Do yourself a favor and get out of the city, particularly now in the Fall, when the foliage makes a colorful display and farmers offer harvests of apples, pumpkins, pears, chestnuts and walnuts. Here are just some initial suggestions for both day trips and overnight options. The Insider’s Guide to Beijing: Excursion Guide is an excellent resource and mentions some of these sights, and I’ve indicated these with an asterisk (*). I’ve also indicated websites for accommodations or contacts where applicable. Enjoy!
Day Trips
1. The Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest* is located north of Beijing in Changping County. What you will see are a few abandoned pagodas and stupas from what were once more than 72 Buddhist shrines on Silver Mountain. The pagodas date from the Jin Dynasty and contain the remains of important monks. The mountain park has paths to various sights, including a cave where a hermit once lived and the summit observatory point. It's a wonderful place to picnic and explore within well-marked paths.2. Yaji Shan. This Taoist temple dates from the Tang Dynasty and each year on the lunar calendar's April 1st has a festival to which various supplicants gather. There are both regular paths up and circuitous ones, the latter needing local guides.
3. Phoenix Peak* (Feng Shan) in Haidian district, is only 45 min. away and has natural paths and the 1000-year old Dragon Spring Temple (Longquan Si).
4. The small village of West Dire Straits (Xi Luo Po) near Jiu Yuan houses the decrepit but evocative home of the sanqu poet Ma Zhiyuan (1250 - 1324) of the Yuan dynasty (photo at right). In front of this small courtyard home is a sign with his poem illuminating the end days of the dynasty. The poem translates:
A withered vine, an ancient tree, crows at dusk
A small bridge, a flowing stream, some huts
An old road, a wind out of the west, an emaciated horse
A heartbroken man on the horizon at sunset.
In the same village, now on farmland, is the remains of a prison wall. It was here that a king or other high official was imprisoned for years. I need to remember who!
5. Up high in the Hebei hills is the abandoned village of Wang Jia Shan, or Wang Family Mouain. A plaque tells the story of how in 1942, Japanese gathered 42 villagers and burned them alive. The informer was later caught and killed. On the day I visited, only sheep and silent breezes lived there. Further down the road is the 1,500 y/o Ling Yue Si, which back in March was under renovation by the BJ Cultural Relics Bureau.6. Da Jue Si.* Here you will see some faithful, but for more weekend visitors it is the teahouse and peacefulness that draw them to this Buddhist temple. The temple is a bit like a “green” Forbidden City of ever-increasing great halls and studded with wisteria, forsythia and hundreds of years old trees. Spring is a particularly lovely time to visit. Last winter the temple was renovating guestrooms for overnight stay. Inquire at the temple for information.
7. The Dirt Great Wall. You didn't know there were different
kinds of Great Wall, did you? Near the village of Xiao Zhang Jia Kou one can access a portion of the dirt Great Wall. Nearby fields still feature old kilns once used to fire the large bricks used in other portions of the Great Wall.
8. For other places, I suggest you hike with Tony Chen, founder of Stretch-a-Leg Travel Service. Tony is a wonderful young Beijinger committed to eco-tourism. He is an experienced hiker and has hiked a lot in China as well as overseas in New Zealand, Colorado and California, to name a few locations. He and his trusty four-wheel drive can take you to small villages to have a personal hike along the Great Wall or visit former Ming dynasty garrison towns or Liao temples and more. Tony also has a very basic overnight stay accommodation in a small village in the hills of Hebei, within hiking distance of a section of the old Great Wall. Most recently he led a group to Guangxi to stay at the Nongguan Nature Reserve, a newly opened white-headed langur (monkey) reserve near the Vietnam border. (The latter was written up in the New York Times 9/23/08 issue, page F1.) Learn more about Tony and his hikes at his website www. stretchaleg.com or reach him via email at stretchaleg@gmail.com.
Overnights by the Great Wall and more
8. For other places, I suggest you hike with Tony Chen, founder of Stretch-a-Leg Travel Service. Tony is a wonderful young Beijinger committed to eco-tourism. He is an experienced hiker and has hiked a lot in China as well as overseas in New Zealand, Colorado and California, to name a few locations. He and his trusty four-wheel drive can take you to small villages to have a personal hike along the Great Wall or visit former Ming dynasty garrison towns or Liao temples and more. Tony also has a very basic overnight stay accommodation in a small village in the hills of Hebei, within hiking distance of a section of the old Great Wall. Most recently he led a group to Guangxi to stay at the Nongguan Nature Reserve, a newly opened white-headed langur (monkey) reserve near the Vietnam border. (The latter was written up in the New York Times 9/23/08 issue, page F1.) Learn more about Tony and his hikes at his website www. stretchaleg.com or reach him via email at stretchaleg@gmail.com.
Overnights by the Great Wall and more
Within the past few years a number of options have opened up for guests to stay overnight within view of the Great Wall.
The Commune by the Great Wall, managed by Kempinski, is pure luxury, with architect-designed villas studding the hillside and luxurious food and spa options in the clubhouse. It’s easily reached via the Badaling expressway -- but beware Friday traffic as it can be brutally congested at times. (see www.communebythegreatwall.com/en/)
Laurence Brahm, founder of the Red Capital Club, also has the Red Capital Club Ranch (www.redcapitalclub.com.cn/ranch.html) located on 50 private acres of land within view and hiking of the crumbling Great Wall. The ranch, developed in 2004, has 10 lovely restored villas featuring Ming and Qing dynasty architectural remnants and Asian décor. The former imperial hunting lodge by the river acts as reception and restaurant. The Red Capital Ranch bills itself as an eco-tourism resort; while it is comfortable and full of charm, it does not necessarily compete with the Commune’s level of luxury. (It turns out Laurence is the brainchild of the House of Shambala in Lhasa, Tibet, which I wrote about in my Tibet travels blog.)
As Beijing readied itself for the Olympics, new accommodations in the village of Ying Bei Gou, at the foot of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall sprung up. Most of these cottages/villas are independently-owned but managed by China Countryside Hotels, a subsidiary of China Bound Ltd. founded by husband-wife duo James H. Spears, Jr. and Liang Tang, who first bought and renovated in the small village. See the website http://www.chinacountrysidehotels.com/ to peruse the various villas available for rent for both overnight stays and events.
Finally, if you are REALLY ready to experience peasant life, stay at a small home in a nearly abandoned village high in the Hebei hills, courtesy of Tony Chen (see above Stretch-a-Leg link). Here 65 y/o Mrs. Sun will cook for you and her husband can lead you on hikes. Or just enjoy the sun in your courtyard and the blissful sense of quiet the place embraces.
Other Chinese villages are joining the homestay rage. Cuandixia* in the western mountainous district of Mentougou is a Ming-era village of 70 courtyard homes, many of which have become local guesthouses.
How to get out and about
So you are new and don’t know how to get anywhere. For those needing a little initial help, join one of the various groups organized to get out of town. The Excursion Guide has the best round-up of groups, but local expat magazines like City Weekend and The Beijinger (formerly That’s Beijing!) also list these groups. They include:
Chinese Culture Club: In addition to workshops and lectures, CCC organizes local hikes as well as tours to other parts of China. (http://www.chinesecultureclub.org/)
Beijing Hikers: This outfit organizes different kinds of hikes; you reserve and pay. (http://www.beijinghikers.com/)
Cycle China: CC organizes more than just cycling trips. (http://www.cyclechina.com/)
Mountain Bikers of Beijing (aka MOBsters): Not for the faint of heart, these guys really cycle long bits of both paved and unpaved, existing and non-existing roads in BJ countryside. It’s non-profit and member-driven. (groups.google.com/group/beijingmob)
So, head for the hills and get out of town. Peace and relaxation can be found.
The Commune by the Great Wall, managed by Kempinski, is pure luxury, with architect-designed villas studding the hillside and luxurious food and spa options in the clubhouse. It’s easily reached via the Badaling expressway -- but beware Friday traffic as it can be brutally congested at times. (see www.communebythegreatwall.com/en/)
Laurence Brahm, founder of the Red Capital Club, also has the Red Capital Club Ranch (www.redcapitalclub.com.cn/ranch.html) located on 50 private acres of land within view and hiking of the crumbling Great Wall. The ranch, developed in 2004, has 10 lovely restored villas featuring Ming and Qing dynasty architectural remnants and Asian décor. The former imperial hunting lodge by the river acts as reception and restaurant. The Red Capital Ranch bills itself as an eco-tourism resort; while it is comfortable and full of charm, it does not necessarily compete with the Commune’s level of luxury. (It turns out Laurence is the brainchild of the House of Shambala in Lhasa, Tibet, which I wrote about in my Tibet travels blog.)
As Beijing readied itself for the Olympics, new accommodations in the village of Ying Bei Gou, at the foot of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall sprung up. Most of these cottages/villas are independently-owned but managed by China Countryside Hotels, a subsidiary of China Bound Ltd. founded by husband-wife duo James H. Spears, Jr. and Liang Tang, who first bought and renovated in the small village. See the website http://www.chinacountrysidehotels.com/ to peruse the various villas available for rent for both overnight stays and events.
Finally, if you are REALLY ready to experience peasant life, stay at a small home in a nearly abandoned village high in the Hebei hills, courtesy of Tony Chen (see above Stretch-a-Leg link). Here 65 y/o Mrs. Sun will cook for you and her husband can lead you on hikes. Or just enjoy the sun in your courtyard and the blissful sense of quiet the place embraces.
Other Chinese villages are joining the homestay rage. Cuandixia* in the western mountainous district of Mentougou is a Ming-era village of 70 courtyard homes, many of which have become local guesthouses.
How to get out and about
So you are new and don’t know how to get anywhere. For those needing a little initial help, join one of the various groups organized to get out of town. The Excursion Guide has the best round-up of groups, but local expat magazines like City Weekend and The Beijinger (formerly That’s Beijing!) also list these groups. They include:
Chinese Culture Club: In addition to workshops and lectures, CCC organizes local hikes as well as tours to other parts of China. (http://www.chinesecultureclub.org/)
Beijing Hikers: This outfit organizes different kinds of hikes; you reserve and pay. (http://www.beijinghikers.com/)
Cycle China: CC organizes more than just cycling trips. (http://www.cyclechina.com/)
Mountain Bikers of Beijing (aka MOBsters): Not for the faint of heart, these guys really cycle long bits of both paved and unpaved, existing and non-existing roads in BJ countryside. It’s non-profit and member-driven. (groups.google.com/group/beijingmob)
So, head for the hills and get out of town. Peace and relaxation can be found.
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