Not only does Beijing have many beautiful sights, but its surroundings also offer stunning scenery. The holidays are here again! Drive the car with family and friends, and head out for a beautiful gathering.
1. Baishi Mountain
The "Little Huangshan" of the North
Baishi Mountain is renowned for its spectacular peak forest landscape. The core area features the only dolomite peak forest in China, representing a new type of peak forest landform in the country.
The essence of the scenic area consists of over 100 peaks of varying heights and relative independence. The main peak stands at 2,096 meters, towering several hundred meters above the surrounding mountains. Due to its resemblance to Huangshan in shape and charm, visitors often refer to Baishi Mountain as the "Huangshan of the North." The name "Baishi Mountain" comes from the abundance of white marble in its mountain body.
Baishi Mountain stands majestically at the northernmost end of the 800-li Taihang Mountains. With its towering stature, it boasts "three summits, six plateaus, nine valleys, and eighty-one peaks." The main ridge stretches over 7,000 meters, with the highest peak reaching an elevation of 2,096 meters, making it the "dragon head" of the northwestern rise of the North China Plain. From the top, you can enjoy a distant panoramic view.
Ticket Prices:
Adult Ticket: 135 RMB
Half-Price Ticket: 67 RMB
Opening Hours:
8:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Last entry at 6:00 PM)
Location:
15 kilometers south of Laiyuan County, Hebei Province, about 220 kilometers from Beijing
2. Kowloon Gorge
The Top Scenic Spot of Hebei Province
Kowloon Gorge is located on the eastern foothills of the central Taihang Mountains, covering an area of 64 square kilometers. The main peak, Wangmao Mountain, has an elevation of 1,800 meters. The gorge is 62 kilometers east of Xingtai City, accessible via the Yisha National Defense Highway and the high-grade Shanxi-Hebei Highway.
The area includes the Kowloon Gorge Scenic Area and the Kowloon Gorge Watergate Agricultural Ecotourism Demonstration Zone, featuring over a hundred attractions. It is known as the "Top Scenic Spot of Hebei Province " and the "Pearl of Taihang's Natural Scenery." It is a national AAAA-rated scenic area and part of the Xingtai National Geopark.
Ticket Prices: 60 RMB
Student Ticket: 30 RMB
Location:
Jiangshui Town, Xingtai County, Hebei Province, about 485 kilometers from Beijing
3. Canglu Peak
The Bird Kingdom
The rushing Xijia River runs from north to south through the deep gorge, with steep ridges on both sides, towering peaks, and endless mountains. It is known as a "summer resort paradise, home of cranes, and ideal drifting destination."
It is a national protected area for rare birds, especially the Canglu Cranes. Here, among the thousand-year-old Chinese pines standing on the peaks and cliffs, hundreds of cranes nest and thrive, making it their kingdom.
They fish in the river, frolic in the clouds, gather in large flocks, soar up and down, and their calls echo through the sky, creating a magnificent and unprecedented scene.
Here is an ideal drifting destination, with tranquil gorges, turbulent streams, expansive lakes, green reeds, red lotus flowers lining the banks, willows gently swaying by the water, and wildflowers adorning the embankments.
Ticket Price: 80 yuan
Opening Hours:
January 1st - June 30th: 10:00 - 18:00;
July 1st - August 31st: 08:30 - 19:00;
September 1st - December 31st: 10:00 - 16:00
Location: Northwest mountainous area of Taixing in Pingshan County, Hebei Province, approximately 355 kilometers from Beijing.
4. Baiyangdian
Pearl of North China
Baiyangdian Scenic Area is the largest lake in the Haihe River Plain of North China, located in the central part of Hebei Province. Formerly known as Baiyangdian, it is also called Xidian. It gained fame both domestically and internationally due to the movie "Little Soldier Zhang Ga."
Baiyangdian gathers water from nine rivers originating from the foothills of the Taihang Mountains, forming a network of more than 3,700 channels and rivers connecting 146 lakes of various sizes. Within these lakes, there are 36 villages distributed among islands and along the lake shores.
Within the lake, boats can navigate through the channels, and after the autumn reed harvest, the water of the lake expands greatly. In summer, dense reeds form a maze of walls in the waterways, creating a unique and pleasant scenery, making it a renowned tourist destination.
Baiyangdian is encircled by embankments, crisscrossed by ditches, with rivers connecting to the lake, and fields interspersed with villages. The lake's surface shimmers with light, echoing with the calls of waterbirds, while the swaying reeds and the subtle fragrance of lotus flowers create an ecological beauty.
Baiyangdian is the largest lake in the Haihe River Plain of China. From July to September each year, it boasts the most splendid blooming period for all types of lotus flowers. With the lake full, fish leaping, green reeds swaying, and lotus flowers in full bloom, it presents a picturesque water town scenery. It is often referred to as the "Pearl of North China" and is also known as the "Jiangnan of the North" or the "West Lake of the North".
In 2007, the Baiyangdian Scenic Area in Baoding City was officially approved as a national 5A-level tourist attraction by the National Tourism Administration.
Location: Within Anxin County, Baoding City, Hebei Province, approximately 150 kilometers from Beijing.
5. Spring Creek
Scenic Beauty
In Nanying Township, Lingshou County, Hebei Province, there is a natural scenic area known for its mountains, gorges, caves, and streams—Spring Creek.
The area boasts beautiful mountain scenery with dense forests, and meandering streams and waterfalls. The natural environment is exceptionally beautiful.
Originally named Shenxiandong (Fairy Cave), it was renamed "Spring Creek" due to the presence of three streams: Shenquanxi (Divine Spring Creek), Xinghua Creek, and Huaihua Creek, along with the villages of Shangshui Quanwa and Xiashui Quanwa.
The three streams within the scenic area originate from mountains over a thousand meters above sea level. Each stream is about a dozen miles long, merging into Shuiquan River in Shuiquanwa and flowing into Ci River along the mountain slopes. Located just 100 kilometers south of the provincial capital, Shijiazhuang, and facing Mount Wutai, a sacred Buddhist site, to the north across the mountains, the transportation here is extremely convenient.
The Spring Creek Scenic Area covers a total area of 30 square kilometers, with the highest peak, Yanglin Peak, reaching nearly 2000 meters above sea level and a forest coverage rate of over 90%. The area has over 600 species of plants.
Location: Mufota Village, Nanying Township, Lingshou County, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Translator: DING Hongwei
Reviewer: BAI Jing
