This summer, come and check out one of Beijing's hidden green sanctuaries for an exclusive seasonal escape!
Nansha River Waterfront Greenway in Haidian
[Photos via Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park]
Stretching 7.2 kilometers, this greenway is open 24 hours daily all year round and is ideal for walking and cycling. On one side, visitors can enjoy the natural wetland scenery of Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park, while on the other, the pastoral charm of the Jingxi rice paddies comes into view.
Cuihu National Urban Wetland Park has an open area of 45 hectares and houses several attractions, including a wetland culture corridor, an aquatic plant viewing area and several bird-watching spots. The park is open from April to October. Reservations are required through the park's official website for visits.
In Jingxi Rice Protected Cultivation Area (京西稻保护性种植区), spring planting and autumn harvesting create rural spectacles, with field ridges and waves of rice offering ideal backdrops for countryside-style photos.
Shangzhuang Reservoir's waterway along the greenway is also well worth a visit, with seasonal flowers blooming in succession, allowing visitors to easily capture the area's natural beauty.
Public Transportation:
Take Subway Line 16 to Yongfeng Station (Exit A), then transfer to Bus No. 575 and get off at Shangzhuangshuikunan Stop (上庄水库南站). The greenway is about a 5-minute walk away.
Alternatively, take Subway Line 16 to Daoxianghu Lu Station (Exit C) and cycle about 1 kilometer to the entrance.
You can also take Bus No. 575 or 330 directly to Shangzhuangshuikunan Stop.
Driving:
Set your destination as "Daoxianghu Park's Parking Lot" (稻香湖公园停车场) or "Jimei Furniture (Shangzhuang Road Branch)" (集美家居（上庄路店）) on your map app or in-car navigation system.
Yuhe Wetland Park
[Photo via WeChat account "Beijing Haidian"]
Located to the east of the Northern Branch of the Palace Museum and south of the Nansha River, Yuhe Wetland Park covers 85.04 hectares. With a distinctive layout featuring one lake, two embankments and 12 islands, the park functions as a flood control and drainage node, a space for ecological restoration, and a tourist destination for leisure activities and cultural displays. Facilities such as waterfront walkways, a science education garden, and a scenic beach make it an all-age-friendly urban leisure space.
Beijing Yeya Lake National Wetland Park
[Photo via the Beijing Yeya Lake National Wetland Park]
With vast waters and dense reed beds, this park serves as an important stopover, breeding ground and winter habitat for migratory birds in northern China, making it a prime destination for bird-watching. The park is equipped with audio guide systems, signs and educational boardwalks that offer visitors a clear and engaging look at wetland ecosystems and bird species.
Hanshiqiao Wetland Park
[Photo via Hanshiqiao Wetland Park]
This park houses one of the best-known large wetlands on Beijing's plains and is often referred to as the "Grand Reed Marsh of Eastern Beijing". In midsummer, the park is graced by cool shades and rippling waters. Visitors can take an electric boat on the lake, relax at the lakeside café, and visit Shenlu Forest Deer Park which is home to friendly, free-roaming sika deer. The park also features a popular Hobbit-style cottage that makes for an excellent photo spot. Families can also go to the Children's Playground (童趣乐园), which includes a forest train and life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, making the park an ideal destination for parent-child outings.
Nanyuan Forest and Wetland Park
[Photos via Nanyuan Forest and Wetland Park]
With a lush forest and surrounding wetlands, the park is a wonderful place to escape the summer heat and relax. Within the park, Senyu Niansi Courtyard (森屿廿四院) offers a series of forest and riverside wooden houses themed around China's 24 solar terms. The area includes restaurants, coffee and tea spaces, intangible cultural heritage handicraft workshops and a 1,000-square-meter forest lawn, making it a leisure destination meeting a wide range of needs. At Xiaolu Campsite (小鹿营地), visitors can get close to more than 10 kinds of animals, including sika deer, alpacas and ponies.
Nanhaizi Wetland Park
[Photo via Nanhaizi Wetland Park]
Once an exclusive imperial hunting ground during the Ming and Qing dynasties, this park now features broad open views, dense greenery and excellent air quality, allowing visitors to experience the harmony between people and nature. After more than a decade of ecological restoration, the park has seen a significant increase in its swan goose population, with up to 1,000 swan geese resting and breeding here during peak periods.
(Source: Official WeChat account of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism)
