Have you ever felt like the entire city is weighing on your shoulders? Or that the pressures of life are just getting too much? Well maybe the answer is to escape to the easily reachable, nearby suburbs of Changping just outside central Beijing and find a little slice of pampering in the hot springs of Tianlong Yuan (天龙源).

Tianlong Yuan means “source of the Heavenly Dragon” and the source of thermal vents that feed these hot springs feel like they are warmed from the center of the earth by the heavenly dragon itself. There is a 600 square meters shower and sauna room and an over 900 square meter bathing area.

The main hall is designed in an arch shape and, upon entering your attention will be drawn to the huge stone 'Lotus Pool' in the center. Around the edge are smaller pools with varying temperatures. The water is a mixture of cooler water from the surrounding mountains and heated water from thermal vents beneath the ground. You have the choice of taking a dip in the main swimming pool or relax in one of the many smaller thermal pools available both indoors and outdoors. They even have their own hot springs herbalist on hand to assist with the use of the Chinese medicine pools.

The experts will give you advice on how make the most of the different temperatures and herbal treatments according to your individual condition. However, the best reason to visit Tianlong Yuan is for the wave machine! Beijingers call this place the Beidaihe among the mountains of Yan (an ancient name for Beijing), and with great lighting, realistic waves and no rubbish floating around such as at the real Beidaihe, this is the perfect alternative to the Hebei seaside resort (not to mention quite a bit closer) located just outside the 6th Ring Road. For visitors who stay into the night, there is a live performance at night. However, the absolute highlight of the evening has to be a huge European style water cinema screen. The live shows and cinema viewings start from 8pm.

China Aviation Museum is about 40 miles north of Beijing and located at the foot of fascinating Xiao Tang Hill in Changping District. On November 11, 1989, it was opened to the public in the 40th Anniversary year of the Founding of Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. On April, 1991, the air force official ratified its name as the "Air Force Aviation Museum".

In the foreign exchanges, it is called as the China Aviation Museum. The museum was founded on part of an airbase; the runways are a mile distance and are connected to the museum by a long taxiway, which is also used as access for the traffic. Next to the museum, the taxiway continues up a hill. On the hill is a large U-shaped tunnel, which during the operational days of this part of the airbase undoubtedly sheltered numerous aircrafts. Nearby the taxiway, there are some aprons and a hangar, so there is room for many, many aircraft, mostly military but also some civil ones.

The museum is divided into three large exhibition areas: Cavern Exhibition Hall, Open-air Exhibition Area, and Integrated Hall.

Cavern Exhibition Hall: The Cavern Exhibition Hall is situated to the south of the mark with an area of 20,000 square meters (5 acres). In this hall the exhibits range from ancient manned flight inventions to modern high-speed high-altitude fighter planes, which form a magnificent illustration of its development history. These exhibits are placed on two sides in chronological order. The right side not only exhibits aircraft which are famous in Chinese aviation history, such as Fengru II, Leshiwen I and Lienin, but also displays a variety of models of aircraft manufactured by the former Soviet Union, the United States, France, Japan, Canada, Czech Republic, such as Japanese 99 advanced trainer aircraft, Soviet-built Wave -2, La -9, La-11, Yak -17, American-made P-51, L-5 aircraft. The left side is a series of modern aircrafts produced by China. The rear of the hall exhibits radar, missiles, artilleries, etc.

Open-air Exhibition Area: As you walk to the north from the mark, you cannot miss the Open-air Exhibition Area. The Hero Avenue runs through the Open-air Exhibition Area, which divides the area into two parts. There is an artificial lake on the left of the Hero Avenue. On the southern side of the lake planes which were used specially by great people are displayed, while on the northern side of the lake, bombers and special types of aircraft are displayed. The right side of the Hero Avenue exhibits fighter planes, cargo-transport planes, surface to air missiles, antiaircraft artillery, radar and helicopters.

Integrated Hall: All the way down to the Hero Avenue, a sword sculpture comes into view. Behind the sculpture lies the Integrated Hall. In this hall it displays 28 practicalities of aircraft, over 550 models of various aircraft, missiles, antiaircraft artillery, radar etc. More than 200 pieces of small cultural relics, 20 audio and video demo tablets, 12 sand table scenes and 1850 pictures and photos can be seen. On the west side of the Integrated Hall lays a CS field camp, where you can have an unforgettable experience.

At present, the aviation museum has collected more than 200 airplanes with types exceeding 100, and weapon and equipped samples like ground-air missile, high cannon, radar, aviation bomb and aviation cameras. Among which, lots of them are precious cultural relics of the country as well as are world aviation treasure works.

Located 30 kilometers north of Changping District proper, the Yinshan Pagoda Forest is a site of cultural heritage listed by the State Council for key protection at the national level and an important component part of the Badaling-Ming Tombs Protection Zone of Scenic Spots and Historic Sites.

The Yinshan Mountains got its name from the snow and ice covering it in winter. It is also known as the Iron-wall Silver Hills because of its iron-looking precipices. It was known as one of the eight most beautiful scenic spots in Beijing during the Ming and the Qing dynasties. The mountains have three peaks thrusting into the clouds. Of the three, the middle peak outstands the other two with an altitude of 726.81 meters above the sea level.

In the Tang Dynasty, some temples including the Huayan Temple were built here. During the years of the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty (806-820 A.D.), Deng Yinfeng, a famous monk, practiced Buddhism here. During the years of the reign of Emperor Shouchang of the Liao Dynasty (1095-1101 A.D.), Man Gong, a Zen master, created the Temple of Precious Rock here. Later, three other Zen masters came here to practice and preach Buddhism. During the years of the reign of Emperor Tianhui of the Jin Dynasty (1123-1135 A.D.), Hai Hui (~1145 A.D.), a reputed monk of the Yunmen Sect, came and settled down here. In the third year of the reign of Emperor Tianhui, he expanded the temple into a complex of halls arranged in three rows and named it the Great Temple of Perpetual Holiness. Later, five multi-eave brick pagodas were built between the vermilion steps of the halls to hold the sariraof reputed monks of the Jin Dynasty.

In order to enrich the tourist items here, the Ming Tombs Special Zone Administration has been investing nearly RMB 1 million per year since 1998 to build a number of projects here, including a path leading to the top of the middle peak, a sightseeing platform, a lake and a restaurant. The Yinshan Pagoda Forest has now been listed by the China National Tourism Administration as a 4-A scenic spot and passed ISO9001 and ISO4001 certification for quality and environment management. The Yinshan Pagoda Forest will greet tourists from both home and aboard with high-quality services and heartfelt warmth.

The original name of Shenglianshan scenic area was Shengmishitang, and it is one of Beijing's top eight scenic attractions. Atop of the hill, there are several attraction sites, including the well-known Taoist temple, the Pantao Palace, the Buddhist temple--the Shengquan Temple, and villas. Spring water from the naturally formed karst cave--the Shengshui Cave--never ceases to gush out all year round. Half way up the cliff and slope, there is a four-meter-high statue called the Shengmu Statue, which is still well-preserved after some 100 years. Shenglian Mountain is 930 meters above sea level, and is a tourist and sightseeing attraction with both historical and cultural heritages and natural landscapes.

Think of it as the Stratford-upon-Avon of China. Cao Xueqin wrote the fourth and final of China's four classic novels, Dream of the Red Chamber, also occasionally translated as A Dream of Red Mansions or Story of the Stone. Cao was born into a Manchurian noble family (although the family was ethnically Han) that over time fell into decline. In his novel, Cao traces the amorous adventures of Jia Baoyu and his two love interests, Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai. Over the course of the novel, the Jia family suffers a similar fate as Cao's. An entire sub-school of Chinese literature, dubbed "Redology," picks apart the text and its various inconsistencies in the same way that Shakespearean works are constantly read, analyzed and dissected.

Cao was originally from Nanjing but settled in Beijing after his family's decline. The house is neither red nor a mansion. For one interpretation of the novel's courtyards, visit Grand View Garden in Xuanwu District.

Yunju Temple is a famous ancient Buddhist temple located among the high mountain ridges in the suburbs of Beijing. The temple was first built in the Sui Dynasty (581-618) by the eminent monk Jingwan from the Zhiquan Temple in Youzhou. At that time, there were a lot of monks and Buddhists in the temple, and all the halls were very magnificent and imposing with the forest of stone dagobas, making the temple very famous at that time.

Originally all the halls were arranged in six courtyards with the middle, south and north routes. On the middle route stood the main hall of the temple, and on the south and north routes, the guesthouses and the temporary residence courtyards. Two towers of the Liao Dynasty (916-1125) stood by the side of the temple. During the Anti-Japanese War in modern time, the whole temple was destroyed except the North Tower of the Liao Dynasty and four towers built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

Featured Attraction: The North Tower, also called the Arhat Pagoda, is a brick dagoba of Buddhist relics built in the Liao Dynasty. Its construction started during the Tianqing reign (1111-1120) of the Liao Dynasty. The body of the dagoba combined three different architectural forms and formed a very unique shape. The bottom of the pagoda is an octagonal pedestal, on which sits a two-story brick pavilion-styled pagoda. All the four Tang pagodas are marked with the specific time of construction. The plane layout of the pagoda is a square of 7 layers. The body of the pagoda is carved with various Buddhist images, among which is the image of a foreign donator with deep eyes and high nose carved on the interior wall of the stone pagoda built in the 15th year (727) of the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty. The clothing of the carving is quite brilliant with smooth strokes, reflecting the booming cultural exchange with foreign countries during the most prosperous Tang Dynasty.

The Nine Stone-Carved Sutra storage caves are located on the sutra hill to the northeast of the temple, where hide 4,195 pieces of scripture stone carvings carved during the Sui and Tang dynasties (581-907) and at the end of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Among them, the most famous one -- the Leiyin Cave -- houses four stone columns, each of which has several hundred basso-relievo small josses, and the josses on the four columns total over one thousand, so they are also called as thousand Buddha columns. 146 flagstones with scriptures carved by the eminent monk Jingwan of the Sui Dynasty, who built the Yunju Temple, are kept in the cave and all of them are mounted on the walls of the cave.

Besides the nine caves, another sutra-storage cave was found in 1956 near the south pagoda, and 10,082 flagstones carved with 3,400 volumes of scriptures were excavated, making it the biggest extant storage place for stone-carved Buddhist Sutras in China. Since the stone-carved Sutras are original and have very few errors, they are very important and valuable for correcting errors in other editions. They are also very precious materials for the research into the history of Chinese Buddhism, arts, and architecture as well as the social politics, economics, culture and folk customs.

Beijing Jie Tai Temple includes Sanxian Hall, Qinafo Hall and Jiuxian Hall. Surrounding these halls are rock formations and ancient ornaments and trees. The most common species are cypress, pine and Japanese pagoda trees. The temple also has a 250-year old lilac bush. Another famous tree is Nine Dragon that looks like a flying dragon as its nine branches twist upwards. Other trees that surround Jietai Temple have been given unique names like Leisure Pine or Zi Zan, Sleeping Dragon or Wo Long, and Embracing Pagoda or Bao Ta. A mysterious tree called Trembling Pine or Hou Dong is said to tremble when only one branch is touched. These ancient trees are top attractions for both domestic and foreign tourists. These trees actually made the temple very popular. These old trees are considered to be protectors of Buddhism. There is a total of 88 national ancient trees preserved all over the temple.

At the Ordination Altar there is a three-story wooden altar in the main hall. There are steps connecting the lower and the upper sections. The finely carved image of Buddha that measures a little less than one hundred feet in height covers a wall in the compound’s northwest section where the Hall of a Thousand Buddhas stands. Visitors can also find a Jin Dynasty stela and a Liao Dynasty stupa. Additionally, there are many stone pillars carved with Buddhist sutra texts that are preserved in almost perfect condition. Ceremonies are conducted at the ordination altar to commemorate the ascension of devotees to monkhood.

Jietai Temple Religious Activities: Lucky tourists can witness religious activities at the temple that are usually held the first and 15th day of every month in the lunar calendar. They call these religious activities Buddhist Days. This has been permitted by the government since 1997.

Outside Jietai Temple: On the other hand, people who are not fond of temples may simply enjoy the beauty of Jietai Temple from the outside. There are abundant mystic natural views and colorful customs. Tourists can take pictures of the smaller hall houses with stunning small wooden altars. They are decorated with dragons.

Forty-five kilometers west of Beijing, Tanzhe Temple is the largest and oldest temple in Beijing, whose history can date back to the Jin Dynasty, over 1,700 years ago. It is widely believed among the locals that Tanzhe Temple was constructed earlier than the city of Beijing. Behind the temple there is a deep pond called the Dragon Pond and in front of the temple there grow some Zhe trees, therefore the temple is called Tan ("tan" means a deep pond) Zhe Temple.

Featured Attraction: The temple is divided into three parts. The central part is filled with splendid structures like archways, mountain gates, altars and Buddhist Halls. A 200-year old purple yulan growing in the temple is noted as the largest in north of China. When the Yulan blossoms early in spring, numerous people flock here to view the pretty and fragrant flowers. Among the bushes, two high ginkgo trees were entitled by Emperor Qianlong the "Tree of Monarch" and the "Tree of Princess". The eastern part of the temple contains a dozens of courtyards where the abbot room is included and the rooms where the emperor used to stay are preserved.

Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park, located in the West Mountain scenic area of Beijing, occupies an area of more than 330,000 square meters. Here in the park, the scenery is beautiful and elegant. Among the lush pines and cypresses and vibrant lawn, the Gothic Cinderella Castle, the Arabic-style restaurant, the European-style blue bridge and the Russian-style gate add exotic atmosphere to the park. Huge amusement facilities like the launch tower, the roller coaster, gorge rafting and rocket-style bungee jumping entertain every visitor and bring much joy and enjoyment to the visitors.

Featured Attractions:

In the eastern part of the park, there are facilities for such sports events as rally cars, formula cars, desert race cars and various imported small racing cars. Walking over the bridge, a modern building unfolds in front you - the 4D Flying, the large theme entertainment project which is the first class in the world and the largest in Asia. It takes you to fly and to experience the effects of flying, crossing the canyon, experiencing the wind, rain and fog, bringing you thriller experiences.

In the western part of the park, a colorful and fun recreation and entertainment garden is ready to serve all visitors. The roller coaster brings much thrilling experiences to visitors by hoverng and diving; the Ferris wheels helps unfold a picture of the modern metropolis; the waving chair brings an experience of the high sea. In addition, there are also recreation facilities much loved by the children, such as Star War, magic mirror labyrinth, bumper cars, magic castle and the royal merry-go-around. The facilities such as warrior turnplate, the octopus, the Harry's adventure, the rotating plate, the love express and the super swing are all in the family of rotating recreation items. The UFO bicycle, the flier and rocket bungee are the activities for the brave hearts. The facilities such as crazy mouse, the Jones' adventure and the snail-climbing recreation activities are either thrilling or fun. The Shenzhou roller coaster located in the southwestern part of the park is the longest suspension roller coaster in Asia. In the roller coaster facilities, the cars and the bearing facilities are all suspended outside the closed tracks, giving a thrilling experience that visitors might have never experienced before.

Take subway line one to Bajiao Youleyuan

Take bus No. 318, 325, 327, 337, 354, 472, 527, 545, 597, 598, 663, 941, 958, 959, 977 zhi to the park.

Situated in Fengtai District, Beijing Garden of World's Flowers is the largest botanical garden within the capital's Fourth Ring Road. It covers an area of more than 40 hectares and has been awarded top marks as a tourist attraction.

Featured Attractions: The garden opened in 2005 and offers 15 large greenhouses where you can enjoy a range of exotic flowers, plants and herbs in varying landscapes. The site offers a combination of sight-seeing, science, shopping and dining. There are outdoor gardens too, such as the Japanese Garden, Dutch Garden and Austrian Garden, but they have yet to bloom and blossom. So, while it's still cold it is best to enjoy the indoor gardens, where you can enjoy a range of gardens, including traditional Chinese landscapes that feature reconstructions of temples and palaces that still stand today in various provinces of the Middle Kingdom. You can also view a desert landscape with various cacti; there is also a hall of tropical plants where you can see banana trees and palm trees. And, there is a stunning selection of bonsai trees and gorgeous array of flowers.

South fourth ring: take bus No. 646, 377, 556 to the park.

Take bus No. 736, 740, 996, te 9 to Lianrijiayuan station and go towards the west for 300 meters.

Take subway line 4 to Gongyixiaqiao station and transfer to bus No. 646 to the park.

Jingkai Road: take bus No. 474, 410, 423, 434, 483, 381, 937, 977, 993, 631, te3, 529, 454, 676, 497 to Majialou station.