Dajue Temple is located at the foot of Yantai Hill in the western suburbs of Beijing. With a long history of nearly 950 years, it has many precious historical features. Standing at the foot of mountains, the scenery here is perfectly charming with ancient trees, ceaseless water, and a tranquil and serene environment. The temple itself is appealing to those who are interested in Buddhism. A set of Buddhist buildings are featured, including a gate, a bell tower, a drum tower, the Hall of Heavenly King, the Grand Hall and other subsidiary halls.

Features: The principal structures in the temple are the Maitreya (Future Buddha) Hall, the main hall, the rear hall, the northern and southern courtyards and, at the very rear of the complex, a peaceful courtyard. The roof brackets and columns of the halls date from the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). A mountain spring flows by the Qiyun (Restful Clouds) Pavilion’s rear courtyard. Near the spring there is a stupa which stands at the highest point in the temple complex. Inside the temple is a Liao Dynasty (916-1125) stela on which it is recorded that, more than 1,000 years ago, the temple was named ‘Clear Stream Court’ after the nearby springs. Although the carving is blurred and the stela itself broken into two pieces, most of the inscription remains legible.

There are a number of interesting sights in the immediate vicinity. They include Vulture Peak; the tomb of a Qing prince; Yang Family Garden and Lotus Temple and the Temple of Universal Grace. All are accessible by mountain roads. Minghui Tea House is located in the temple and offers a tea service with Taoist features. Dajue Temple is best known for its Yulan trees, planted almost 300 years ago. The finest being the magnolias. It is said that a monk brought two of the specimens found in the southern courtyard from Sichuan during the Qianlong era, and one of them survives today. Another magnolia in the northern courtyard was transplanted about 100 years ago, and grows alongside a ginkgo tree. The ancient tree usually blossoms around the April 5 every year, during the traditional Chinese Everbright Festival.

Take Bus No. 346 at Beigongmen to Zhoujiaxiang and walk for 15 minutes or take Bus No. 633 at Qinghe Xiaoying to Dajue Temple.

The Imperial Temple of Emperors of Successive Dynasties was built 470 years ago in 1530, or the 9th year of Emperor Jiajing’s reign in the Ming Dynasty. It was the only imperial temple in the Ming and Qing dynasties for worshiping the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, distinguished emperors, ministers, and generals of China in successive dynasties. As time passed by, more and more honored persons were enshrined there. During Emperor Qianlong’s reign in the Qing Dynasty, Jingde Chongsheng Hall housed tablets of 188 emperors, and the east and west wing halls housed those of 79 ministers and generals. Guandi Temple was built to worship Guan Yu, a hero of the Three Kingdoms period. By then the temple had housed the greatest number of tablets in the country. The fact that great leaders of all dynasties were enshrined in this temple implies the important trait of continuity within Chinese civilization. After the Republic of China was founded, the temple was converted for non-sacrificial uses. It was renamed No. 3 Girls High School of Beijing. In 1972, it was merged into No. 159 High School of Beijing. In 2000, government bodies at various levels began to finance a three-year renovation. It was officially opened to the public in April 2004.

Features: The temple covers an area of 21,500 square meters, of which 6,000 square meters are covered by ancient buildings. The whole complex faces the south. The main buildings include the screen wall, the gate of the temple, Jingde Gate, and Jingde Chongsheng Hall, the warehouse of ritual vessels situated along its central axis. These are flanked by the east and west wing halls, the stele pavilions, the sacrificial burners, and the bell tower. In the southeast are the bell tower, the Divine kitchen, the Divine Depot, the Slaughter Pavilion, and the Well Pavilion; in the southwest are the Music Official Rooms, the Guard Official Rooms, the Fasting Rooms, and the Guandi Temple, a temple within a temple.

With a majestic layout, the complex is a classic example of Chinese traditional architecture. Jingde Chongsheng Hall, the main hall, has been refurnished the way it was in Emperor Qianlong’s reign. Prominently displayed in its center are the spiritual tablets of the Three Sovereigns: Fuxi, Emperor Yan, Emperor Huangdi, and the Five Emperors: Shaohao, Zhuanxu, Diku, Tangyao, and Yushun. They are flanked by those of the emperors of successive dynasties. Visitors may feel the solemnity and sense of worship in the hall. In the east wing hall is an exhibition on the historical evolution of the temple; in the west wing hall, an exhibition of the major worshiped figures. These two may help visitors learn more about the temple and the founding, development and consummation of the sacrificial system. Held in the Divine Depot is the exhibition on Family Names and the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, showing how the 100 major Chinese family names originated from the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors on how they evolved, and stories of emperors of successive dynasties. This may help visitors learn more about the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors who were the common ancestors of Chinese people. Held in the Guandi Temple is the Guan Yu Cultural Exhibition on the life of Guan Yu, Guan Yu’s Tomb in Dangyang, the Cemetery of Guan Yu in Luoyang, and Guandi Temple in Xiezhou. The exhibition tells the story of how his body lies in Dangyang, his head rests in Luoyang, his soul is back in his hometown, and his statue is worshipped in Temples. It tells of “A Life of Heroic Tragedy, A Sage of Eternal Sanctity”.

Take Bus No. 7, 47, 101, 102, 103, 202, 211, 409, 603, 604, 612, 614, 619, 623, 685 to Baitasi Station.

Situated at 46 North Rive Street in the Houhai Lake area of the Xicheng District, the Former Residence of Soong Ching Ling was once a garden of one of the Qing Dynasty princes' mansions. The area along the banks of Houhai Lake is quiet and beautiful, with shady willow trees lining the streets. Water from Houhai Lake has been diverted through an underground channel into a stream that winds its way through the garden. This lovely Beijing garden is elegantly laid out with rocks and ponds set off by pines, cypresses and flowers. Winding corridors link traditional-style halls and pavilions in the garden. The tasteful layout gives the garden an atmosphere of elegant antiquity.

Originally, the grounds of the mansion contained numerous buildings: the front hall, named Happiness on the Hao River Bridge, after a story from Zhuang Zi; the Pavilion for Listening to the Orioles; and the eastern hall, called the Hall for Gazing at Flowers. Linked to the South Building by a winding corridor was the Waves of Kindness Pavilion. Exquisite large rockeries are dotted with structures such as the Fan Pavilion and the Room for Listening to the Rain. Ponds, fine rocks, shady trees, flowers and lawns all add to the enchantment of the garden. But over the years the whole garden fell into disrepair.

After the founding of New China in 1949, the Party and government made plans to build a residence for Soong Ching Ling in Beijing, and decided to renovate one of the princes' gardens for the purpose. New buildings were constructed to the west of the mansion's main hall to create a quiet, secluded courtyard as it stands today. Soong Ching Ling moved into the mansion in 1963 and worked, studied and lived here until she passed away on May 29, 1981.

Features:

A short way inside the main gate is a grape arbor, and nearby in a flowerbed stands a wooden tablet carved with a brief introduction to the history of the mansion. Walking northeast from the grape arbor, one comes to the exhibition halls. The auxiliary exhibition hall served as a guest room where Soong Ching Ling received guests from around China.

The first exhibition hall is divided into eight sections, each representing a period of Soong Ching Ling's life. The exhibits include large numbers of photographs, documents and objects of interest depicting her childhood and student days, her marriage to Sun Yat-Sen, her participation in political activities, the organization of the Association to Safeguard the Rights of the Chinese People and her support of the advocates of resistance to the Japanese invasion. Also on display is a quotation of Soong Ching Ling's most famous sayings, taken from her essay "Sun Yat-Sen and His Cooperation with the Communist Party of China." "Sun Yat-Sen's 40 years of political struggle for the Chinese nation and people reached their peak in the last years of his life. The high point of his development came with his decision to cooperate with the Communist Party of China and work for the Chinese revolution."

The second exhibition hall is divided into seven sections with the following titles: Invitation to Come to the North; One of the Founders of New China; Close Comrade-in-Arms of the Party, Beloved Leader of the People; Pioneer in Safeguarding Peace Envoy of the Chinese people; Study; Life and Work; Great Communist Fight; and the Grief of a Nation, the Sorrow of the World. The third exhibition hall is the Children's Hall, reflecting Soong Ching Ling's great affection and concern for the youth of China. She once said: "Children are our future, our hope; they are our country's most valuable asset." Included in the exhibition is a painting of a basket of longevity peaches, presented to Soong Ching Ling with the affection that the children of New China feel for her.

Map

Take Bus No. 5, 27, 44, 55, 83, 305, 315, 380, 409, 625, 635, 909, 919, 949 to Deshengmen station; take Subway Line 2 to Jishuitan station B exit and go towards the east to Binhai Hutong, Denei Street.

Beijing Xinhuyuan Sightseeing Garden is located in Doudian Town, Fangshan District and is 39 kilometers away from downtown Beijing. It covers almost 580 Mu and is an attractive and featured comprehensive ecological garden, sightseeing garden, vacation and meeting center, entertainment center and fitness center.

The garden is divided into six parts: sightseeing greenhouse, featured planting zone, featured aquiculture zone, folk sightseeing zone, entertainment zone and zoological service zone. It is devoted to helping make a better living environment for cities by creating a greenbelt, sightseeing farm, and educational gardens. It is a place for citizens to experience the joy of ploughing and harvesting, and for youth to know more about the ploughing culture.

Features: Xinhuyuan restaurant is located in the zoological sightseeing zone and it covers 3,500 square meters. 1,500 people can have dinner at the same time in the restaurant. The layout and theme of the restaurant is based on the simplicity of old Beijing and elegant da zha yuan. There are bridges, corridors and rivers in the restaurant and it is just like sitting outside on a mountain, which feels very cool. There is also a zoological hotel in the garden, which covers 5,600 square meters. 14 farmyards are also established in the east. More than 500 people can have meetings and rest there.

Lotus Mountain Forest Park is 65 kilometers from central Beijing and it is a good place to visit, for the scenery in the park is very beautiful and its air quality is also excellent. Due to this reason, many tourists like coming here for a good day trip. The main peak of Lotus Mountain Forest Park is high with an elevation of 1,005 meters; the other peaks have an elevation of 600 to 700 meters.

This scenic area covers an area of 9.75 square kilometers and the vegetation coverage is more than 80%. The park is close to the famous Longqing Gorge Scenic Area and visitors to Longqing Gorge only need to spend about 30 minutes travelling from the position of the Longqing Gorge to the Lotus Mountain Forest Park.

The park enjoys excellent natural scenery and it is convenient to access, attracting a great number of tourists to visit after they have visited Longqing Gorge in Yanqing District. The mountain stones of the Lotus Mountain are all pink in color and resemble lotuses, Lotus Mountain’s namesake. In addition, the park is a city-class protected zone. So, if you are going to travel in Beijing, the park is a good place for you to visit during your tour.

Take Bus No. 919 from Deshengmen to Nancaiyuan Station, then transfer to Bus No. 920 to Dazhuangke Township, and take a taxi or minibus to Lotus Mountain Forest Park

The Nine Holes Tower Natural Scenic Spot is located at the main peak of the volcanic land area, 9 kilometers Southeast of Sihai Town in Beijing. The Nine Holes Tower is the largest scale construction and the highest specification watchtower of the Great Wall. The scenic spot is enveloped in high mountains and deep valleys, lush vegetation, tranquil surroundings and spectacular scenery.

The Nine Holes Tower features a two-story cube-shaped construction, whose name is given based on the nine loop holes on either side. West of downstairs is a small platform which was once used by soldiers for gatherings. The steps to the north of the platform lead to the south gate of the tower. There are 24 stone inscriptions in the Nine Holes Tower. Several of them are poems expressing the heroic mind of the author. It bears a special history as a unique landmark that causes numerous people to take the time to write poems and essays about the watchtower. Ancient strategists and poets, once deeply in love with the watchtower, also showed the different levels of the Nine Holes Tower from the other side. It is worth a visit with a few friends on an early Sunday Morning.

Take Bus No. 919 from Deshengmen to Nancaiyuan Station, then transfer to Bus No. 925 Branch 1 to Sihai Town Government, and take a minibus to Nine Holes Tower Natural 

The origin of Shengquan’s name comes from a sacred spring which has been flowing for thousands of years. The spring comes from a national forest garden named Wuling Mountain that is hundreds of miles away. Pure and sweet, it functions by removing toxins for eliminating carbuncles and improving eyesight.

The scenic area is thought to be mysterious. Seen from Hushan, Shengqquan Qinshui Gulf looks like an old magical tortoise that is praying for people here to have a long healthy life and good fortune. For tourists who love to ascend a high land to enjoy a distant view, on the main peak of Hushan, which is 755.8 meters high, both the stretching and undulating mountains in the south and dazzling nightlights of Chang’an Avenue in the west can be seen in the distance.

At the foot of the mountain, in the noted folk customs tourism village of Beijing, 18 households that can accommodate 500 beds and over 1,000 dining seats in total are an ideal accommodation for tired visitors.

Features: Underneath the spring not far from Shengquan Hut, a green stone said to have been left by Goddess Nvwa can be found. Two Chinese characters "Shi Ma" still exist on the stone. Most of the devout men and women, after worshipping the Shengquan Hut, bring their kids to burn incense sticks, pay a courtesy call and recognize the green stone as the children’s godmother. Allegedly through this practice, the kids can grow up without any trouble. From June to October visitors may pick Shengquan peaches. Delicious “Jianbing” (thin pancake made of millet flour) also awaits your enjoyment.

Take Bus No. 918 at Dongzhimen bus station and get off at Changguanlou in Pinggu, then transfer to Bus No. 22 and get off at Quanshuiyu

Shuanglongshan Forest Park is located to the northwest of the Ming Tombs in Changping district of Beijing, about 55 kilometers from downtown. It covers an area of 200 hectares and stretches about four kilometers. With its main peak at 988 meters high, the average temperature in the area at summer time is 7-9 degrees Celsius lower than that of urban areas. The park has a dense forest, with vegetation coverage of about 95 percent. Exotic flowers and rare herbs, steep peaks and grotesque rocks, as well as relics of the ancient city walls all serve to add to the charm of the place. Perhaps the most attractive feature is the wild fruits that grow everywhere in the mountain. The hillside is covered by fruit trees of more than 10 kinds including cherries, apricots, plums, hawthorns and apples. Tourists have the chance to taste all kinds of fresh fruit by just  raising their hands, as there are over ten thousand fruit trees spread over the hill and dale; hence the park is regarded as a paradise for fruit picking. It's truly an ideal place for sightseeing, vacationing, and getting in touch with nature.

Featured Attractions: Training bases, including a Youngsters’ Popular Science Education Base, a Green-Action Tree-Planting Base, a Garden of Picking and Growing, and Folk Customs Village were all built in succession near the area for everyone’s benefit. A youngster’s education will overflow with such wonderful courses, training children in things like survival in the wildness, environmental protection, popular science, as well as other tourist activities such as experiencing other simple folk customs, planting trees, and picking flowers.

Bus No. 345, 345 Express, 845, or 919 to Changping, Transfer to Bus No. 5.

Tiger Valley Nature Reserve is a national level scenic spot that was opened to the public in 1987, integrating both natural scenery and landscaping. Located in the Nankou Township of Changping District and at the northern end of the Badaling Expressway, it has an area of 94 km² and stretches for 12.5 kilometers, very close to Juyong Pass. One can access the site by bus.. 

With mountains, valleys and streams, this scenic spot has 36 interesting features, including Tongtian Pool, Mount Huyu, Tianqiao Cave, Huyu Falls, Quer Cave, and more. Huyu Falls is one of the ancient “eight greatest scenic spots of Beijing.” The 30-meter high falls above the Tongtian Pool plunge into the deep pond and the roaring sound together with the echoes can be heard from distances far, far away. White clouds gather in front of the Quer Cave, and the wind is strong at the mouth of the cave.

When one enters the cave, it feels as if a fairy is trying to push you back. The cave is deep and fog always flows out of it on rainy days. The nine pools connected by nine falls are extremely beautiful and rare. The man-made landscapes include Hundred-Fairy Cave as well as Luck Palace, Xuanyuan Ancestral Temple, Mazu Ancestral Temple, Guangong Ancestral Temple, Zhaogong Ancestral Temple, Huiyuan Palace, Puguang Palace, Jiuru Palace, Liuhe Palace, Xianning Palace, Desheng Palace, Yuanjue Palace, and Taixu Palace. There are 128 statues including those of Sakyamuni, Laozi, Mazu, Guangong, and many others. The statue of “dripping Guanyin” is in a cave 70 meters high. There is also the scenic sight known as the “Primitive World” inside the Hundred-Fairy Cave.

Yan Capital Museum of the Western Zhou Dynasty is located at Liulihe Shang, which is a national key cultural heritage protection site. After more than 20 years of excavation, which started in the 1960s, when the city site had been discovered and the tombs of the Yan nobles uncovered. Over 1,000 cultural relics, replicas, materials, models, tombs and horse carriage tunnels give a systemic and vivid introduction to the range, pattern and panorama of the ancient Yan Capital. The glorious culture and advanced civilization of the Yan Kingdom have been retraced.

The main cultural relics displayed here include: two sets of tombs preserved in their original locations, several chariot pits where slaves were buried alive; some bronze ware artifacts unearthed from the tombs of Yan nobles, of which the violet tripod caldron (the largest one of all bronze wares) and Boju caldron are the most important; lacquerware such as the Gu (type of goblet) and the Dou (type of standing cup), the only ones of the early Western Zhou period which could be restored to their original condition; and a lot of exquisite pottery, jades, stone and agate vessels. These rare art treasures represent the creative abilities of the ancient Chinese people and their significant contributions to world civilization.

Featured Attractions:

The most attractive exhibits are the well preserved tombs and horse carriage tunnels. Their original looks are presented before the visitors’ eyes through high-tech means. You will see what the earliest city built in Beijing looks like and know the vicissitudes of a famous ancient city within Beijing.

Bus No. 922 at Qianmen to Liangxiang, and transfer to Bus No. 917.