The Ming City Walls Ruins Park (明城墙遗址公园) is one of the best parks in Beijing. It is located 3 kilometers from the center of the city, between the southeast turret and Chongwen Gate (崇文门) in the west. It is a scenic spot of ancient architectural relic. It was open to the public in 2002.

The Ming City Wall, first built over 580 years ago, in 1419, or the 17th year of Emperor Yongle (永乐)'s reign in the Ming Dynasty, used to run about 40 kilometers. The remaining relic, which is about 1.5 kilometers long, used to be part of the inner city wall of Beijing. It is the longest section of the city wall remains in the city, and an important symbol of Beijing. Topped with saplings, trees and a healthy head of vegetation, the last surviving slice of the Ming Inner City Wall (originally 40km in length) runs along the length of the northern flank of Chongwenmen Dongdajie (东大街), attached to a slender and pleasant strip of park. Leveled in the 1950s to facilitate transport and compromise the legacies of earlier dynasties, the city wall is perhaps Beijing's most conspicuous chunk of lost heritage.

Featured Attractions: In 2003 the park underwent stage II landscaping, which added more variety to the plants. Over 300 arbors and shrubs, such as ginkgos, peaches, apricots, crape myrtles, golden rain trees, magnolias, and over 100,000 flowers (such as marigolds and morning glories) and perennial-root flowers (such as fleur-de-lis and day lilies) have been planted. As a result, a number of distinctive scenic spots, such as Century-old Carriage Track, Sea and Hills, Purple Jade, Mountain Apricot, and Pagoda Trees Protecting the City Wall.

Take Bus No. 41, 43, 44, 59, 610, 713 or 820 to Dongbian Men stop.

The Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall is a national scenic area and is one of the best places in Beijing to educate your children about the politics and development of Beijing. It was opened to the public on September 24th, 2004 and is an exhibition hall that specializes in displaying the history, conditions, and future of Beijing’s urban planning and development.

Through advanced technology, substantially vivid content, and interesting ways that are often presented, the exhibition hall introduces the development history, urban patterns, and panoramic view of the modern urban planning. As a famous city with a vast, long history, it also displays the splendid future for city development. Since the exhibition hall first opened, it has welcomed leaders from more than 70 countries and about one million visitors from both home and abroad. It has won high praise for its rich exhibitions and warm services. The reputation of the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall continues to improve and has become an important window that displays and highlights the city to the world. It is an important place where many politicians stop for state or foreign affairs. This exhibition hall is perhaps one of the most interesting places to understand the past, present, and future of Beijing. So head over there on your next day off and bring a guest with you.

Featured Attractions: The highlight is a massive scale model of the city, which takes up an entire floor and is best viewed with binoculars from above. Elsewhere, the first floor has nice old photographs of hutongs and traditional homes, and the second through fourth floors are simply strange, with 3D movies, booths showcasing the best of Beijing's municipal districts, and a model for a "future house."

Yexian Pagoda Tourism Scenic Spot is located in the northeast of Miyun and leans against the mountain named Yeshan in the north and faces the Chao and Bai Rivers in the south. It is a beautiful area. The pagoda named Yexian built inside the scenic area was initially constructed in 1039 during the Liao Dynasty and had once been one of the top 8 wonders of Beijing.

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In addition, tourists see views like the huge Chinese ink disc and the largest Buddha hall housing thousands of Buddha statues, Puzhao Temple, Three-Fairy Cave and other views.

The resort stands on a slope, surrounded by the original trees and grass, which present obvious advantages for a sightseeing resource. It is also very accessible .

 Huihuang International Conference Resort is located in Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing District, close to No.110 National Highway. It faces Gulong Road and Songshan Mountain National Nature Reserve in the north, Guyaju Scenic Area in the west, Yudu Mountain Scenic Area in the east and Guanting Reservoir in the south. It enjoys convenient transportation and abundant tourism resources, 70 kilometers away from downtown Beijing.

This club is located at the foot of Badaling Great Wall. The equestrian club is composed of several independent sports and leisure arenas including ones for horse riding, fitness and leisure along with resort facilities, a modern horse club city. It possesses the largest indoor horse riding arena, 3 outdoor equestrian training arenas, 200 professional stables, and one veterinary clinic.

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The equestrian club is composed of several independent sports and leisure arenas including ones for horse riding, fitness and leisure along with resort facilities, a modern horse club city.The horse club is composed of several independent sports and leisure arenas including horse riding, fitness and leisure and resort facilities, and a modern horse club city.

Yeyahu is in Guanting, Yanqing District, the lake is at an altitude of 479 m and its banks areas are composed of flooded wetlands. The lake covers a total area of 6,873 hectares including its wetlands, an area of 3,939 hectares, and is home to Beijing’s only nature reserve wetland birds. After 50 years of development the results are rich flora and fauna, biodiversity and a stable high altitude wetland ecosystem. This is one of the most important avian habitats of both Beijing and Northern China as a whole. The protected areas and wetlands are very rich in animal and plant resources. According to statistics Yeyahu has 89 Sections: 231 species of higher plants and 389 kinds, including bryophytes, 16 species are under Section 9; ferns compose of 8 species under Section 5 is 5; seven kinds of gymnosperms attached to Section 5 is 3; angiosperms compose of  358 kinds, 212 attached to Section 72.

If you are looking for a ski resort within an hour’s driving distance from Beijing that has a lot of interesting scenery, Badaling Ski Resort is a good pick because it is near the Great Wall of China. It is only three kilometers away from the Wall. There are also hot springs for enjoyment nearby and an American style restaurant. This ski park is one of the newest in the Beijing area. It is about 2.5 square kilometers in size. It’s in Yanqing District and is about 75 kilometers north of downtown Beijing. Unlike in other resorts, basic instruction is free. More personal instruction is available from foreign and Chinese coaches. The foreign coaches charge more. See China Highlights' skiing tours to experience China's ski resorts. 

​Features The resort features two 800 meter elementary ski runs. There are also two 600 meter intermediate ski runs and one 800 meter high-level ski run. There is also a 2,300 meter motor run. However, the intermediate and advanced slopes are not so difficult. The park isn’t designed for advanced skiers. It is more of a ski park meant for easy fun. There is an American style restaurant called Grandma's Kitchen. It offers fast food starting at just RMB 25 (about 3.50 USD). There are also various kinds of sandwiches, milk shakes, and pies, as well as heavier fare such as fried chicken, steak, and mashed potatoes, etc.

Songshan Forest Tourist Area is a part of the Songshan Natural Protection Region. It is situated in the northwest of Yanqing District, Beijing, in the middle of the Jundu Mountain region. It is more than 90 kilometers away from the city. The tourist area is a specially administered region. It has an exceptional natural environment with rich plant and animal resources.

In 1986, the area was designated a National Nature Protection Area by the State Council. In 2000, it was designated as a Municipal Tourist Attraction. The protection area covers 4,660 hectares in total. The core area is 1,819 hectares, the experimental area is 1,578 hectares, and the tourist area is 1,263 hectares. There is a lot of wildlife within the park. The forest is lush and dense, and there are more than 180 types of vertebrate animals and 700 types of plants in the area. There are more than 50 hectares of Chinese pines that have been well preserved. Stele inscriptions from the reign of Emperor Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty recorded about this area read as follows, “Green pines and cypresses show off their beautiful dark green.” In the spring and autumn, hundreds of wild flowers are in full bloom and the birds tune their singing voices here. The area thrives with natural vitality.

The Haituo Mountain Peak within the beautiful park has an elevation of 2,199.6 meters, and is the second highest peak in the Beijing area. There are also more than 30 scenic spots such as the Natural Chinese Pines, the One-Hundred Waterfall Spring, The Eight Immortals Cave, Flying Dragon Cliff, and other natural splendors, each of which has its own special characteristics. The Songshan Tourist Area enjoys a classical mountain climate. Because of the high elevation and its geographic features, the climate is extremely easy for people to bear. It is one of the few parts of Beijing that has a lower-than-normal temperature. The average annual temperature here is 7°C, 4 degrees lower than Beijing and 2.9 degrees lower than in Chengde.

The hot springs of Songshan Mountain are popular for people of all ages, and the area has been a destination for medical pilgrimages since a long time ago. The temperature of the hot springs is 45°C. Every day more than 2,000 cubic meters of water pours from the springs. The water contains 37 different natural elements such as potassium, magnesium, sulfur, iron, and others. The fluorine content in the water is as high as 12mg/liter, making the spring particularly effective for the treatment of skin diseases, arthritis, rheumatism and neuralgia. Over the ages, a great many people have been attracted to the baths.

Songshan Natural Protection Zone is an ideal place for scientific research or educational practices. It is also a great place to pass a vacation, seek medical treatment, write poetry or paint, or enjoy the splendor of the wilderness. After a few years of development, the facilities here are quite extensive.

Featured Attractions: It has 713 kinds of plants among which medicinal plants accounts for a large proportion of them, about 300 kinds; there are 184 kinds of vertebrate animals, 125 kinds of birds and 80 kinds of breeding birds. It has natural pines, Baibu waterfall, Baxian Cave and more than 30 attractions which have distinguishing features. Songshan Spring was famous since more than 1,500 years ago, during a period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The area was made into a pond for women to bathe in. It was honored by the people of the Qing Dynasty as "the best place for the body", and a "holy land for cultivating the body".

Badaling National Forest Park is located at an altitude slightly higher than other Beijing attractions and is well known for the red leaf festival that takes place annually. The duration of the Red Leaf Festival at Badaling Forest Park is usually about 2 weeks long. The best time for joining the festival is from September 28 to the October 25.

In the past, favorable weather has permitted up to 8,000 visitors each day admitted to the parkl, 30 percent more than that of the same period last year. Badaling Forest Park is a very suitable destination for weekend getaways or for vacations at any time of the year, except the winter. The park will be closed during the winter season for security purposes. If you plan to enjoy the Beijing tours in the winter, it is very unfortunate that you cannot enjoy the breathtaking scenery that can be found within the park. If you have the chance to visit Beijing during the summer, then you should consider Badaling Forest Park as a gateway that connects you to nature.

Featured Attractions: Red Leaves Scenic Area is a unique area for the purpose of enjoying the the park’s highlight--its red leaves--in an area of about one thousand mu which boasts about 50,000 red leaf trees. The best time to visit the area is from late September to early November, especially in October when the red leaves are at their most vivid state. Red leaves in the area have three characteristics. First of all, the area boasts the most gorgeous red leaves, due to the relatively low temperatures and the large temperature differences between day and night, favoring of pigmentation. Additionally, the clean and uncontaminated air contributes to the red leaves’ healthy growth. Secondly, the red leaves turn red very early, about half a month earlier than those downtown, in fact. Thirdly, the area boasts an original ecological rural landscape. Fourthly, visitors can get close to red leaves and inspect them closely rather than appreciating them from a distance.

Guyaju Scenic Area (Ancient Cliff Side Residence) is located about 20 kilometers to the northwestern side of Badaling Great Wall. Similar to Badaling Great Wall, Guyaju also plays a very important role as a site of mysterious cultural heritage of the ancients and is known as an unsolved mystery throughout the nation. Guyaju is considered the largest cliff side residence that has ever been discovered in China.

It is really amazing that 147 man-made hollowed stone rooms are found along the 10 meter-wide cliff, covering an area of reaching 100,000 square meters. The size of the rooms are not uniform and come in different shapes. Amongst them all, the largest one is a two-story room with side rooms attached. Some researchers believe that it would be the meeting hall for the owners of this huge cliff side residence. Moreover, all these stone residences are fully equipped with doors, windows, stone beds, stone shelves and cooking areas.

After a few years of development, Guyaju Scenic Area is now a modern tourist attraction which is able to provide multiple services such as residences, restaurant, travel and entertainment for each and every visitor. With the convenience of tourists in mind, walkways with safety handrails have been made as well as barrier-free access for handicapped visitors. Guyaju is now ready to receive more and more tourists each day.

Featured Attractions: The origin of Guyaju is still a mystery even to this day. No one knows who, how and when it was built. However, its unique construction techniques have become one of the most significant sources of evidence for mythical achievements in ancient architecture. The most unique point of these 147 stone residences is the multiple-story structures without any usage of pillars. Moreover, there are no staircases or wooden structures but there are many layers of floors that inter-connected with one another.