The autumn breeze is gentle, and time passes peacefully. Early autumn is a particularly comfortable season in Beijing. Let's meet in Mentougou in the west of Beijing to seek the beauty and tranquility of early autumn together.

Day 1

-Sightseeing-

Baihuashan Scenic Area - Lingshan Ancient Path - Cuandixia Cun

Part 01. Baihuashan Scenic Area

Baihua Shan (Mountain) is the third highest peak in Beijing, with a forest coverage rate of 95%. It is one of the only two national-level nature reserves in Beijing and the largest natural reserve for higher plants and rare wild animals in Beijing.

There are 9 species of nationally protected wild animals and 36 species of nationally protected wild animals living here. The biodiversity resources are quite rich, and it is known as the "natural botanical garden" and "kingdom of flora and fauna" in North China. It is an important natural protection and popular science education base in the capital.

Baihua Shan (Mountain) is far from urban light pollution, with a suitable altitude and excellent dark night environment and clear sky conditions. The Baihuashan Astronomical Base is an excellent place for stargazing and photography in the suburbs of Beijing. It integrates scientific learning, conservation education, and outdoor exploration, suitable for children to explore the mysteries of nature.

Address: Baihuashan Scenic Area

Part 02. Lingshan Ancient Road - Juling Gorge

Recently, the Lingshan Ancient Road - Juling Gorge Scenic Area has reopened!

This is an ancient road that has been used for three thousand years, leading from the foot of Ling Shan (Mountain) in the south to the peak. In ancient times, the only road from the outside world to Lingshan was the large ditch in Hongshuikou Cun, so this large ditch was called the "Lingshan Ancient Road." Due to the lush vegetation and abundant wildlife in the Lingshan Ancient Road, it is also praised by literati and ink artists as the "Juling Gorge."

Legend has it that when the ancestor Bodhidharma first arrived at Ling Shan (Mountain), he walked from the village of Hongshuikou to the Hualing Temple, hence the ancient path of Ling Mountain is also known as the "Bodhidharma Ancient Road".

Walking along the Lingshan Ancient Road, one can enjoy the magnificent scenery of the "First Peak of Beijing" - Ling Shan (Mountain). Ling Shan (Mountain) is located in the northwest of Mentougou in Beijing, 120 kilometers away from the city, with its peak reaching an altitude of over 2300 meters. Due to its high altitude, Ling Shan (Mountain) forms a natural scenic area within a radius of 30 square kilometers, combining fault mountains, folded mountains, and other landscapes. The alpine meadows above 1900 meters are referred to by netizens as "Altay of Western Beijing". Don't miss out if you enjoy hiking! 

Address: Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area - Juling Gorge

Part 03. Cuandixia Cun

When you arrive at Cuandixia Cun, stroll along the bluestone road, visit historical buildings and listen to the breath of history. From a high vantage point, a quaint and complete "Qing Dynasty Folk Residence Map" presents itself before your eyes. The entire village resembles a sycee or gourd, imbuing the ancient village with auspicious meanings. Listen to a Peking Opera or Kunqu Opera performance at the courtyard theater, and stay overnight in a Ming and Qing dynasty ancient mansion to experience the leisurely mountain village charm.

After enjoying the charm of the ancient village, you can have a feast of soy-braised pork at Cuandixia. The tradition of soy-braised pork in Cuandixia dates back to the Ming Dynasty, with a secret recipe of a century-old broth as the foundation, using grassland pork as the main ingredient, and incorporating over 30 precious herbal spices. It is famous in Beijing for its taste of "rich but not greasy, lean but not dry, smooth and delicious, with a rich soy fragrance". It is known as one of the famous dishes in Beijing and is a delicacy of the rural farmhouses in Cuandixia Cun.

Address: Cuandixia Cun

-Cuisine-

Baihua Family Feast

The "Baihua Family Feast culinary technique" has distinct regional characteristics of Mentougou, with a history of over a hundred years.

Residents of Baihua Shan (Mountain) in Qingshui and Ling Shan (Mountain) mountainous area use mountain specialty agricultural products as ingredients and employ the method of "coarse grains refined cooking" to create unique flavors of "mountain dishes" and "home-cooked dishes" along with representative dishes.

-Accommodation-

01 Youxian Shanshe Boutique Inn

Youxian Shanshe is located in Jiangshuihe Cun within the Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area in western Beijing. The total area of the inn is over 700 square meters, with 20 guest rooms, a 200-square-meter Chinese-Western restaurant, an independent terrace courtyard café. It is a mountain lifestyle inn that integrates accommodation, dining, entertainment, meetings, training, study tours, outdoor activities, and countryside leisure. The surrounding natural resources are abundant, besides hiking, you can also birdwatch, stargaze...

Address: Youxian Shanshe (Lingshan Mountain Scenic Area Branch)

02 Wayao Inn

Wayao Inn is located in Wayao Cun, Qingshui, Mentougou, next to National Highway 109, at the foot of Ling Shan (Mountain), the highest peak in Beijing. Wayao Inn has reconstructed 28 sets of old Beijing quadrangle courtyard-style antique buildings based on Ming and Qing architecture at the original site. It has a restaurant, meeting room, agricultural sightseeing vegetable garden, children's playground facilities, a hundred-acre pear picking orchard, offering complete functions for tourism, shopping, entertainment, dining, accommodation, and transportation, attracting a large number of tourists for sightseeing and vacation every year.

Address: Beijing Wayao Inn

03 Qingshuiyuan Boutique Inn

The inn features the architectural style of Huizhou courtyard with blue bricks and black tiles, with two courtyards in the front and back. The sound of ancient qin music lingers, and koi fish play in the water, showing a tranquil and elegant atmosphere. There are various room types, including 2 luxury suites, 3 parent-child rooms, 2 double rooms, and 8 standard rooms, offering complete leisure and entertainment facilities. The inn provides authentic mountain and wild flavors, such as Qingshui tofu noodles, fresh fish and shrimp, roasted lamb leg, mulanya, and other specialty dishes.

Address: Qingshuiyuan Featured Inn

Day 2

-Sightseeing-

Tanzhe Temple - Baqidong Scenic Area - Jietai Temple

Part 01. Tanzhe Temple

There is a saying, "First there was Tanzhe Temple, then there was Beijing." Tanzhe Temple is located in the southeastern part of Mentougou in the shallow mountain area of western Beijing. The temple was first built in the Western Jin Dynasty and is surrounded by a group of mountains - nine peaks like nine giant dragons, cradling it in the center, outlining a beautiful scene of "nine dragons playing with pearls in a secluded setting."

In the Tanzhe Temple Scenic Area, between the morning bell and evening drum, surrounded by the red walls and green tiles of the temple, one can see majestic halls, serene courtyards, ancient trees and famous plants scattered throughout the temple, with artificial hills and greenery creating a picturesque scene.

Stepping into Tanzhe Temple feels like traveling through a tunnel of time, where every brick and tile tells a story of a thousand years. The ancient trees towering in the temple, the faint scent of incense lingering in the air, all make one involuntarily slow down and listen to the voice within.

Address: Tanzhe Temple Scenic Area

Part 02. Baqidong Scenic Area

The Baqidong Scenic Area is 1350 meters long, with a bottom area of over 200,000 square meters, renowned as a "divine wonder created by nature". The cave is famous for the eight wonders formed by the underground river erosion, especially the huge folded "8" shape inside the cave, combined with the other seven major landscapes, creating a unique underground wonder, hence the name "Baqi (Eight Wonders)".

The Baqidong Scenic Area is rich in stalactite landscapes, each with its own unique features, sparking endless imagination.

If visitors want to quickly reach the bottom of the cave, they can experience the 410-meter-long slide, sliding directly down from the cave entrance, comparable to an underground version of a roller coaster.

Address: Baqidong Scenic Area

Part 03. Jietai Temple

Jietai Temple was built in the Sui Dynasty and has a history of over 1400 years. The temple is famous for its "precept altar and strange pine trees," with a tranquil environment, making it an excellent place for self-cultivation.

The Jietai Temple trail is a walking route around the temple, suitable for leisurely strolls, and is especially pet-friendly, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery with your beloved pets. Ancient trees and lush greenery line the trail, offering a panoramic view of the entire mountain landscape.

The pagoda forest of Jietai Temple is a must-see cultural landscape. Walking among the pagodas, one can feel the sediment of time. These exquisitely crafted pagodas, in harmony with the surrounding mountain scenery, together form the unique historical and cultural landscape of Jietai Temple, attracting many tourists to explore the stories behind it.

Address: Jietai Temple

-Cuisine-

01 Tanzhe Temple Jiafu Inn

The ancient temple bell rings from afar, and the vegetarian dishes in the Zen temple are fragrant. Tanzhe Temple Jiafu Inn selects fresh ingredients every day. The aroma of truffle fried rice fills the air, and the low-temperature slow-cooked matsutake mushroom soup is incredibly delicious. Even for vegetarians, the color, aroma, and taste are all well-presented, and the flavors are outstanding.

Business Hours

Peak Season: 10:30-17:00 (April 1st - November 30th)

Off-peak Season: 10:30-16:30 (December 1st - March 31st)

02 Dazhaitang Vegetarian Restaurant

The Jietai Temple Scenic Area has inherited the vegetarian culture for more than ten years, providing traditional Luohan vegetarian dishes and mushroom vegetarian noodles to visitors every day. The traditional Luohan vegetarian dish is made from over 10 seasonal ingredients, rich in flavor and delicious; the mushroom vegetarian noodles are paired with delicious mushroom soup and chewy noodles, simple yet tasty.

In early autumn, let's meet at the gate of the western part of Beijing and encounter more beauty unexpectedly!