Beijing Expo Park: Beijing Garden [Photo via VCG]
Site of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Forward Army Command Headquarters in Malan Village
The Site of the Hebei-Rehe-Chahar Forward Army Command Headquarters is situated in a quadrangle courtyard composed of ten well-preserved tile-roofed houses in Malan Village, Zhaitang Town. It is officially recognized as a historical and cultural site under municipal-level protection in Beijing.
Inaugurated on July 7, 1997, the exhibition hall of the site represents China's first village-level revolutionary-themed one initiated and organized by local farmers. It covers an area of 680 sqm, with a floor area of 131 sqm and an exhibition area of 48.2 sqm. It is divided into four exhibition rooms, where 103 physical objects and 175 pictures are displayed.
Address: Malan Village, Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing
Site of the Jingbao Office (Former Residence of Shao Piaoping)
Covering an area of 1,120 sqm and a floor area of around 820 sqm, the Jingbao Office was once the former residence of Shao Piaoping, a renowned journalist and founder of the progressive newspaper "Jingbao" (Peking Gazette) during the Republic of China era, and also a significant hub for the dissemination of Marxism.
The objects exhibited inside the Jingbao Office tell Shao Piaoping's lifelong conviction and practice to visitors. The two-story former residence features a combination of Eastern and Western architectural styles. The three prominent characters "Jing Bao Guan" (Jingbao Office) above the main entrance were inscribed by Shao Piaoping personally. The building has become somewhat dilapidated over time. Inside the courtyard is a bronze statue of Shao Piaoping for visitors to pay respects and commemorate.
The office holds themed exhibitions, including the "Jingbao and Jingbao Office", "Century-old Red Press", and "Life of Shao Piaoping", all of which are significant witnesses to the history of the Communist Party of China. The site of the Jingbao Office is open to the public as the Red Press Museum and Shao Piaoping's former residence.
Address: No.30, Weiran Hutong, Luomashi Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
Taihu Park
The Taihu Park covers a total area of 150 hectares, including 25 hectares of water area. Because of its vast water area, the Taihu Park gives full play to the advantage and skillfully combines water resources with creative architecture. As a landmark of Taihu Town, the park offers plants, sculptures, scenic walking trails and other facilities. Featuring wetland ecological landscape, it is a comprehensive wetland park that integrates wetland eco-tourism, agricultural culture tour, and science education.
Focusing on showcasing the water purification, tourism, and production capabilities of wetlands, the scenic area enriches the wetland biodiversity, improve wetland vegetation coverage, restore the vegetation belts along banks, and enhance water storage and conservation capacity of wetlands. It is a popular destination for leisure, relaxation and sightseeing on weekends and holidays. Visitors can stroll or ride bikes to appreciate the stunning scenery and experience the pastoral charm of the countryside.
Address: Taihu Town, Tongzhou District, Beijing
International Grape Exhibition Garden
The International Grape Exhibition Garden, with an area of two million sqm and a floor area of 15,000 sqm, served as the venue for the 11th International Conference on Grapevine Breeding and Genetics in 2014. It is a comprehensive expo park that features grape variety exhibitions, sightseeing and picking, ecological experiences, scenic tours, science education, leisure and entertainment. The International Grape Exhibition Garden, covering an area of 3,126 mu (about 208.4 hectares), boasts numerous world-renowned, special, high-quality, and new grape varieties. In addition, it features a 500-mu (about-33.33-hectare) wetland park, a children's playground with various recreational facilities, and a popular camping and picnic spot. There is the science museum, visitor center, and smart greenhouse located in the vicinity of the grapevine fields. The International Grape Exhibition Garden is a large grape-themed exhibition park in China with a wide variety of grape species on display.
Address: Southeast of Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing District, Beijing
Jietai Temple
Built in 622 AD, the grand Jietai Temple has a long history with beautiful scenery. Originally named the Huiju Temple, it was given the name "Wanshou Zen Temple" by the Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty. The temple is renowned for its largest Buddhist altar, with the authority of granting the highest Buddhist commandments, the Bodhisattva Discipline. Thus, it is hailed as the "First Altar under Heaven".
The altar is a raised platform made of blue stones, where Buddhist disciples receive disciplines. The 3.25-meter-high altar is divided into three levels in the shape of "Pin", a Chinese character. Niches are carved at the waist of each level, in which 113 exquisite statues of different precept guardians are enshrined. The top of the platform is crowned with a statue of Buddha.
The temple features both grandeur of northern temples and elegance of southern gardens. It is not only a famous temple of Chinese Buddhism but also a well-known tourist destination.
The Jietai Temple is also a filming spot for the TV drama Empresses in the Palace, attracting many fans of the series to visit.
Address: Ma'an Mountain, Yongding Town, Mentougou District, Beijing
Beijing Xiangshui Lake Great Wall Scenic Spot
Located in the west of Mutianyu, the Xiangshui Lake Great Wall Scenic Spot, as part of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, is 78 kilometers away from downtown Beijing and 28 kilometers away from Huairou County. The scenic area integrates the Great Wall, ancient caves, mountains, rivers, springs, waterfalls, and Ming Dynasty cliff carvings, making it a popular tourist destination in the suburbs of Beijing. The Xiangshui Lake gets its name not because of a large body of water here, but the source of the spring. As the largest spring in Huairou District, it is a source of drinking water for local residents and one of the sources of the Huairou Reservoir. The water is sweet and refreshing. The Xiangshui Lake Great Wall Health Preservation Grand Canyon is considered the best place for physical and mental healing in Beijing's suburbs.
Address: 200 meters east of Dazhenyu Village, Bohai Town, Huairou District, Beijing
New Shougang Bridge
Located on the west side of the Shougang Industrial Culture and Tourism Zone, the New Shougang Bridge is a steel bridge that connects Shijingshan District and Mentougou District, spanning over the Yongding River.
As a key point of the west extension line of Chang'an Avenue, the New Shougang Bridge is the world's first twin-tower cable-stayed steel composite bridge, with the largest span in Beijing. It is 1,354 meters in length and 54.9 meters in width, currently the widest steel bridge in China. The New Shougang Bridge is a fully steel-structured cable-stayed bridge with two inverted "U" shaped steel towers. The two towers are inclined towards the east and west, respectively. From above, they resemble two tug-of-war competitors sitting face to face, with their feet against each other and hands pulling backward. It is a steel artwork with both strength and beauty.
The bridge won the Eugene C. Figg Medal of the 2020 International Bridge Conference (BC). Now it has become a landmark in Shijingshan District, and also a trendy place in Beijing.
Address: West side of Shougang Industrial Culture and Tourism Zone, Shijingshan District, Beijing
Jiuyan Watchtower
Located on the main peak of the Huoyan Mountain in Sihai Town, the Jiuyan Watchtower, at an elevation of 1,141 meters, is the hollow watchtower on the Great Wall with the largest scale and highest specification, serving as an important ancient military fortress of strategic significance. The watchtower is the junction of the Great Wall in Jizhou Town, Changping Town, and Xuanfu Town in the Ming Dynasty. It is the intersection of the inner Great Wall and the outer Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty.
The existing one-story Jiuyan Watchtower is 7.8 meters high with 13 meters long of each side. Each observation hole in the watchtower is 1.65 meters high and 0.5 meters wide, and there is a 1.2-meter-wide circular walkway inside. The watchtower features nine archery windows that serve as natural viewfinder frames to offer expansive views of Beijing's urban area on sunny days, earning it the name "Wangjing (Looking at Beijing) Tower". From atop the Great Wall, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of both Mutianyu Great Wall and Jiankou Great Wall. Whether it is a sunny day, rainy day, snowy day or foggy day, tourists can view unique natural scenery.
Address: Sihai Town, Yanqing District, Beijing
Datai Railway Station
Built in 1907, the Datai Railway Station on the Jingmen Railway Line is one of the few remaining old-style stations with visible traces of the past. The European-style station was out of service in 2019. After more than 100 years, its doors and windows have been nailed shut, leaving only the overgrown railway tracks. Nevertheless, the Datai Railway Station remains the best-preserved station in the mining area of western Beijing. It played a crucial role in transporting coals from western Beijing during its operational period.
Its architectural complex was recognized as one of the second batch of historical buildings in Beijing in September 2020.
Address: 150 meters west of 017 County Road, Mentougou District, Beijing
Beijing Jiaozhuanghu Memorial Museum of Tunnel Warfare Site
Built in 1964, the Beijing Jiaozhuanghu Memorial Museum of Tunnel Warfare Site is situated at the foot of the Waitou Mountain, a stretching branch of the Yan Mountains. The museum adopts a traditional designing style of rural courtyard in northern China, with blue as its main color. It consists of the exhibition hall area, tunnel area, and residential area that once witnessed the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.
Inside the exhibition hall, detailed documents, precious cultural relics, and authentic tunnel warfare ruins showcase the heroic struggle of Jiaozhuanghu's villagers against the Japanese invaders under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.
The currently open tunnel ruins are over 830 meters long, including lounges, command centers, and many war facilities.
Address: Jiaozhuanghu Village, Longwantun Town, Shunyi District, Beijing
Beijing Expo Park: Beijing Garden
The Beijing Garden, themed "My Courtyard", features native plants with Beijing's characteristics, together with a gateway, hutongs (traditional alleyways), quadrangle courtyards, and red walls, creating an authentic Beijing-style street view. It comprehensively presents the style and features of the ancient capital. The quadrangle courtyard-based landscape symbolizes a warm welcome to guests from all over the world, offering visitors a chance to admire the beauty of Beijing's traditions within the quaint courtyards.
Covering an area of 5,350 sqm, the Beijing Garden stands as the largest regional exhibition garden in the Chinese Horticultural Exhibition Zone. Nestling in the Beijing Garden is a hidden gem called the "Garden within a Garden," named after the picturesque hutong "100 Flowers Hidden Deep", which captures the serene lifestyle of Beijing locals.
The Beijing Garden generally depicts a beautiful home with harmony between humans and nature. It is also a "cultural garden" and an "ecological garden". The Beijing Garden now serves as a hub for horticultural creativity, providing visitors with exploration, recreation, and interactive experiences. It celebrates the timeless harmonious bond between humans and nature.
Address: No.1, Baikang Road, Yanqing Town, Yanqing District, Beijing
Site of the Sino-French University
The Site of the Sino-French University perfectly combines a Western-style structure with a Chinese tiled roof. With a history of over a hundred years, its facilities and buildings such as the teaching buildings, auditorium and library, remain fully intact to this day.
Originated from the "Work-Study Movement" in France in the early 20th century, the Sino-French University has played a significant role in the modern history of education in China and the cultural exchange between China and France. From its inception in 1920 to its closure in 1950, the university adhered to the educational philosophy of its first president Cai Yuanpei, and nurtured a group of students with patriotic sentiment and progressive ideas.
The auditorium and teaching buildings have special exhibitions. The exhibitions comprehensively and systematically showcase the dissemination and development of Marxism in China, bringing new radiance to the important history embodied in the Site of the Sino-French University.
Address: No.A-20, Donghuangchenggen North Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
Baoshan Town Rice Field Painting
The Baoshan Town Rice Field Painting is located in Baoshansi Village, Baoshan Town, Huairou District, covering an area of 130 mu (about 8.66 hectares). When viewed from above, a rice field painting themed "Rural Revitalization” unfurls. The rice field art can be admired from July to mid-October.
Over the past few years, Baoshan Town has been promoting the cultivation of five-colored dry-land rice varieties across the entire region in an effort to build the "Taste of Baoshan" brand, increase the added value of agricultural products, and thus bolster farmers' incomes. Meanwhile, the town's rice field art integrates with the natural landscape of mountains and waters to create the unique artistic landscape of the rice fields in Baoshan Town that attracts numerous tourists to take pictures. In the Mid-Autumn Festival of 2022, the "Northernmost of Beijing" Rice Field Music Festival was held in this internet-famous spot.
Address: Baoshan Town, Huairou District, Beijing
Guyaju Scenic Spot
Situated in a valley at the foot of the Haituo Mountain, the Guyaju (Ancient Cliff Dwellings) is comprised of a collection of man-made caves scattered on the approximately 100,000 sqm of cliffs. Like the Badaling Great Wall, the Guyaju is an awe-inspiring cultural heritage site left by ancient people through Yanqing's long history, known as "an eternal mystery" and "an eternal wonder."
On the two sides of the valley, there are 137 artificially carved stone rooms connected by stone steps and plank paths. The Guyaju is the largest of its kind discovered in North China. All 137 stone rooms have the building structure with no pillars and beams. Despite the absence of ladders or planks, the dwellings feature interconnected levels. The origin of the Guyaju remains a mystery, but its intricate craftsmanship showcases the wonders of ancient architecture.
Address: North of Dongmenying Village, Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing District, Beijing