Beijing has not only the world heritage sites and historic attractions to make it a great tourism destination; it is also a great place to get close to nature. There are a whole bunch of destinations worth going to get away from the city noise and enjoy some quiet time. For those willing to explore Beijing off the beaten path, here are two destinations worth considering.

Best Nature Reserve in Beijing - Yanqi Lake

Beijing Yanqi Lake

Located in Huairou District,Yanqi Lakelies next to Yanshan Mount and the Great Wall. It is quite famous for its scenic views. It was named so because a large number of wild gooses inhabit the area during spring and autumn. Since 1986, a couple of scenic spots have been developed around this area. Now it has drawn a great number of people coming here for bird viewing and sightseeing and become one of the must see spot in Beijing. This area is covered with a great number of natural landscapes. The temperature here is quite pleasant all year round. After years of management and maintenance, this area has grown into maturity. It combines the natural attractions and cultural attractions. The wide variety of scenic views offers the tourists a great experience during their trip to Beijing. Whatever you are looking for can be found here. This trip is definitely worthwhile. Yanqi Lake is an ideal venue for you to spend a vacation or weekend in Beijing.

Marvelous Combination of Wall and Water - Huanghuacheng

Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Huanghuacheng Great Wall is 60 miles away from Beijing city. As one of the few Great Walls which lie next to the lakes and mountains, it got its name because all of the area is covered by the yellow flowers in summer. In Yuan Dynasty, it used to be a bustling village and traffic hub and in Ming Dynasty, it was turned into a military town. The defensive engineering technologies and the commanding systems implemented in Ming dynasty Great Wall surpassed all the dynasties in history. Huanghua Great Wall was built during 1404-1592. This Great Wall was built with solid stones. It is very strong, firm, steep, stately and spectacular. It is made up of a bunch of different parts, and forms a whole defensive system by connecting a bunch of towers. In addition, the Shibadeng is the prime part of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall due to its steep and dramatic steps. Various historical remains from throughout ages have been kept intact in many parts of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall.