In recent years, COVID-19 has altered the tourism industry drastically. More and more tourists are seeking short-distance and high-quality trips with a new motto – Stay near, go outdoors, be healthy. With this in mind, we give you some recommendations for how to spend your October holiday, safely and sustainably. 

MUJI HOTEL BEIJING 

If you simply wish to stay within the city for some R&R, the Muji Hotel Beijing, which just opened in 2018 is a wonderful, more sustainable staycation option. As of 2020, the hotel stopped providing single-use toiletries in their rooms, including toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, bathing caps, cotton pads. Instead, they strongly encourage customers to bring their own.

The hotel is nestled in the cultural heart of Beijing and has a wonderful view of Tiananmen Square. In addition to the World Heritage sites, this corner of central Beijing has parks where you can enjoy mixing with the locals who make the park a part of their ordinary everyday lives. Neighboring shops include shoe and tea shops that date back to the Qing dynasty, and there are traditional food vendors offering steamed buns and other local goodies. Today, they stand side-by-side with intimate, modern-day cafes specializing in pour-over coffee.

Great Wall Hiking – Stay at The Brickyard or Camp

Originally an old brick factory, the cosy Brickyard is close to the Mutianyu secant of the Great Wall and retains a rustic look outwardly while offering modern comfort within its 25 rooms and suites, all with lovely views of the Great Wall through a story and a half window walls. Sharing those views is also a spa with an outdoor jacuzzi open year round. The Brickyard provides a farm-to-table dining experience by selecting high-quality local produce from the neighboring villages. They also compost their organic waste, and has switched to LED lighting – which is more energy-efficient.

Alternatively, if you’re a camping aficionado and completely capable, you could take up with a camping tour and pitch a tent out in the wilderness around the Great Wall. This would probably be your last chance before the cold really sets in this year!

E-Bike Tours

Electric bicycles are everywhere in Beijing, for good reason. The batteries that power them are a comparatively cleaner source of energy than combustion engines in the traditional scooters. There are a few different companies that operate E-Bike tours, often of the local hutongs that give you a glimpse into the very different lives of the locals. Our Beijing is one such company, operated by expat Dominic De Couto.

Bamboo Bicycles Beijing

Speaking of bicycles, those of you that came to the bustling Burger Fest 2021 might have noticed a vendor that certainly stood out at the festival with their usual bicycles. Yes we’re talking about those super cool bamboo bicycles by Bamboo Bicycles Beijing, which aims to promote sustainable urban transport. You can join one of their DIY bamboo bicycle workshops on the weekend and create your very own bamboo bike using locally sourced bamboo! Find out more on www.bamboobicyclesbj.com or scan the QR code below.

KEEP READING: Sustainability Sunday: Talking About Sustainability Without Coming Off Preachy

Images: Courtesy of the hotels, Pexels, Dominic De Couto, Bamboo Bicycles Beijing

Pick the leaves or take great photos at one of these out of town locations this fall before it gets any colder. This is part two of a two-part series. Check here for part one.

Mangshan National Forest Park 蟒山国家森林公园
Located near the Ming Tombs Reservoir in Changing District and standing at 8,200 hectares, this is the largest forest park in Beijing. The park contains the largest stone-carved Buddha in northern China. You can be sure to get a workout in this place because of the 3,666 steps it takes to get to the highest peak. The park has over 170 trees and flowers.

RMB 20 (adults), RMB 10 (students and seniors). Daily 8am-5pm. 2 Mangshan Lu, Changping District (6071 1866) www.msforestpark.com/lianxi.asp 昌平区蟒山路2号

Beigong National Forest Park 北宫国家森林公园
A favorite spot for bird-watching, the 1,800 hectare park has a section called “100 Species of Bird” and is a worthy option for viewing the changing season. The park features a lake, a fruit orchard, a 240m-high viewing platform, and several scenic spots.

RMB 10. Daily 6.30am-8pm (Apr 1-Nov 30), 7am-5pm (Dec 1-Mar 31). 55 Dahuiguang Donglu, Changxindian Town, Fengtai District (8384 0830) 丰台区长辛店镇大灰厂东路55号

Badaling National Forest Park 八达岭森林公园
This park has over 50,000 maple trees over 56 hectares that attracts droves of people attend the Red Festival each fall. This park is located fairly close to the Badaling Great Wall section. Be sure to go when there are less people, early morning (which might be colder so dress warmly) or late afternoon.

RMB 35. Mon-Fri 7am-5pm, Sat-Sun 8.30am-5.30pm (summer), daily 9am-4pm (winter). South across the highway from Badaling Great Wall Center, Yanqing County (6912 1842/2591) 延庆县八达岭长城南

Baiwangshan 百望山
This area is filled with imported maple trees from the US and Holland. The two areas that are most important to get a good view of the area are: the Friendship Pavilion and Langfeng Pavilion. To gain access to the Friendship Pavilion, one has to walk though a flat path that’s surrounded by trees. The Lanfeng Pavilion offers a panoramic view from the top of the mountain.

RMB 6. Daily 8am-5pm. 19 Heihu Beikou, Haidian District (6288 4508, 6287 7730) 海淀区黑山扈北口19号（近颐和园）

Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪长城
The better alternative to the super crowded Badaling Great Wall section, Mutianyu provides a peaceful setting to soak in the different colors of the changing leaves. The area is home to over 280,000 different species of tress and the panoramic view is breathtaking. The Brickyard Inn and Resort offers comfortable accommodations and activities making this place a great weekend getaway spot.

RMB 45/adult, RMB 25/child 12 and under. Daily 7.30am-5.30pm (Nov-Mar), 7am-6pm (Apr-Oct). Mutianyu Village, Bohai Town, Huairou District  (6162 6505, 6162 6022) 怀柔区渤海镇慕田峪村

Hongluo Temple 红螺寺
You will find northern China’s largest Buddhist temples located here. Hongluo offers tree-lined paths leading up the mountain or a panoramic view from the peak via the cable car to Guanyin Temple.

RMB 54. Cable car RMB 60 (roundtrip), RMB 40 (one-way). Daily 8am-5.30pm (summer), 8am-4.30pm (winter). 2 Hongluo Donglu, Hongluoshan, Yanxi Town, Huairou District (6068 1175) www.hongluosi.com 怀柔区雁栖镇红螺山下红螺东路2号

Miaofeng Mountian 妙峰山
The home of goddesses, Miaofeng Mountain is home to ancient temples, summer roses, and the rock formations that have made this area famous. Look out for deep valleys, breathtaking views of the hills, and dramatic rock outcroppings.

RMB 30. Daily 7am-6pm (summer), 8am-5pm (winter). Miaofengshan Township, Mentougou District (6188 2936) 门头沟区妙峰山镇

Photo: Chinadaily.com.cn

Fall is the season of choice for many in Beijing. There’s so much to see and do before the winter cold confines most people indoors. In recent days, the air quality index (AQI) recordings have been high, which has resulted in many people limiting their time outdoors. Also, Beijing is expected to experience it’s coldest winter according to a report by the Beijinger.

Before we hit mid-November, when the leaves become dry or completely fall down, one must visit these 13 spots to snap family photos with beautiful, scenic views for your Beijing memory photo album book. This is part one, check out part two tomorrow. These locations are both close to and far from the city, thus providing more options for magnificent views:

Peking and Tsinghua University Campuses
These two universities might fight for bragging rights on which is the best in the middle kingdom but one commonality they share is that both are quiet locations where families can head over to see the fall foliage on the weekends (weekdays are busier due to class).

Peking University (Beida) 北京大学
Free. 8am-9pm. 5 Yiheyuan Lu, Haidian District (6275 1230/1) www.pku.edu.cn 海淀区颐和园路5号

Tsinghua University 清华大学
Free. 8am-9am. Chengfu Lu, Haidian District (6278 9437, 8286 3785) www.tsinghua.edu.cn 海淀区成府路

Fragrant Hills Park  (香山公园)
The annual Fragrant Hills Red Leaves Festival is best visited mid-week or early in the day to avoid the crowds. This festival is a tourist magnet that’s best avoided during the weekend or peak times. Years ago, the government planted maple tress that blanket the area with the warm colors of red, orange, and gold. Pick the leaves and head home to do some crafts. If you have time then check out Jingcui Lake, Heshun Gate, Fragrant Hill Temple, and Yuhua Villa.

RMB 5 (Nov 1 to Mar 31), RMB 10 (Apr 1 to Oct 31). Daily 6am-6.30pm. 40 Maimaijie, Haidian District, Beijing (6259 1155) www.xiangshanpark.com 北京市海淀区买卖街40号

Ditan Park 地坛公园
This well known Temple Fair location is a hidden gem of golden leaves because of the many ginkgo trees. The park has spacious paths, which are aligned with trees big enough to push a stroller and snap some really nice family photos. The area is an entertaining section for kids. To make a day out of it, head over to Gulou area to see the hutong shops and restaurants.

RMB 2, RMB 1 (students). Daily 6am-9pm. A2 Andingmenwai Dajie, Dongcheng District (6421 4657) www.dtpark.com 东城区安定门外大街甲2号

Yuyuantan Park 玉渊潭公园
The park boasts nearly 1,000 ginkgo trees that blanket the area with stunning golds and yellows. This area is rich in history as it was a favorite spot for the royals and now hosts heads of states and other high level foreign dignitaries at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Local families like the two play areas within the park. Head to the Military Museum after visiting the park.

RMB 2, RMB 1 (students). Daily 6am-9.30pm (summer), daily 6.30am-7pm (winter). 10 Xisanhuan Zhonglu, Haidian District (8865 3800) www.yytpark.com
 海淀区西三环中路10号

Jinhai Lake 金海湖水上公园
The area claims to be home to Asia’s largest peach orchard. Jinghai Lake is located two hours from the CBD and surrounded by lush hills that have pavilions, caves, rock formations and a good hiking trail, fishing spot, and adventurous activities such as kayaking. The paths are lined with trees and you can see the different leaves discoloration. This area is a hot favorite for the native Beijing ren.

RMB 28 for adults, RMB 14 for students, PLA officers, and seniors over the age of 60, free for journalists and retirees. Daily 8am-5.30pm. Haizi Reservoir, Pinggu District (6999 1356/3943) 平谷区海子水库

Badachu Park 八大处公园 (also known as Eight Great Temples)
Badachu is well known for its eight ancient temples and is also known as Eight Great Temples. The park is located two hours in the mountain area south of the Xishan scenic spot. Since it’s renovation this tourist hot spot is popular with tour company’s during the seasonal changes with the leaves changing in fall and cherry blossoms in spring. The hiking trail has shrines and temples and a cable car (RMB 60) is available if the family is too tired.

RMB 10. Daily 6am-7pm (summer), 6am-6pm (winter). Badachu Lu,Shijingshan District (8896 4661) www.badachu.com.cn 石景山区八大处路

Photo: thebeijinger.com

It’s been a while since we’ve been to the Great Wall. My youngest had become too heavy to carry in a child seat backpack, but wasn’t old enough to tackle the steep steps herself. As soon as we saw the glorious skies over Beijing on January 2, we knew we had to make the most of it, and a trip to Mutianyu was too hard to resist. The journey by car there was very quick, taking just over an hour from Shunyi. We prefer the Great Wall at Mutianyu, as it is less crowded and has better architecture than at Badaling. Mutianyu, meaning ‘Admire Fields Valley’, is also the longest fully-restored Great Wall section open to tourists.

Located in Huairou County, Mutianyu Great Wall was first built in Northern Qi Dynasty (550 – 557). In Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang, two famous patriotic generals, rebuilt it in order to strengthen its defensive potential when they guarded the strategic pass. It served as the northern protective screen, guarding the capital and imperial mausoleums for generations. Mutianyu Great Wall winds 1.4 miles through mountains and ridges, many sections of which are made of granite. There are 22 watch towers distributed at close intervals along the wall, providing a wonderful vista for the breath-taking scenery. Woods cover a great deal of the scenic area, with hundreds of ancient pine trees and cypresses.

The whole scenic area at Mutianyu has recently been extended. Currently, visitors who get off at Mutianyuhuandao bus station only need walk for a couple of minutes to reach the newly-built tourist center and ticket office. You then take a shuttle bus to reach the foot of the wall, which takes about five minutes. A round-trip shuttle bus ticket costs RMB 15. For a single trip, you pay RMB 10, and if you don’t wish to take the shuttle bus, you’ll need to walk around 3 kilometers to reach the foot of the wall. With young children in tow, the cable car is a great option for making your way up the wall, and of course the toboggan sled is the best way down. A “signature” wall has been built to the west of No.14 watchtower, to encourage people to sign that wall rather than the Great Wall itself. Another two of these signature walls will be set up near No. 5 and No. 10 watchtowers.

Subway and a Chinese restaurant are your dining options at the foot of the wall, but take the bus back to the new tourist area, and you are spoilt for choice with many western and local restaurants available. Lakers, Burger King, Yoshinoya, Carles, and a Vegetarian restaurant give a great deal of choice. We opted for The Schoolhouse café, where we devoured tomato soup and hot pork belly and mustard shao bing. The café stocks a range of The Schoolhouse products, including soaps and pot pourri, stained glass objects, crockery, and slippers. Outside, we strolled around some of the stalls, selling the usual over-priced tourist items, and there are many brand new kiosks that have been built, which will soon be filled with vendors.

I am impressed with what the developers have done here. The days of cars queuing and crawling up the steep hills are gone, and even though we weren’t visiting in the height of the tourist season, the design of the new parking areas, the fact they have dozens of shuttle buses that go frequently, should all work efficiently in the height of season. There are plenty of new restrooms, with sit and squat toilets. The new and improved Mutianyu makes spending a much longer day there more appealing. You can now enjoy a coffee before the hike (or cable car) up, and a nice lunch and some shopping afterwards.

Mutianyu (慕田峪)
Opening Hours 8am-4pm
Admission Fee Adults RMB 45; Children (1.2-1.5M) RMB 25; Free for children below 1.2M.
Cable Fee (Optional) Adults (including children above 1.3M) RMB 80 for a single trip, RMB 100 for a round trip; Children (1.2M-1.3M): RMB 40 for a single trip, RMB 50 for a round trip; Free for children below 1.2M.
Slideway Fee (Optional) Adults RMB 80 for a single trip, RMB 100 for a round trip (Cable car up, slideway down); Children: RMB 60 for a round trip (Cable car up, slideway down).

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Sally Wilson

I think I experienced the best weather-day since living here on Friday, September 9. Lucky for us, our girls’ school had a day off for professional development (sorry, teachers…really, I am!). But for us, we were able to make an impromptu trip to Mutianyu when the weather – against the forecast of rain – turned out to be absolutely beautiful.

I’ve never personally driven to Mutianyu. I took our trusted GPS, but computerized-Jane didn’t quite get the road names right, nor did she know how to get around a detour. But we weren’t flustered and were able to make it there just fine. Being a weekday, there simply was not a crowd.  Parking was easy, and there were no lines to wait in for tickets, cable cars or anything. Perfect!

THIS was the day to take pictures, and I must have taken hundreds. When we all came to Mutianyu before, we knew our girls would only want to take the chair lift up and the slide down after walking a short distance. This time, we took the cable car up, forcing us to make a longer walk to the slide reward at the end. It’s doable, of course, even if you’re out of shape. But expect jiggly legs by the end, and muscle reminders the next day that you did a lot of climbing and walking.

I was so in awe of the clear skies, beautiful mountain landscapes and the endless winding wall that I didn’t realize you could actually see the skyline of Beijing up there. My husband neglected to tell me until we were at the bottom, but that’s ok. Aside from possibly being pleasantly surprised that you could see so clearly, I rather enjoyed the nature of the day instead. We certainly weren’t alone in our travels, as we ran into friends and neighbors who decided to take advantage of the great day, too.

I’ve always wanted to visit The Schoolhouse for lunch, and we were able to do that while eating outside in the courtyard. It simply didn’t disappoint. Lunch options were plentiful, including daily specials (and a cream of broccoli soup that was out of this world). While slightly on the more expensive side – sandwiches averaged about RMB 80 – it was something to enjoy as a treat and it wouldn’t discourage me from going again. A visit inside the glass shop and being able to watch the glass blowers was pretty fun, too. And picking up a brochure about the rental cabins available makes me feel like maybe there could be a weekend trip in our future. I hope so, and I hope the weather is just as nice as it was that day.

I guess the point is this:  If it’s a beautiful day and you have the time, make every effort to visit these outdoor sights. The Wall, Fragrant Hills, Summer Palace – you name it. On days like this, it’s more than worth switching your schedule around to fit it in. You’ll be glad you did.
 

For your convenience, they’ll have two School Buses — the first leaving at 9am, the second at 11.30am. Both School Buses will make a stop in downtown Beijing and then Shunyi before smooth sailing to The Schoolhouse front gate. Enjoy a stroll up to the Great Wall or explore the area on your own and hike hidden trails. What’s more, all day-trippers will get a free pass for their School Bus shuttle, which will travel in and around Mutianyu throughout the day. Roundtrip School Bus tickets cost RMB 120. For more information CLICK HERE.

To reserve your seat on The School Bus, email The Schoolhouse (theschoolbus@theschoolhouseatmutianyu.com) by Thursday 6pm and make sure to leave your name, phone number and the number of people in your party.