6 Fun Things to Do This Mid-Autumn Holiday

原创 Huang Chenkuang theBeijinger

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Mid-Autumn Festival (Sep 13-15) is nearly upon us and even if you're not interested in the legend behind this traditional holiday, a three-day break deserves some excitement itself. Whether you're thinking of arranging a quick jaunt out of Beijing or staying to try and keep your paycheck (relatively) intact, there is plenty of stuff on offer to keep you entertained over the long weekend. Here are some of the best entertainment options on offer in Beijing and further afield:

Options for a quick jaunt out of Beijing

JZ Festival Shanghai 2019
Thanks to the Fuxing high-speed train, it now takes only four and a half hours to get from Beijing to our fair sister city down south, Shanghai. Besides the shortened travel time, the upcoming JZ Festival Shanghai (jzmg.net), Sep 13-15, provides another good excuse to make the jaunt down there.

The festival, back for its 15th year, is one of Asia's preeminent jazz festivals and the largest jazz festival in mainland China. The lineup this year features international and local jazz musicians such as Marcus Miller, Earth Wind and Fire Experience, Jasmine and Her Jazzmen, Alec Haavik, Tia Ray, and many more. They'll help turn Shanghai's Maxus Plaza into boogie wonderland, immersing the audience in the best of jazz, blues, funk, soul, rock, latin, and fusion.

Tickets can be bought via QR code below and cost RMB 460 per day, RMB 880 for two-days, or RMB 1,280 for the whole three-day shebang.

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Starlight Music Festival, Shijiazhuang
If traveling all the way to Shanghai sounds a bit too much, then Shijiazhuang, our neighboring capital city of Hebei, sits only one and a half hours away by high-speed train. You may not think it but Shijiazhuang has a long and prosperous history of underground music, even earning it the title of "the hometown of Chinese rock" and Mid-Autumn Festival marks the return of the city's Starlight Music Festival.

The city lives up to its nickname with this Festival, which gathers a strong lineup of established and burgeoning musicians and bands from around China, including the likes of Zhao Lei, Hedgehog, and Miserable Faith. In a year that has seriously lacked festivals, Starlight is a welcome addition.

Tickets costs RMB 199 for one day, get them here:

Visit Datong
The Shanxi capital of Datong is located either an hour's flight or a 4.5-hour bus ride west of Beijing. Its proximity to the capital makes it an easy option for a weekend visit, and it is well worth a visit, with a rich history and plenty of natural wonders. Datong was capital of China of three separate dynasties, and must-see sites include the photogenic Yungang Grottoes, the sacred Hanging Temple, and Mount Hengshan, one of China's four Taoist holy mountains.

In terms of accommodation, there are plenty of hostels dotted throughout the "new"-old town. We're particular fans of 夜奔大同 yè bēn dàtóng (price range from RMB 90 to RMB 330 per night per person, book it at booking.com), the sister hostel of Beijing's 夜奔北京 (yè bēn běijīng, Fly by Knight Hotel) with its welcoming, English-speaking staff. Read more about what to do and see in Datong here:

Trek into the wild
Escape Beijing with the Beijing Hiking Club (北京徒步者 běijīng túbù zhě), a group of avid and experienced hobbyists who organize treks out to all across China for hikers of all levels. This Mid-Autumn, they ship out to Hunshandake Sandy Land (浑善达克沙地 húnshàndákè shā dì) in Inner Mongolia for three days, adventuring 55km-deep into the desert and stopping at small villages along the way.

Considering that most, if not all of the hikers will be Chinese, we suggest you try and tag along with a Chinese friend if you're not comfortable communicating in Chinese. You're also required to have suitable hiking provisions and other equipment.

The entire trip only costs RMB 560 per person including transportation and insurance and will set off from Jishuitan Exit A at 8pm on Sep 12. Click here for more information (in Chinese) and contact the organizer directly (WeChat ID: Solok_Knight) for a reservation. Alternatively, there are many other hiking groups to get involved with here.

Activities closer to home

Camping at the Great Wall
Autumn in Beijing is the perfect time to explore the great outdoors and camping is the best way to soak up the best of what the suburbs have to offer. Our top five top camping picks are the Ming Tombs Reservoir, Lingshan Mountain, Shidu, Jiankou Great Wall, and Miyun Reservoir, which you can read more about here:

If you prefer to join an organized camping group, Fun Trips will head to the Great Wall on both Sep 13 or 14. The itinerary includes a simple dinner upon arrival before setting up your cozy lodgings in the Great Wall's ramparts and waking up to an incredible sunrise. The trip costs RMB 330 per person and includes transport. Click here for more information and to reserve.

Another option is the 20km, two-day camping trip by the Beijing Hikers which will wind past picturesque portions of the Great Wall, including Gubeikou, over to Jinshanling, and all the way to the western section of Simatai. Scan/extract QR code below for more information and registration.

Make mooncakes
Love them or loathe them, Mid-Autumn Festival would not be complete without mooncakes. As such, The Hutong is hosting a fun day of festive celebration for family and friends, including a mooncake making class and a traditional tea ceremony. You will also learn the history and techniques behind these age-old practices as well as how to pair different mooncakes with various types of tea (we'd love to know what goes best with salted egg cakes). The class costs RMB 200 per person and RMB 130 for kids. Scan/Extract QR code below for more information.