playing in the water. I stayed nearby watching. The water wasn’t very deep, making it a great place to learn. Seeing his younger brother having fun, my older son also wanted to try. So I bought him a swim ring too, since there was no other swimming gear available. I later ordered arm floaties online. They both had a great time, just like Austrian children usually do. There were many Chinese kids playing there too, and they quickly joined them.
Some Chinese parents are against swimming—like my Chinese ex-husband. He can’t swim himself, and I remember a kind of hysterical swimming phobia running in his family. While I also feel anxious sometimes in deep water (like when swimming too far from the coast at sea), I still firmly believe children who are often near water should know how to swim. To me, it’s a no-brainer. I know swimmers can drown too, but that usually happens in more serious situations. Children should always be supervised by an adult who can swim, of course, just in case.
The place we went to is called 四平西湖湿地 (Sìpíng Xīhú Shīdì, Siping West Lake Wetlands). It’s free and open to the public—you can just go there. I believe it closes at night, but during the day it’s open from at least 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Public toilets are located near the pond, but be sure to bring food and water, since there are no nearby stalls, and restaurants or snack shops are a bit farther away.
Adults don’t usually swim in the pond, but I’ve seen a few go in wearing T-shirts. Many children wear shirts too—mine went in wearing just shorts and T-shirts, like most other Chinese children. We didn’t have bathing suits, since they had never been swimming before. Some boys wore just swim trunks, but most didn’t.
When my son asked how he could learn to swim and I told him an adult needed to be in the water with him, he asked if I had clothes I could wear in the water. I said I had a bikini, and he warned me that wearing a bikini isn’t really appropriate swimwear in China—ha! I told him I could wear a T-shirt over it. It’s a bit like being in a Muslim country here, even though this area isn’t predominantly Muslim. There are a few people from the Hui ethnic group in Siping (they are traditionally Muslim), but I’ve never seen anyone from the Uyghur minority here. Still, women generally don’t show their bodies in bikinis. Siping may be stricter than other parts of China—I’ve seen people wear bikinis at the beach in places like Shenzhen.
My younger son asked if he could take swimming lessons in Siping—he was eager to learn how to swim without using any floatation aids. I don’t know how much such classes cost, but I’m thinking of asking around at the swimming pools to see if they offer courses for children. He said his school once offered students the choice between swimming or basketball lessons (probably in cooperation with an external facility), and he chose swimming—but had to attend basketball classes anyway.
The West Lake Wetlands also feature wetlands, which can be visited too. There’s a lake-like area you can walk along on a wooden platform right beside the water. There’s some greenery around as well, and it’s a pleasant place to visit, especially in summer.
Have you ever taught your children how to swim?