A Leisurely and Cool Summer in Yanqing
Tour Longqing Gorge
The Longqing Gorge in midsummer boasts a cooler climate and cleaner air than downtown Beijing. Here tourists can cruise down the valley in the daytime and enjoy the Mongolian-style gala in the company of cold beer and local snacks at night.
Celebrate Duanwu Festival
The Xiadu Park is the place to have the unique view of the dragon boat competition and the peddle-boat dance as people celebrate the Danwu Festival each year. During the festival, tourists have opportunities to enjoy such local snacks as Huo Shao, Lu Da Gun, Ai Wo Wo and Bao Du. It is also a good place to purchase souvenirs, handicrafts, and local specialties. In addition, people hold such performances as the peddle-boat dance, stilt walking, dragon boat racing, making rice dumplings, and tai chi. Tourists can also take part in the campfire gala, try their hands at making rice dumplings and enjoy other Duanwu-themed entertainments.
Roam in Forests
Due to higher altitudes, national forest parks such as Badaling and Songshan as well as Yudu Mountain and Lianhua Mountain scenic areas all have lower temperatures and fresh air rich in negative oxygen ions. Walking along the winded paths, people can enjoy the beauty of mountains, forests, and springs in the cool forests where birds chirp around.
Visit Mountain and Water Corridor
The 100-li corridor boasts beautiful mountains and rivers and is scattered with the Wulong Valley, Chaoyang Temple and Guan Yu Temple. In addition to a cooler climate and picturesque landscape, visitors can find karst and other geographical formations as well as well-preserved petrified wood and 150 million-year old fossils of dinosaurs’ footprints.
Cruise Guishui River in Dragon-shaped Boats
Tourists can take dragon-shaped traditional style boats at the Weishui Garden to cruise down the river. The some 10-kilometer trip offers them a picturesque spectacle of water, mountains, and birds.
Visit Revolution-themed Scenic Areas
Yanqing is also home to a number of revolution-themed scenic spots such as the China Great Wall Museum, the North Beijing Anti-Japanese War Memorial, the Yanqing Museum, and the first red village of Shatanggou. All of them are ideal places to hold patriotic education programs, ceremonies to join the CPC, as well as other revolution-themed or patriotic events.
Enjoy Flowers
Since Mid-June, some ten kinds of flowers including globe amaranths, cleomes, purple perillas, zinnia elegans, straw daisies, and aibikas start to bloom at Zhenzhuquan. From July to August, 3,000 mus of marigolds, 200 mus of lilies, and 300 mus of roses are in bloom one after another at the Flower Sea of Four Seasons. The 1,000 mus of traditional herbs, verbenas, and garden sages at Shenjiaying Township are also blooming in the two months.
Pick Fruits
From mid-June to late July, tourists can enjoy themselves by picking more than 100 types of yellow, red, and white apricots at Xinbaopu Village in Xiangying Township and Datuofu Village in Badaling Township. They can also try their hands at more than 100 mus of watermelons and melons at Sihongsi Village in Kangzhuang Township from mid-June to late August and more than 300 mus of jiubao peaches and nectarines at the Huangbaisi Peach Orchard from mid-July to late August. More than 20 mus of grapes including centennial, munage, and red globe and are also ready to be picked at Lipao Grape Orchard from early July to late August.
