Where to Explore Ancient Villages in the Suburbs of Beijing
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In addition to busy streets and high-rises, Beijing is also home to a number of ancient villages. Providing refreshing respites from the hustle of city life, these villages also allow visitors to enjoy the beautiful natural landscape of the Beijing area, and get a taste of local folk culture. We list four villages worth visiting, all located in Mentougou District (门头沟区 méntóugōu qū).
Lingshui Village (灵水村 língshuǐ cūn) is also known as Juren Village (举人村 jǔrén cūn), because historically many of the villagers who lived here passed the imperial exam and were awarded as the academic title of Juren. The village is known for its well-preserved traditional rural residences built in the Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1644-1911 AD) dynasties, as well as temple complexes. Another highlight of the village are the tall and austere-looking cypresses, which have for centuries witnessed the village's ups and downs. If you want to stay the night, there are also rural home-stays serving food and providing accommodation.
How to get there: Take subway line 6 to Jin'anqiao Station (金安桥 jīn'ānqiáo zhàn) Exit B then transfer to bus M22 or m11 and get off at Junxiang Station (军响站 jūnxiǎng zhàn). From there, transfer to bus M21 and get off at the village. The bus rides are about two hours and 45 minutes in total and you will enjoy some amazing scenery along the way.
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Cuandixia Village (爨底下村 cuàndǐxia cūn) has a history of around 400 years, and among the examples of rural architecture scattered around the village, there are 70 traditional stone courtyards, some of which provide accommodation. Climb to Guandi Temple (关帝庙 guāndì miào) to get an overall view of the village, and feast your eyes with the stunning view while wondering how time has stood still in this small village, bathed in breath-taking serenity.
How to get there: Take subway line 6 to Jin'anqiao Station (金安桥 jīn'ānqiáo zhàn) Exit B then transfer to bus 892 or M11 and get off at Zhaitang Xikou Station (斋堂西口站 zhāitáng xīkǒu zhàn). From there, transfer to bus M12 and get off at the village.
Nestled in the mountains and surrounded by forest and stunning scenery, Sangyu Village (桑峪村 sāngyù cūn) is especially interesting as it is home to the oldest Catholic church in Beijing – the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (桑峪村天主教 sāngyù cūn tiānzhǔjiào), which was built around 700 years ago during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). The church still hosts well-attended services today.
How to get there: Take subway line 6 to Jin'anqiao Station (金安桥 jīn'ānqiáo zhàn) then transfer to the S1 subway line (going to Shichang 石厂 shíchǎng). Get off at Shichang Station Exit B and transfer to bus M32 (at Shichang Cun Station 石厂村站 shíchǎng cūn zhàn). Get off at Nanxinfang Station (南辛房站 nánxīnfáng zhàn) and the village is a 2.3km walk from there.
Liuliqu Village (琉璃渠 liúlíqú) is famous for its long history of making liuli (color-glazed tiles) that dates back to over 800 years. The tiles made here were used as roof tiles for buildings in the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, and the Lama Temple. The liuli firing kiln still exists and is in use today, making tiles mainly used for repairing the buildings in the aforementioned historical buildings. Most of the village's residents work in the liuli industry. The village sits next to Mount Miaofeng (妙峰山 miàofēng shān), a picturesque place that is also worth a visit.
How to get there: Take subway line 6 to Jin'anqiao Station (金安桥 jīn'ānqiáo zhàn) then transfer to bus M5/M16/M22/929 (from Jin'anqiao West Station 金安桥西站 jīn'ānqiáo xī zhàn) and get off at the village.
This post originally appeared on our sister publication beijingkids.
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Photos: Glenn Strong/Flickr.com, Beijing Health Tourism, mafengwo.cn
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