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If you still don't have travel plans for the October Holiday but don't want to just sit at home, check out some of the quick and easy options for exploring Beijing, and further afield, below.
As always, we remind you to brace yourself for crowds at some of the bigger sites given that they may be inundated with visitors from across the country who have traveled to the capital to see its renowned tourist destinations. It is also worth noting that train/bus tickets to destinations outside of Beijing may be hard to come by but you may get lucky if you look for tickets during off-peak hours.
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Cuandixia Village: A Peek at Ming and Qing Dynasty Village LifeA 400-year-old village with more than 70 preserved courtyards, Cuandixia village is a popular day trip, located about 90km away from Beijing. The village is sometimes called the “Potala Palace” of the Beijing region due to its location on a slope. While that may be a bit of a stretch, the area and surrounding scenery is beautiful and makes for a good 12-to-36-hour escape if you have returning visitors who can’t be bothered going to the Great Wall yet again.
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Beidaihe’s cool coastal climate and proximity to Beijing have made it a favorite getaway for Chinese and foreigners alike since the early 20th century. The city of Qinhuangdao itself is mostly a port town and is also known for its water sports, but the best beaches are to be found in the district of Beidaihe, just south down the coast.
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Take a Hike and Minimize Expenditure at Beijing’s Natural AttractionsBeijing has plenty of great options for taking a hike, including the Fragrant Hills, Jingshan, and the sultry "Mystical Peaks," among others.
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Explore Beijing's Abandoned and Forgotten SightsOur intrepid urban explorer Burbex is gradually ticking off every forgotten sight in Beijing, making for a treasure trove of off-the-beaten-path attractions. Highlights so far include the abandoned Dragon's Eye leisure park, a 99-year-old Catholic school, and a number of Olympics related structures, including what was once home to the world's top athletes back in 2008: the Beijing Olympic Village (pictured above). It goes without saying but exercise caution if you're planning to explore any of these places.advertisement
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Exploring Wudaokou and Yuanmingyuan ParkAt the northwest corner of Beijing lies both a historic and scenic gem: Yuanmingyuan Park, aka the Old Summer Palace. As another summer home to the emperors of the Qing dynasty, Yuanmingyuan spans across 350 acres of intricately designed landscapes, gazebos, and palaces, much of which were destroyed in the late 19th century by foreign invaders. The unfortunate story of the park contributes to its old-time charm: the restoration and reopening of the remains enable visitors to, quite literally, walk through history and see the rise and ruin of a dynasty first-hand.
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China is synonymous with the words ‘great’ and ‘wall,’ especially when combined together. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece of ancient construction yet, you owe it to yourself to conquer one of the most picturesque, and quite possibly the most challenging, parts of the wall near Beijing at Jiankou. This is also a great place to see autumn leaves at this time of the year.
Photos: Shutterstock, Margaux Schreurs, Sui, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Wikicommons, Rhea Jiang, Lily Zhao, jiankou-great-wall.com, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Katie Brailsford
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