Looking for something different this summer? Start from Yunju Temple with this itinerary, where you can explore profound history while enjoying the mountains, experiencing intangible cultural heritage and local delicacies. Are you ready?
Yunju Temple
Yunju Temple is located in Shuitou Cun, Dashiwowo, Fangshan, Beijing, about 70 kilometers from the city center. The temple area within the walls covers approximately 77,000 square meters, with a core protected area of 2 square kilometers centered around Yunju Temple and Shijing Shan (Mountain), a construction control zone of about 7 square kilometers, totaling around 9 square kilometers.
The temple faces east with mountains on all four sides. White clouds often encircle the mountains like a ribbon. The mountain strata have a gentle dip angle, with minimal folding, resembling layers of mille-feuille or volumes of books. The mountainside has exposed white marble strata.
Route Recommendation
Day 1: Shijing Shan (Mountain) → Yunju Temple → Vegetarian Restaurant → Radiant Grains → Huangshandian Intangible Heritage Center/ Qiulan Book Cafe → Grandma's Home Homestay
01 Shijing Shan (Mountain)
Highlight 1: Explore the thousand-year-old mystery of stone sutras by climbing 108 steps to discover nine scripture caves and experience the profound weight of history up close.
Highlight 2: Natural hiking ground with a 3-kilometer mountain trail; reaching the top offers a panoramic view of the ancient Yunju Temple.
02 Yunju Temple
Highlight 1: A feast of "three unique" cultural relics, including the "Dragon Sutra" with over 7,000 wooden printing blocks, recognized as one of the "treasures of the National Version Pavilion of China."
Lunch: Yunju Temple Vegetarian Restaurant
Located within the Yunju Temple scenic area, this restaurant is famous for its "meat-like" vegetarian dishes, using fresh seasonal vegetables and fruits, focusing on authentic flavors while presenting an artistic touch. Signature dishes include "Truffle and Smoke," "Mountain Breeze Salad," and "Yunqi Mushroom Soup," all leaving a lasting impression.
Huangshandian Old Street for Homestay
Highlight 1: Experience kiln-baked bread
"Radiant Grains" is a Grade C rural homestay in Beijing, located in Huangshandian Cun, themed around kiln baking with two guest rooms. Guests can knead naturally fermented dough by hand and bake it in a brick kiln at over 400°C, producing bread with a crispy crust and soft interior, rich in wheat aroma.
Kiln-baked bread carries a long history and culture, baked in kilns made of stone and earth, using purely plant-based, additive-free, dairy-free, and egg-free recipes, with low sugar and oil, using green and organic ingredients. The wood-fired, low-temperature, slow-baking process brings out the original flavors, turning every bite of bread, cookie, cake, or pastry into a gift from the earth.
Highlight 2: Intangible heritage at your fingertips
At the "Huangshandian Intangible Heritage Experience Center," you can try traditional crafts such as oil-paper umbrella making, plant dyeing, cloisonné enamel, model building, Huanglu wood DIY, ancient papermaking, and printmaking, with your creations available to take home as souvenirs.
Highlight 3: Qiulan Book Cafe with cats
A literary space with resident cats, where you can order an osmanthus latte, curl up in a rattan chair, and be surrounded by the aroma of coffee and the soft presence of cats.
Accommodation: Grandma's Home Homestay
Highlight 1: New life in a century-old courtyard
At "Grandma's Home" homestay, you can listen to the whispering wind, watch flowers sway, clouds roll, and mountains stand silently, experiencing the mountain dwelling life once longed for by poet Wang Wei.
Grandma's Home is a Grade B national tourist homestay and Grade A rural homestay in Beijing, located in Huangshandian Cun. The late Qing Dynasty courtyard features multiple yards, mountain views, and ancient trees, with stone walls built from local rocks and old wooden windows imbued with the scent of daily life. Redesigned by an Aman designer, it won the A'Design Award Gold Award in Italy.
Day 1 concludes amid the warm lights of Grandma's Home Homestay, while the ancient stone carvings of Shijing Shan(Mountain) and the crafts of the Intangible Heritage Center linger in your heart. As the morning dew kisses the mountain plants, a new day begins. Day 2 holds the charm of nature and whispers of time.
Day 2: Pofengling Scenic Area→ Zhoukoudian Site Museum→ Tianyu Manor → Chateau Lion → BCG Outlets Rest Stop
01 Pofengling Scenic Area
Known for the "most spectacular red leaves in North China," Pofengling offers a refreshing coolness in summer. A 6-kilometer circular trail weaves through a forest of over 200,000 wild smoke trees and Chinese flame trees, with an average annual temperature of 12°C, 5-8°C cooler than downtown, making it perfect for summer hiking. The "Cloud Stone Houses" mid-mountain are surrounded by greenery with views of layered peaks, while the Eagle Beak Rock viewing platform at the summit offers views of the entire "Three Dangers of Hongluo" area, becoming a sea of clouds on misty days.
02 Zhoukoudian Site Museum
Highlight: Travel back 700,000 years
View the original caves where early humans lived through glass walls at the site museum and listen to guides share stories about the "Peking Man" using fire and crafting stone tools. Currently, the museum is hosting the "Attack of the Dinosaurs – The Survival Way Continuing for Hundreds of Millions of Years" exhibition in collaboration with Zigong Dinosaur Museum.
03 Tianyu Manor
Located in Zhoukoudian, Fangshan, near Beijing, Tianyu Manor is a large garden-style resort offering dining, accommodation, conferences, entertainment, sports, fitness, sightseeing, fruit picking, planting, animal feeding, barbecues, and bonfires.
A must-try is the Fangshan Intangible Cultural Heritage Banquet, featuring dishes such as Dao Kou roast chicken, which is tender and flavorful, and "Shangfang Mountain Chinese Toon Almond Prawn," with fresh prawns wrapped in the fragrance of Chinese toon leaves. It is highly recommended to try the sweet and mellow chrysanthemum white wine made using a national intangible cultural heritage brewing technique.
The Fangshan Intangible Heritage Banquet showcases over 40 specialty dishes made with ingredients from 18 towns and 7 intangible heritage inheritors in Fangshan, combining traditional dishes like Dao Kou roast chicken, Suzao pork, sunflower pork chop, Jingyigen noodles, Huangcheng four sauces, and Beijing baked buns with local specialties like snowflake beef, Liangxiang chestnuts, vegetables, and beans for innovative dishes.
The manor also offers a children's playground, a small zoo, and various handicraft classes for kids.
04 Chateau Lion
European-style architecture blends harmoniously with landscaped gardens, creating a fairy-tale castle atmosphere perfect for photography, leisurely walks, and experiencing a luxurious and romantic ambiance.
05 BCG Outlets Rest Stop
BCG Outlets brings together global premium goods, offering fashion items and gourmet feasts, making it perfect for trendsetters, family shoppers, and business leisure, ensuring you will shop to your heart's content.
From mountains and rivers to cultural experiences, wineries, and outlets, you can relax while enjoying a rich experience. For those seeking adventure and thrills, you can choose an alternative route from Yunju Temple heading west to the Shidu and Legu Yintan Scenic Areas to spend a refreshing and exciting summer day.
Recommendation: Shidu Scenic Spot→ Legu Yintan Scenic Area
01 Shidu Scenic Spot
Experience the thrill of a free fall by bungee jumping at Juma Paradise, known as "China's First Bungee." Walk the colorful glass skywalk at Donghu Port, where clouds drift below you, and stroll across the 131.4-meter-long suspension bridge at Shiyan Shan (Mountain), enjoying clouds rolling by. Explore the geological wonders of Gushan Village Canyon, traversing its rugged riverbed and marveling at the "One-Line Sky."
02 Legu Yintan Scenic Area
At Legu Yintan Scenic Area, embrace the true mountains and waters with canyon rafting and water play for a dynamic summer experience. The 3.8-kilometer-long river course with a vertical drop of 180 meters and over 300 rapid drops will ignite your summer passion. Remember to bring waterproof gear and a change of clothes!
Whether you prefer leisure and entertainment or thrilling adventures, you can spend a wonderful weekend in Fangshan. Come and check it out now!
