Moderately difficult hill walking in the mountains north of the Ming Tombs.
The first part of the hike is on mostly flat ground, first on the road that leads through Longevity Village, and then on a dirt trail that heads up into the hills, passing through all the terraced chestnut fields that are a major source of income for the villagers.
As we get closer to the point where we cross over the ridge, the trail starts to zig-zag as it climbs up the hillside, eventually rising to the saddle between two peaks—a good place for a rest!
From the saddle, we follow a largely disused trail down into the valley on the other side.
A sealed road leads down into the village where we begin a hike called Tomb Raiders, and, after a sharp turn at the village square and exercise machine yard, we’re back into the hills, following another valley trail up on to a ridge.
It’s a slightly tougher climb this time, getting rather steep near the top. There are quite a few false peaks on the way up, but these provide a good opportunity for a rest! If you don’t think it’s tough enough, there’s an option to take a short detour to the highest hill in the area, where there’s a rusted trig and great 360° views of the area, including many of the Ming Tombs.
From there, it’s down all the way, following a gravel trail that was blazed when power lines were put in. The path winds through scraggly pines, and takes us past a small dam on the way out to the finish point for the hike – a stele just outside one of the Ming Tombs that unfortunately isn’t open to the general public.
After we’ve finished the walk around the tombs and had our Beijing Hikers picnic, we’ll take a short drive to the Sacred Way.
The Sacred Way was the official entrance to the tombs during the Ming Dynasty, and features a long path between large gates with inscribed tablets and stelae, flanked by statues of animals and officials. The bus will drop us off at the entrance, and meet us around twenty minutes later at the other end before driving us back to Beijing.
Cost: ¥400 / ¥360 for members
See a full description, more photos, and book online at https://www.beijinghikers.com/hike-in-beijing/view/345/longevity-village-to-the-ming-tombs/
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