Take it Easy...
by Ed Lee
Winter traps us in Beijing as surely as a
heavily guarded wall. The capital is surrounded by beautiful countryside and historic
sites where the air is clean and the sky a perfect azure, but who needs the Great Outdoors
when it's 10 below zero?
The chance to throw off those shackles should arise this month as spring really gets into its swing. Bus tours to suburban beauty spots abound, but anyone who's ever tried one of these is likely to have found the Chinese idea of a day out doesn't quite gel with Western expectations. The general aim seems to be to cram in as many stops, photo ops and tacky souvenir stalls as possible, and God forbid there should be anywhere not jammed with other tourists.
Having the freedom to explore, take your time and find a calm spot to rest from the rat race is not on the agenda. For that, you need your own transport; so to blaze a trail, your BTM tour team hopped into a hire car recently for a weekend exploration of Huairou County, just 60 kilometers north of the city (Car rental options are at the end of the story).
Wake Up...
There's something very important you have to remember before you set out: Take plenty of music. Do not leave anything to chance, or Chinese colleagues. The Eagles reunion concert and a Richard Marx album may seriously challenge your sanity otherwise.
Having woken up to "Hotel California" several times and negotiated a number
of "Hazards," we paused only briefly in the urban center of Huairou, which is a
very new, fairly spruce satellite town with little to recommend it other than the
magnificent Chinglish of its exhortations to "Be a cultured Huairouite", erected
on vast hoardings overlooking the central traffic circle. From there, we headed due north
along the road that leads to Yanqi Lake.
You know you're on the right track if you pass two giant corn cobs on the right, which stand guard over the entrance to the Countryside Interests Garden. This can safely be skipped, unless you feel an urgent need to plant a tree to which you apparently get proprietary rights for 15 years. A little further on a minor road branches off to the northwest, leading into a narrow, winding valley of considerable charm. The main feature of this area is the large number of trout fishing establishments that have been set up by harnessing the small stream that trickles through the valley. Even if you're already feeling hungry, you should stick it out until you reach the prime spot occupied by the Hengquan Club.
A dilapidated section of the Great Wall tumbles down into the pass here, and so if you're feeling adventurous you can build up an appetite by climbing to the top, from where you can look west to the restored Mutianyu section. It's pretty hair-raising and definitely not safe, so note that we do NOT recommend this course of action.
Other dangerous options are available on the valley floor in the form of a range of fireworks, including some of quite alarming dimensions. More sedate entertainment is provided by peaceable horses and co-operative rainbow trout. Any fish you hook from the pool can be handed over to the staff to be barbecued (at 20 yuan per jin). Don't miss this -- they taste marvelous and present few bone problems.
The whole day could easily be whiled away in this spot. If you choose to do so, there is reasonable accommodation to be had for an overnight stay. Reservations should be made in advance.
Get Over It
Following the valley beyond the Wall takes you up over Reclining Buddha Mountain and down into Wisdom Valley. Watching the country folk watching you from your protective auto bubble can be quite peculiar if you start thinking about it -- are you the fish in the tank or are they? If it all happens to the tune of "Tequila Sunrise," though, you're more likely to be thinking Don Henley Must Die.
Still on the same road, climbing out of Wisdom Valley soon brings you to Lianquanxianggu. The entrance to this spot looks rather run-down, even semi-derelict, but pay the 15 yuan fee and you can follow a quite delightful stream up through a series of pools to its source. There are still a number of striking ice formations to negotiate on the way. These aren't expected to melt fully until May. The water is crystal clear and very cold, but on a 40-degree summer's day it should be ideal to cool off with a dip in one of the deeper pools. It's a splendid area, and stretches for some distance, but it may get rather busy.
Trout fishing is on offer here as well, and there are two accommodation options, plus the ubiquitous karaoke room. All this is concentrated around the entrance, however, and so it's easy to leave behind. If you can tear yourself away from Hengquan, this is sure to use up the rest of your day -- beware that you should plan your sleeping arrangements ahead of time if you're traveling at the weekend.
Erguotou Sunrise
If you follow our route, over-indulgence is not recommended in the evening as
the following day is Sports Day. We followed the road all the way back to the main route
north out of Huairou, then turned north towards Yanqi Lake. This is a big purpose-built
tourist trap, with speedboats, rock climbing, and the terrifying Bungee Rocket among other
attractions. It doesn't come cheap, and if this isn't your idea of fun you can carry on
north another half hour to Qinglong Gorge.
Almost exactly the same range of entertainment has been developed here, but the setting is much more attractive -- it's worth visiting just for the views. And just a short ride away is the beautiful Jiugukou. Broken towers and crumbling sections of unrestored Great Wall emerge from the hilltop like a set of badly decayed teeth at the entrance to the scenic area; Jiugukou is several centuries away from the phoney realism of Badaling or Mutianyu. The area embraces nine valleys, each with its own particular charm. One contains thousands of wild Chinese wisteria, which fill the entire valley with clouds of purple blossom.
Further north is the Purple Cloud Mountain, a truly serene spot where a trick of perspective renders the vista of more distant mountains as a series of paper cutouts. You could just reverse the itinerary and sleep here on the first day -- the hotel is nearby. And yes, it has a pool of rainbow trout.
Places to Stay Over
Entrance of Lian Quan Xiang Gu
Jade Villa
Price: RMB200 per room (two beds a room, altogether two rooms)
Shade Flats
Price: RMB75 per person (two-four beds a room)
Tel: 61611741
Lian Hua Chi Village
Hengquan Club
Price: RMB100 per person (three beds a room)
Tel: 61629358
Purple Cloud Senic Area
Hotels are available at the entrance
Price: RMB 360 per room for Japanese-style room (six beds); RMB 40-50 per bed for common
flats.
Yanqi Lake Area
Qihu Hotel
Add: North of Yanqi Lake
Tel: 69661188
Price: RMB 300 per standard room
Yun Xiu Hotel
Add: East of Yanqi Lake
Tel: 69662338
Price: RMB300 +10% per standard room
Yan Qi Fang Hotel
Add: North of Yanqi Lake
Tel: 696611322
Price: RMB200 per standard room