The Yinshan Pagoda Forest Scenic Area is situated in the southwest of Haizi Village, Changping District, and is 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Ming Tombs. Featured by beautiful natural landscapes and a forest of pagodas, this intriguing scenic area lures visitors from both home and abroad.

In winter, the Yinshan Mountain (Silver Mountain), with three steep peaks and black cliffs, shows her special charms in the snow. The cliffs, composed of black granite, look like iron walls and contrast sharply with the snow covered mountain. The mountain is also known as the 'Iron-wall Silver Mountain' because of these natural features. Pine, oak and cypress trees grow all over this amazing mountain, and the combination of these colorful trees blankets the mountain, creating a spectacular array of colors.

Excavated from the graves are a large number of precious mortuary objects, including chaises, stone axes, bone arrows, bronzes, pottery, jade, stone and carnelian. Jin Tripod, the biggest of all the bronzes found in Beijing is also presented here. These priceless treasures altogether demonstrate the extraordinary creativity of the ancient Chinese people and record the contribution they made toward the progress of human history.

Admission Fee:
Free
Opening Hours:
09:00-15:30
Closed on Mondays
Bus Route:
917 Zhi (917 支) (Tianqiao Long Distance Bus Station-Hancunhe) (天桥长途汽车站-韩村河), and get off at Shangzhou Yizhi (商周遗址), then you could arrive at the Museum of West Zhou Yandu Relics (西周燕都遗址博物馆).

The Museum of West Zhou Yandu Relics is built to the east wall of the site of the West Zhou Yandu Relics, covering an area of 1.8 hectares (4.4 acres). The main color of this traditional Chinese building is reddish-brown, standing for the aesthetic awareness of the Western Zhou people. The walls of the four sides are, without exception, as white as moonlight. This kind of coordination of color makes the museum a serious and magnificent, holy place. In front of this museum stands a huge screen wall with a marble surface, at each side of which are two pavilions.

The main theme of the display in this museum is the splendid culture of ancient Beijing. The museum comprises four units: seven exhibition halls, cultural relics' storerooms, two groups of Yandu graves preserved as original as possible, along with two pits of chariots and horses where the slaves were buried alive, along with the dead. Displayed in the exhibition halls are bronze sacrificial vessels, wine sets, and weapons. Pottery, jade, and lacquer are also on show. These exhibits mainly introduce this ancient city to the visitor and display the cultural relics excavated from the graves of the Western Zhou nobles.

Should visitors desire to know the initial history of Beijing, they won't want to miss visiting the Museum of West Zhou Yandu Relics. 'Yandu' is an old name for Beijing in the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-771 BC). The discovery of the West Zhou Yandu Relics marks a silent but brilliant history of Beijing serving as an important city in China for over 3,000 years. Being celebrated as the Origin of Beijing, the site of West Zhou Yandu Relics is situated at Dongjialin County in Fangshan District. It is about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) distance from downtown Beijing. In addition, this museum is a professional archaeological one, combining both cultural relics and antiquities in China.

The best time to come here is round about April 5 every year. Many special activities take place, like the Magnolia Festival held in April, and enjoying the full moon on Mid-autumn Day (August 15 of Chinese lunar calendar). There are performances of Chinese zheng (a zither with 16-26 movable strings) on Saturdays and Sundays.

Admission Fee:
CNY 20
April 1-October 31
CNY 10
November 1-March 31
Opening Hours:
08:00-17:00
Bus Route:
Take 903 from Yiheyuan (Summer Palace, 颐和园), and get off at Dajuesi (Dajue Temple, 大觉寺), half-hourly interval

The great sites of Dajue Temple also include a clear pool, and some ancient trees. The pool is an ideal place for enjoying the glorious full moon. About 160 ancient trees are planted here, including an over-900-year ginkgo tree, and a 300-year old magnolia. With a height of 25 meters (82 feet), the big ginkgo tree is named as 'the King of ginkgo trees'. The attractive magnolia begins to bloom in April and lasts for about one week. During those days, the temple is perfumed with the fragrance of the flower. With her sweet smell, pretty petals and graceful manner, she wins a good reputation for the temple. The ceaseless spring water is clear, sweet and ice-cold. Even in midsummer, the water chills one to the bone.

Dajue Temple (Temple of Enlightenment), a historical monument, is situated in Haidian District of Beijing. With a long history of nearly 950 years, it has many precious historical sites. 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 is there, including a gate, a bell tower, a drum tower, the Hall of Heavenly King, the Grand Hall and other subsidiary halls. The building complex is magnificent, simple, and well-knitted. It is famous owing to its cultural and historical atmosphere. One famous landmark is a stone tablet. Set up in 1068 during the Liao Dynasty (916-1125), the stone tablet records the history of Beijing and the construction of the temple. Another is the well-preserved figures of Buddha in the halls. They are outstanding works of art, with beautiful and lively appearances. Besides, many inscriptions and tablets made by Ming and Qing emperors are kept here, serving as testimonies to the rise and fall of the temple. A stupa embraced by a pine tree and a cypress, was built in 1747, and is the summit of the temple.

The village belongs to the Qingshui River Valley, thus, the grass is lush and trees are luxuriant. Walking in the village, visitors will feel they have entered an ideal world. It is also a natural place to make films and TV plays. The farmers of Cuandixia Village keep in step with the times and they exploit the idea of folk-custom tourism to welcome tourists home and abroad. At evening, there are varied amusements, such as outdoor movies and campfire parties.

Admission Fee:
CNY 40
Bus Route:
About 150 meters west of Pingguoyuan Subway Station (地铁苹果园西), take Bus No.929 Zhi (929 支) to Cuandixiacun Lukou (爨底下村路口) at 7:30, or 12:40, then you could arrive at the Cuandixia Village (爨底下村).

Until now, only the Han family lived here. It is said that the ancestors of the village migrated from Shanxi Province during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. The character 'cuan' has the meaning of a stove and the villagers named it 'cuandixia' with the implication being, of a shelter to keep away the severe cold as well as the scourge of war. In the Qing Dynasty, it was a distributing center for businessmen and goods, so it was very prosperous during that time. Moreover, on the walls, remain the maxims of managing family, inscriptions of the Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as the slogans of Anti-Japanese War period.

Cuandixia Village is located in Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, about 90 kilometers (31.3 miles) from downtown Beijing. It has a history of about 400 years and preserves more than 70 courtyards with approximately 500 rooms which were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). This ancient mountain village, the best preserved in China, covers an area of about 10,000 square meters (2.5 acres) and is renowned as the 'Potala Palace' of the Beijing area.

The village, surrounded by mountains, stands on the northern gentle slope of the hills and, having being built in harmony with the terrain of the mountains, and it looks like a castle or a mountain city. A winding and rugged lane built from many oddly-shaped stones, winds its way from east to west and divides the village into two groups. There are mainly quadrangle dwellings and a few courtyards with houses on three sides. The houses, which are in good order, have delicate gate piers as well as distinctive screen walls and, along with the stone, wood and brick carvings, reflect our ancient Chinese culture.