The Great Wall is not a continuous wall. The wall exists in sections and these sections don't form a continuous line. Most of the bits of the remaining wall have their own names. Usually their names are given with regard to their geographic location, historical factors or out of necessity related to promotion of local tourism. Yunmengshan Great Wall is such a name because it is located to the east of Yunmengshan Mountain. Yunmengshan literally means “a mountain always covered with mist”. Yunmengshan is locally referred to as the “Huangshan of North China” due to its stunning view.

Yunmengshan Great Wall is a small stretch of the Great Wall around Beijing. It was built under General Qi Jiguang during the Ming Dynaty (1368-1644). To its west is located Mutianyu Great Wall, and to its east are Gubeikou Great Wall and Jinshanling Great Wall.

There are still 3 forts (watch towers) and one beacon tower on the Yunmengshan Great Wall . The beacon tower is located on the top of the mountain.

One big difference between Yunmenshan Great Wall and other formal and standard stretches of the Great Wall is the construction of the Wall itself. Yunmengshan Great Wall was constructed from rocks and stones carried from the local mountains, while Badaling Great Wall and Mutianyu Great Wall are made of the bricks carried from the official kilns.

Take Bus No. 980 from Dongzhimen to Miyun Drum Tower and then take Bus No. 60 or 61 to Wangzhuang Village.

Lying in the valley between Qingjingding Peak and Hengling Mountain, Qingjingding Natural Scenic Area is bordered by the Baihe River to the east and Qingjingding Peak to the west. The whole area stretches across about 4 kilometers and has an area of four hundred meters where steep peaks, craggy rocks, cool valleys, and deep pools can be found. At the entrance of the scenic spot, sheer 200-meter-high cliffs stand on either side of the narrow path, and a stream meanders through the center. Huge rocks and ancient trees protrude from the stone wall, interweaving and hanging high above the cliffs. In summer, the mouth of the valley is always shrouded in mist, adding a sense of mystery to the valley. The scenery here changes from season to season. In spring, the area is decorated with all kinds of flowers in full blossom. In summer, the valley becomes more vibrant with green trees, clear pools and rumbling waterfalls. Wild fruits spread over the hills in autumn, and when the winter comes, ice rivers and cascades welcome tourists in the snow-covered valley.

Yunmeng Three Valley Natural Scenic area is located at the south foot of Yunmeng Mountain which is a majestic mountain with many peaks and covers a large area. The scenic area spans from White River Valley to Shanqian Plain, which is 70 km away from Beijing and 15 km from Miyun District. The three valleys are Baidao Valley, Niupeng Valley and Xiaoshui Valley from east to west.

The mountain paths are winding and peaks rolling. Two sides are the cliffs that resemble rock faces which have been slashed by an axe and two waterfalls that look like curtains falling down. The brooks here flow fast in the low valleys and then form ponds which are limpid and full of fish. Peaks tower into the sky and are surrounded by fogs like those of a wonderland. The stones are in all kinds of shapes, which look like tigers, lions, phoenixes, turtles, fishes, Buddha, towers, ladders, even tables and chairs.

Features:

Entering the scenic area, all that meets the eye are beautiful hills and limpid rivers. There is a "Xianlong Village" in the center of the mountains. It is built along the mountains and surrounded by brooks. The village is within the shade of the trees which is a delicate bamboo building in front of the dining room. The paths are paved with cobble stones. There is a pond, full of fish which has willows standing nearby. A fountain is set in the pond and its water pillar can reach 10 meters high. A picture of dragons playing in the water is on the ceiling. It is an uncommon tourist resort more than a wonderland.

The White Dragon Pool and the Black Dragon Pool are adjoined. A boat in Longmenguan is said to have been left by God. In God Cave, you will feel cooler in summer and warmer in winter. There is a spring of longevity, which flows all year round.

Take Bus No. 960 from Dongzhimen to Miyun theatre and then take Bus No. 3 to Three Valley.

Yunxiu Valley is located in Miyun District, 132 kilometers away from downtown Beijing. It enjoys the superior natural environment, a vast mountain-area, with the vegetation coverage at 95% or more. East to Wuling Forest Park, its west side adjoins Simatai Great Wall, and Yunxiu Valley is the center for travel.

The highest peak in Yunxiu Valley is 1,700 meters high. With vegetation coverage above 95%, and annual average temperature of 12 degrees, it is a good place for the summer. In addition, a 400 meters-long zip slide allows you to experience the feeling of flying at a high altitude. Peaks, rocks, pools, waterfalls are found together, and in particular, the red stone of ancient geological phenomena and gravel of the Quaternary glacial lake are rare amongst the country’s rock formations and of great value. Yunxiu Valley is full of flowers and verdant, beautiful scenery, and also the depths of forests are preserved. The rocks, valley, caves, and river are scattered around, the beaded Lake, seven cents waterfall, pillar, etc. and more than 40 scenic spots are contained within the area. In addition, there are also multiple cultural attractions, such as Liu Bowen’s house, the Great Wall beacon towers and folk castles where more than 100-odd officers and men of future generations from the Ming Dynasty lived. Mongolian Village offers a variety of special folk services for tourists from around the world.

There is an area of six thousand acres of hunting grounds which cover almost 100 square kilometers with 20 kinds of animals; with modern shooting ranges and electric launchers, this is an area with facilities in which your visit can flourish. In addition, there are scenic folk hotels and peasant families who can act as hosts, travelers can taste the farmers’ meals and enjoy the farmhouses’ fun.

Features:

There are more than 30 attractions in Yunxiu Valley, notably including: Five-Color Three-Fold, Bottomless Abyss, Spraying Beads in the Yao Pool, Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl, Yunxiu Falls and etc. The rock sceneries include: Glacier Floating Rocks Camel Summit and Frog Watching the Moon and etc. The cultural relics include the Ming Beacon Tower, Ming Ancient Castle, ancient tree of 1,000 years, etc. The enclosed hunting lodge covers an area of 10,000 square meters. The hunting area is 6,000 Mu (about 3.9 square kilometers), which is partially closed off, and contains more than 20 types of animals and birds.

Get on Bus No. 980, 987 or 970 at Dongzhimen to Miyun District and then get on a minibus for Xinchengzi.

There might be people thinking that acting as an observer or just taking part in different kinds of interactive activities is not enough to satisfy a heart craving for creativity, so let’s look for something more then and record a song for nature.

Baiquan Mountain is 70 km away from downtown Beijing and covers an area of 20 square kilometers, winding rivulets flowing down the valley, the murmur of water echoing in the field plain. Mountain streams and stones run after each other composing a harmonious symphony. Baiquan Mountain is even deeper into the mountain, and countless gooseberry trees at the extremity of this land draft a beautiful green blanket covering- the valley’s skin. Roses, pear trees, hazelnuts, mulberries and other plants can be found in generous amounts. Listen carefully to the sounds of this 5 KM-long path and then, using modern technology, we will try to catch the mountain’s voice and record it.

Through computer processing let’s create an experimental music belonging to nature. Along this journey we will grasp the rare and precious feeling of harmony between heaven and earth. That’s the reason why this music coming from the depth of our souls cannot do anything else but bring inspiration and joy to our hearts.

Features: There are top-rate service facilities which can provide dining for 500 people and lodging for 150 people at the same time. There are multiple aquatic recreation projects such as power boat, rowing boat, pedalo, aquatic bicycle, etc. There are 10 kilometers of a round tourist footpath in the sightseeing district.

The main sights include: Baiquan Lake, Flying Cloud Falls, Tianhe Falls, Qingmei Pond, Leyu Pond, Zhiyu Pond, Standing Eagle Peak, Rare Bird Peak, Bamboo Shoot Peak, Sky Holding Stone, Buddha Palm, Saint Tortoise Watching the Moon, and Monkey Valley. There are a lot of wild monkey peach trees growing in the Monkey Valley that stretches for three kilometers, and they are very rare in Beijing. Golden fall leaf appreciation and picking activities are held in September and October each year, and skating activities are held each winter.

Take Bus No. 916 or 936 from Dongzhimen to Huairou Third Middle School, transfer to the green bus heading for Labagoumen and get off at Baiquan Mountain.

Shentangyu Natural Scenic Spot is located in Huairou District. It is 65 kilometers away from Beijing and chosen by many tourists on the strength of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall tour. Shentangyu Natural Scenic Spot is a complete tourism area for travel and has entertainment, mountains, rivers, peaks and folk customs. In total it covers 160,000 square kilometers and its vegetation coverage is over 75%. There is a prosperous forest, fresh air, clean water and a comfortable climate. The range of temperature is large. The environment here is very nice and the famous longevity village is in this area.

In history, Shentangyu was an important fortress. Today, the Shentangyu barrier and station troops castle still remain. The ancient Great Wall is well protected. Now there is the Great Wall Holiday village near the Great Wall. Tourists in Huanghuacheng Great Wall tour can not only have a taste of the beautiful scenery, but also experience the folk customs of enjoying a family meal, sleeping on a heated brick bed and having a picnic or going fishing. Tourists in Huanghuacheng Great Wall tour can experience more than ten different spots. All of the spots originated from nature without any man-made work.

Features: The mountains in Shentangyu are between 250 and 875 meters in elevation. The peaks here are precipitous and the stones are natural. Tourists in the Huanghuacheng Great Wall tour will say the natural stone fell down to the site like the Milky Way. The water in Shentangyu goes through the whole district and is collected by mountain spring water. The water here is of very high quality and flows all year round. It is the source of Yanqi Lake. The clean spring and streams can be found everywhere. The natural Dragon Pool is 4 meters deep and so clear that you can see the bottom. Tourists taking part in the Huanghuacheng Great Wall tour can also count the fishes as well as swimming or going boating in the lakes and pools.

Get on Bus No. 936 or 916 to Convention Center or Fule and transfer to 916 Executive Line.

Laoquan Shanye Park is designed and constructed in accordance with the standards of national 5A scenic spot. The infrastructures and supporting facilities in the park are complete. The unique natural landscape formed by 6 core and 8 auxiliary scenic areas adds radiance and beauty to the mysterious landscape with humanistic color.

Covering an area of about 1000 mu, the forest vegetation coverage of the park is above 90%. With characteristic of protecting and improving ecological features of natural landscape and mountain vegetation, it especially emphasizes the concept of low-carbon environmental protection, and ecological leisure. There are six core scenic areas including: Qingtian Gate, Laoquan Pool, Qipan Garden, Fushou Hill, Folk Art Sculpture Garden, Baihua Ditch; another 8 assist scenic spots are: Caiye Valley, Shanya Guanjing, Picking Valley, Music Plaza, Old Dwellings, Old Beijing Folk Custom Park, Wedding Photography Base, Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Wedding Custom Base, these dozen of attractions blend the unique folk customs of Laoquan Village that shed the strong old Beijing humanities while the lush pinus tabulaeformis forests in vigorous growth, which blot out the sky and cover the sun.

Take subway line 2, transfer to line 13 at Dongzhimen (To Xizhimen), get on line 15 at Wangjing West Station (To Fengbo), get off at Houshayu Station, take Bus No. 918, and get off at Zhenluoying Stop.

Take Bus No. Ping 11, get off at Laoquankou Stop, and walk for 1.0 km

Laoxiang Peak (Old Elephant Peak) lies in a great canyon with rich vegetation and exuberant trees. Scan widely to the north, and a peak which resembles a huge elephant is standing in the valley with its head facing to the west. It is 51.8 meters high and 82 meters long. Therefore, the locals call it Laoxiang Peak (Old Elephant Peak).

Laoxiang Peak Scenic Spot covers an area of more than 40 square kilometers. It is a natural wandering valley with lush forests, beautiful flowers and peculiar cliffs. Over 30 different areas are dotted with the green mountains and blue skies. The main attractions are Xianglu Cave, Dice Fossa, Shicui Lake and the ancient rampart. Thousands of Mu of orchard and wild chrysanthemums in the hillside also add more value and charming sights to the valley. The whole area is rich with the original beauty of nature, without a trace of artificiality.

Take Bus No. 918 at Dongzhimen to Pinggu Guanzhuang Intersection, then get on Bus No. 20 and get off at Xiaoyuzi Village.

Speaking of printing, you will probably come up with images of books, modern mass production, and also some fancy machinery. But at the China Printing Museum, you can find something different: one of the most ancient forms of printing on the shelf, with all the different characters, what you do is pick out the characters you need, you put it here, line them up, and this is served as the blueprint for the print.

China Printing Museum is divided into various halls. One contains exhibits of the origins of printing and ancient printing methods, one traces the progress of modern printing, and another houses new technology and equipment exhibits. The museum also contains three specialized exhibition areas. All the halls are distributed over three floors, with a total exhibition area of 3,000 square meters. In the reception area stands a statue of Bi Sheng, inventor of movable-type printing. The hall that traces the origins of printing, including the culture, technology and materials that gave rise to the invention of printing in China, is on the third floor. The ancient printing section in this hall has chronologically ordered exhibits showing the stages of invention and applications of woodblock and movable-type printing, how printing developed and improved in its technology and materials, giving viewers an insight into China's long printing history. The hall of modern printing outlines developments in printing technology in modern times. The first section is devoted to the evolution of the four types of printing technology -- relief, planography, intaglio, and stencil printing. The second part is mainly concerned with developments and achievements in printing since the founding of China in 1949. In the hall of new technology and equipment, which combines exhibits with marketing, are displays of China's new achievements in pre-printing technology, and exhibits of the latest pre-printing, printing, and post-printing equipment and materials. It also gives space to the newest international achievements in printing technologies and current development trends.

Features: The museum has three specialized exhibition areas. The Securities Exhibition Area and the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Exhibition Area contain exhibits that look at the history and current state of printing. The Selected Samples Room displays various print samples. They include specimens of ancient engraved wood block printing, and extracts from a rare movable-type printed book, as well as examples of contemporary books, albums, and print used for trademarks and negotiable securities.

Take Bus No. 410, 456, 610, 631, 937, 954, 957, or 968 to Qing Yuanxili Stop.

Dalinggou Village is in a valley, covering over 50,000 square meters. It is named the "Kiwi Fruit Valley Scenic Spot", for it is easy to infer that this valley must be abundant with kiwi fruit. Yes, it is the best place in Beijing for tourists to pick kiwi fruit. The whole area is divided into three parts: the recreation area, the picking area, and the kiwi fruit area. When you first come close to the valley, you will step onto a slate road. This is the beginning of where this scenic area begins. There are many trees to be admired while experiencing a tour in the area. There are many hawthorn trees with half-green and half-red fruit; high mountain ravines are full of walnut trees with an abundance of fruits which occasionally drop to the ground. After walking across the recreation area, it is good for you to pick fruits such as jujubes, oranges and mulberries, etc. Then, you may come to the kiwi fruit area where you can pick wild kiwi fruits. These are perhaps a little more sour than the usual taste, but definitely worth a try.

Take Bus No. 345, 919 to Changpingnan Street and transfer to 55.