Beijing owns several suburban areas around the city with different topographies featuring not only enchanting scenery but also numerous historic sites. During the week-long May Day holiday, city residents can have a good time in the areas surrounding the city without having to take a long trip and, with different characteristics, these places will lead top enjoyment and foster a feeling of pride in being a Beijinger.
Mythical Cave Residences on Crags
Mythical Cave Residences on Crags
(sohu.com)Located in a quiet valley in the
northwestern mountains is Beijng's suburban Yanqing County. To its east is the
Songshan Natual Reserve with green hills and limpid waters and to its south is
the one of the fours big reservoirs around Beijing, the rippling Guanting
Reservoir. The Beijnghangjiakou Highway links it with Longqingxia, another
scenic spot in the county.
Totaling 117 caves, it is the biggest site if rock cave residences in China, built by some ancient people who did not leave records.
As to the time of the building and the function or usage of these caves, opinions are divided. The latest textual researches indicate there used to be a community of the Xi people between the Tang(618-907) and Liao(916-1125) dynasties, an ethnic group which disappeared long ago. They left the cave residences with their silent secret.
Ancient Chuandixia Village
Located by the ancient Jingxi Road, 90 kilometers from Beijing, Chuandixia
Village is the only village in the area built in the construction style of the
Ancient Chuandixia
Village(sina.com)Ming-Qing
Dynasty(1368-1911), which retains more than 70 sets of residences left from that
period. On the walls of the corridors of some houses can be seen traces of
reports of successes during the Qing Dynasty.
In an environment with mountains surrounding and streams winding their way through the pastoral setting, the villiage is quiet and peaceful as a Land of Peach Blossoms. People still live and plough the fields in ways not much different from that of several hundred years ago.
With a precious value as a living fossil, the village has recorded the history of the village's development, the ancestors？ intelligence and creativity in building the village. Relics and remains of various historic periods are extremely rare historical witnesses. The well protected entirety of the ancient village, the simple, unadorned constructional art of the courtyard houses in mountains, the deep-rooted local culture and the picturesque rural scenery here are all intoxicating and fascinating.
Badaling Wildlife
Park(sina.com)Badaling Wildlife
Park
A large ecological park by a mountain, Badaling Wildlife Park covers an area of 6,000 mu at the bottom of the Badaling Great Wall. Transportation is convenient with only a 40-minute drive.
In the park are various beasts. On the 10-kilometer winding mountain path, tourists can take the tourist coach and witness lions, bears and tigers. At the walking area, people can appreciate and even play with tame animals including giraffes, zebras and rhesus monkeys. In the wildness tourists will see, probably with surprise, tigers, lions and wolves preying on small animals in survival training in open country. In the luxuriant woods, there are also several rare White Tigers, eye-openers for tourists.
Besides watching animals, people who love outdoor sports can also choose a few section of the Great Wall, most strategicallt located and difficult to approach, to climb and experience the excitement and demonstrate their determination.
Happiness of Farmers
Fruit picking is a type of tourism which has been developed in recent years and which has become more and more popular.
Every holiday, numerous tour buses can be seen on the roads leading to the suburbs of Beijing. After having been to almost all the scenic spots and historic sites, both in Beijing and in the country, people are now turning to farmers？ interests.
With numerous activities prepared for them including picnics, fishing and fruit picking, as well as the staples of fresh air and genuine farmers？ food such as cornmeal mush and stewed pumpkins, going to the suburbs is considered an excellent way of spending relaxing and healthy weekends or holidays.
Miyun, Huairou, Fangshan and Daxing are several of the most popular suburban
areas around Beijng popular for tourists enjoy farm vacations.
Tanzhe Temple
(163.com)
Tanzhe Temple
Located in Mentougou District, Tanzhe Temple is more than 40 kilometers away from Beijing proper. Built in the Jin Dynasty(256-316), it is the most ancient temple in and around Beijing. It is said that it was there even before the city of Beijing, so it enjoys the fame as the First Temple in Beijing.
The nine high mountain peaks around the area have blocked the cold waves from the northwest and formed a special warm and damp climate with a luxuriant vegetation and beautiful surroundings.
Built on a large scale, the temple covers 2.5 hectares or has a total area of more than 121 hectares if the forest around the temple is included. As its highest, the temple had 999 and a half rooms. It is said that the Forbidden City is built in the style of the Tanzhe Temple, so when people come to Tanzhe Temple, it means that they have seen a miniature of the Forbidden City which was firstly built during the Ming Dynasty.
