Fun Day Trips to Make the Most of Spring Festival in Beijing: Part 1
If you're stuck in Beijing this Spring Festival, don't just spend it all at home sulking. Get out there and explore the city. Just remember that there will be crowds throughout town and that you may have to sharpen your elbows at especially popular tourist destinations.
Exploring Wudaokou and Yuanmingyuan Park
At the northwest corner of Beijing lies both a historic and scenic gem: Yuanmingyuan Park, aka the Old Summer Palace. As another summer home to the emperors of the Qing dynasty, Yuanmingyuan spans across 350 acres of intricately designed landscapes, gazebos, and palaces, much of which were destroyed in the late 19th century by foreign invaders. The unfortunate story of the park contributes to its old-time charm: the restoration and reopening of the remains enable visitors to, quite literally, walk through history and see the rise and ruin of a dynasty first-hand.
A Day Out at Nangong Scenic Area
Nangong Scenic Area is located 20 miles southwest of the center of Beijing, in Wangzuo town, Fengtai district. That’s quite a trek if you live in Chaoyang or Shunyi, but the numerous attractions make it well worth a day trip including hot springs, as pictured above.
Tower Heist! Answers on the Roof of an Abandoned Building in Dongzhimen
A slightly different take on your average day trip, ever the intrepid explorer, Morgan Short called upon the skills and knowledge of Beijing's primo urban explorer at Burbex to scale the abandoned bus station-adjacent mall in Dongzhimen. If you're thinking of going, be safe, and let's hope that Morgan never got around to using that toilet paper.
All Aboard Beijing's 'Flying Saucer' – If You Dare
In May of 2016, there came news of a giant glass-and-steel UFO appearing on the ledge of a mountain 80 kilometers outside of the city. Unsurprisingly, droves swarmed there to experience what it is like to dangle 1,300 feet above the ground on a glorified piece of glass.
Jiankou Great Wall
China is synonymous with the words ‘great’ and ‘wall’, especially when combined together. If you haven’t seen this masterpiece of ancient construction yet, you owe it to yourself to conquer one of the most picturesque, and quite possibly the most challenging, parts of the wall near Beijing at Jiankou. This part of the wall costs RMB 20 to get in. To get there, take bus 917 from Dongzhimen to Huairou Fangshan, from there you will find multiple buses going to Jiankou/Arrow Nock.
– Rhea Jiang, Erin Strong,Tom Arnstein, Morgan Short, Andrew Killeen, and Lily Zhao contributed to this blog.
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Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Rhea Jiang, Lily Zhao, jiankou-great-wall.com, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Morgan Short, Katie Brailsford
