Beijing News: Gubei Water Town Free Entry & Pollen-Fighting Tool

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Free Entry to Gubei Water Town for Women's Day 2026

In celebration of International Women’s Day this year, Beijing’s Simatai Great Wall Gubei Water Town is launching the two-week Gubei Goddess Festival. From Mar 8 to Mar 22, two scenic spots will be open to female visitors free of charge. 

In addition to the free entry, there will be a number of special entertainment, artistic, scenic and cultural activities for visitors to partake in. There will also be exclusive gifts and deals available for women across a variety of merchants, restaurants and accommodation, enhancing the experience for guests. 

Each visitor is limited to one free entry per day during the festival, but they may visit multiple days during the festival. 

More information can be found on the Gubei Water Town official WeChat account (古北水镇旅游). Tourists able to book tickets through electronic channels can book day tickets up to three days in advance of their visit. Female visitors from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and foreign countries can check in at the visitor service center. All visitors should make sure to bring their valid personal identification document for entry.

Beijing to Use Pollen Fixative to Fight Pollen This Spring

In a shift in its pollen-fighting strategy, this spring, Beijing will deploy a new “pollen fixative” as part of its annual pollen spraying campaign. 

The fixative, a polymer organic compound, was developed by a team from the School of Plant Sciences and Technology at Beijing University of Agriculture. Added to the supply of water trucks, the fixative can then be sprayed onto trees, creating a see-through coating that prevents the trees from releasing their pollen into the air. Such actions only need to be undertaken once a day, compared to three or five times a day when using only water spraying, and it is claimed that spraying the pollen fixative is up to 20 times more effective at controlling pollen spread than the traditional water-only method. 

The new compound will be applied to the pollen-producing male juniper trees across the city’s main six districts. There are around 168,000 male juniper trees and 337,000 total juniper trees within the Fifth Ring Road.

Another pollen fixative, aimed at cypress trees, has completed trials and is scheduled to be deployed next year.

READ: More International Women's Day 2026 Events and Deals

Images: Unsplash