Hongzunyu Yitiaogou Valley

Located in Yanqi Town, Huairou District, Beijing, Hongzunyu Yitiaogou Valley is a recreation and sightseeing fishing farm featuring breed aquatics, swimming, angling, catering, processing and selling. During holidays, the Valley will show a bustling scene, with the villa resort along the river packed with tourists. People come here for fishing, eating and chatting alongside creeks and on mountain slopes. You can drive to Huairou, drive onto Huaifeng Highway, turn west at the roundabout of Yanqi Town, and arrive at the 50km-long Hongzunyu Yitiaogou Valley. Bordering famous Shentangyu Scenic Area, the valley offers nice landscape, creeks, and lush trees. It is a place where you can angle, have barbecue, and pick fruits.

The most arresting thing here is rainbow trout (hongzunyu), which has fresh, tender meat, few fish bone, and crisp skin. Growing in spring water, the fish is pollution-free, nice for being eaten raw or grilled. With luck, you might catch a fat rainbow trout yourself.

Address: Yanqi Town, Huairou District怀柔县雁栖镇

Jinding Lake of Beijing

Sitting in Shachang Village, Miyun District, Jinding Lake is to the south of Wuling Mountain. With a total area of over 40 hectare and water area of 1.51 million m2, the Lake is surrounded by mountains and has expansive, clear, glistening water. Hordes of tourists come here for boating and angling, and even set up stove to cook fish at the natural bathing place. Since Jinding Lake offers broad vision, you can have a full view of surrounding sceneries. With very fine sand on the shore, Jinding Lake is called by locals as “sand field reservoir”. Mountains around Jinding Lake are not high, but are covered with lush vegetation. As the habitat of many wild birds, it is an ideal place to watch birds. To enjoy the pleasure of farm life, you can pick plum, mushroom, wild jujube and other fruits here.

Address: Shachang Village, Jugezhuang Town, Miyun District密云县巨各庄镇沙厂村

Miyun Reservoir

Billed as a “Pearl of Yanshan Mountains”, Miyun Reservoir is the largest artificial lake in Asia and a famous scenic area in Beijing. Covering an area equivalent to 150 Kunming Lake (the lake in the Summer Palace), it takes you more than 3 hours to finish a circle of it by bike. Here you can see a lofty dam, standing on which you will enjoy an expansive view, such as fishing boats dotting on the seemingly borderless water surface, with the reservoir hiding among mountains and rivers.

Famous for fish, Miyun Reservoir has attracted many tourists for fishing and eating fish. The best offering here is Stewed Fish, cooked with fish growing in the reservoir. Besides fish, you can also try Marinated Tofu, Stewed Meat with Gourd, and other farm food. It is amazing to enjoy these dishes alongside the lake.

Address: 13km north of Miyun County town密云水库在密云县城北13公里处

Qinglong Gorge

As a scenic spot of Longquan Gorge Scenic Area, the Qinglong Gorge consists of Huxian Cave, Maqizhai, Qinglong Pond, Lotus Platform, and other small scenic spots. As a national 4A scenic area, it is an ideal place to have recreation and enjoy your holiday. Qinglong Gorge offers running water, peculiar peaks, and majestic the ancient Great Wall. Here you can view sceneries, go boating, try rock climbing, bungee jumping, and rope-way. In summer, there is a beach bathing place for you to enjoy coolness.

From Qinglong Bridge to the northernmost part of the Gorge region, you can see many kinds of recreation facilities. You can dive into deep or shallow natural swimming pools, where you can play water while taking a bamboo raft. An angling area is there in front of the dam for people to go fishing. You can have a rest in the log cabin if you feel tired.

Address: Management Office of Dashuiyu Reservoir, Huaibei Town, Huairou District怀柔区怀北镇大水峪水库管理处

Hanshiqiao Wetland Park

Sitting in Yangzhen Town, Shunyi District, Hanshiqiao Wetland Park (Health Bridge Wetland Park) is the only existing original large reed wetland in Beijing. The expansive reed field has become the symbol of the park, is therefore called “Little Baiyang Lake”. It is the habitat of many kinds of rare water birds from afar, some of which are wild animals under national protection. Especially in summer, when hordes of migrant birds would gather here for rest and food, elegant swans and lovely wild ducks, among others. Here you can go boating, ride a bike, or have a walk and enjoy yourself in the picturesque scene and breathe the fresh, clean air.

For tourists who like flowers and angling, Hanshiqiao Wetland Park is the best choice. Fishes here are very big, with some even as heavy as 6-7 jin(1 jin=1/2 kilogram). It is a place you will enjoy yourself to the full.

Address: Yangzhen Town, Shunyi District顺义区杨镇