foreword
October, for us, is a little bit special. That autumn day in 2009, we said our vows at our wedding and had the best honeymoon ever. Since then, we may have made a small wish - in the future, we can hold hands together like this and see more of the world. So, every October for the next ten years, we will arrange a trip for ourselves to relive the "honeymoon".
This year is no exception. Taking advantage of the National Day holiday, I came to Japan for the red leaves I have been thinking about. But it's a pity that the autumn is still light. After traveling in three cities in a week, only this one outside the window shows a little color.
In this way, I feel somewhat unwilling. The October I am looking forward to should have more brilliant colors. It's a pity that the holiday passed quickly, and it was not realistic to arrange a long-distance trip. Fortunately, my husband woke me up with a word - no matter in the sky or in front of me, two people together can be a romantic honeymoon.
Why go to the remotest corners of the earth to find colors, and drive in Beijing by yourself, and you can also reap the surprises around you.
The tallest building "China Zun" against the clear blue sky
There is still a touch of summer green that does not want to fade in the lake water of the park
The mountain roads have been covered with a layer of warm yellow in autumn that can't wait
Drive through the winding silver mountain road
Looking at the red eyes climbing up the courtyard wall of the ancient town
A golden light shines even in the dark
under white clouds
The gray Great Wall stands majestically
And we will drive the purple Jeep Liberty to connect the colorfulness and romance of this road, and customize a unique journey of young and ever-changing styles.
Itinerary & self-driving route
D1 China World Mall
D2 Downtown Beijing - Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall
D3 Gubei Water Town & Simatai Great Wall - Cuandixia Village & Yixiantian
D4 Cuandixia Village & Yixiantian - Hongjing Road
D5 798/751
Tips:
1. Beijing has unlimited numbers on weekends, and there are many people going to the suburbs for fun, so the traffic jams are severe, try to stagger the weekend peak hours.
2. The road conditions of major traffic such as expressways and national highways are relatively good, but there are complex road conditions in mountainous areas and some scenic spots, such as the first-line sky road is relatively potholed, and Hongjing Road has many curves. Fortunately, the 1.3T power is matched with a 9AT gearbox , coupled with the rare independent rear suspension at this level, makes Renegade easy to drive on the rugged mountain roads in the suburbs of Beijing, and can handle continuous corners with ease.
China World Mall – bustling city, free as you like
I have been to the imperial capital many times, seen the magnificent Forbidden City, walked through the authentic alleys, and felt the slight drunkenness of Houhai, but when I think about it carefully, I have not fully appreciated the bustling side of the city.
Perhaps it is to blame for the bustle of the big Beijing. I am worried that rushing into the crowd will lose the comfort and casualness of the holiday. But this time the little friends in Beijing gave us a different inspiration, learn to do the opposite, and instead have a free world.
Just like the China World Trade Center, which is full of high-rise buildings, on weekdays, it has witnessed how many office workers come and go in a hurry and the overtime lights at night, but on weekends, the traffic is smooth and parking is worry-free.
China World Mall is a long-established shopping center in Beijing. With continuous expansion and renovation over the years, it has become a landmark comprehensive leisure center in the central city.
Because it is adjacent to the CCTV building and China Zun, the North District has become a "net celebrity check-in place". Not only is the rooftop on the sixth floor open to the public free of charge, but the surrounding restaurants are also very popular.
There are dining seats both indoors and outdoors at Hikalisha. Because it is mainly for afternoon tea, there are very few people during lunch time. There are champagne packages of several hundred yuan, as well as more affordable coffee and desserts.
The shops in the mall are also worth visiting. Lego, which makes it easy to "get into the pit", incorporates elements of the capital.
The FAO SCHWARZ toy store from the United States with a history of more than 150 years has also established its first Asian flagship store here. The interactive super-large store is not just a paradise for children.
If you're more looking for a quiet weekend, Sisyphus Bookstore can satisfy you.
Tips:
- The parking fee of the underground parking lot is 10 yuan/hour, and registered members can also deduct it with consumption points.
-The restaurant on the side facing the CCTV building is a gathering place for "Internet celebrities" to take photos, and the prices are not cheap, such as the Ferris wheel afternoon tea on the seventh floor of Flau Bislow and the Italian food at ATTA BJ, which cost between three and four hundred per capita The location by the window is not easy to decide; in comparison, the consumption of Blue Frog and the Xikalishe we went to is slightly lower, and the location is better.
- If it is only for taking pictures, the angle of the rooftop on the sixth floor is actually better than that of the restaurant, and it is free and open.
Gubei Water Town - At the foot of the Great Wall, Hongye Jiangnan
Autumn in the north always comes suddenly and goes quickly. Fortunately, in the suburbs not far from the capital, it only takes two hours by car to harvest a corner of autumn.
When I first stepped into the town, I couldn't believe my eyes. Where is this suburb of Beijing? It's clearly Jiangnan!
My husband is originally from the south, and I have also lived in the south for a long time. After returning to the north, I actually miss the tune of Yanyu Jiangnan, and I really want to have almost the same as before. Among the soft mountains and rivers. However, due to the limited climate and environment in the north, it is not always possible to achieve what I wish. I did not expect to find this feeling in Beijing now.
After careful investigation, I found out that although Gubei Water Town has occupied an important military location since ancient times, its current appearance has been built by a team including the managers of Wuzhen in the past few years. The temperament of a small town in the south of the Yangtze River.
It is said that this place has different scenery throughout the year, and when we came, it was red leaves all over the walls, old-fashioned buildings clinging to each other, against the clear water of the Great Wall, a unique style, and it was also the most beautiful moment of the town.
The small town resort area of nine square kilometers is divided into "six districts and three valleys" - Laoying District, Republic of China Street District, Water Street Style District, Wolongbao Folk Culture District, Tanghe Ancient Village District, Homestay and Dining District and Houchuan Zen Valley, Eden Valley, Yunfeng Green Valley, which are full of small retro scenes such as escort bureaus, dyeing workshops and big theaters, and also interspersed with folk performances such as opera, acrobatics, and cross talk...
At night, the night view is even more charming, and there are wonderful drones flying Kongming lanterns and drone formation performances.
Many people come to Gubei Water Town for a one-day trip. If they go out early and return late, they can take a tour of the town, but we still recommend staying here for one night. After all, as mentioned above, the scenery at night The activities and activities are also very exciting, and the accommodation itself is also very characteristic. There are 4 themed hotels, 10 boutique hotels and 28 B&Bs in the whole ancient town. B&Bs are especially recommended, most of them are built on the water, with picturesque windows.
There are cute squirrel spokespersons everywhere in the ancient town. We have also seen a few squirrels shuttling through the bushes with our own eyes, but they are too naughty and come and go in a hurry, but the kittens we encounter are so cute and cute.
In the past few days, it is the most enthusiastic time when the vines are everywhere. I press the shutter and greedily take away this sweet color.
The Simatai Great Wall is located next to the town. Looking up from multiple angles, you can see the winding rainbow, and even the reflection in the water.
Tips:
- The ticket price of Gubei Water Town is 140 yuan/person. If you stay in the town, you can enjoy a discounted price of 80 yuan/person, and you can enter and exit the scenic spot multiple times (although it is not necessary in practice).
- The time of various performances (such as operas, drones, etc.) is different on weekdays and weekends, and will be adjusted occasionally. Accurate information will be announced at the entrance of the scenic spot every day, or you can ask the staff on site.
- The accommodation outside the ancient town is very cheap, only a little over 100 yuan per capita. If you want to save money, you can visit the ancient town on the first day, stay in the scenic spot around 9:00 after the night tour, and then buy the Great Wall tickets separately to play the Simatai Great Wall on the second day.
- If the budget allows, it is strongly recommended to live in the scenic area. Boutique hotels have good facilities, and homestays are more cost-effective, but the number of rooms is limited, so try to book in advance. And it is best to check directly on the official website, first call to inquire about the availability of rooms, and then go to the reservation website to make a reservation. The room status of the booking website was not updated in a timely manner. I didn't know it at the beginning, and I wasted a lot of time choosing a room. In the end, I realized that there were only a few vacant rooms, and there were not many choices.
- It takes about 2-2.5 hours to drive from downtown Beijing, mainly on high speed, and the road conditions are good. If you take public transportation, you can refer to the following schedules.
Simatai Great Wall – Through the past and the present, the autumn wind is bleak
When it comes to the Great Wall, many people may think of Badaling. It was the first time I climbed the Great Wall when I was a child, and I did go there. But in fact, the Simatai Great Wall is also very worth visiting. It was included in the World Heritage List in 1987. It is the only ancient architectural site in my country that retains the original appearance of the Ming Dynasty. It was identified as the "Original Great Wall" by UNESCO, and even scholars Evaluation "The Great Wall of China is the largest in the world, and the Simatai Great Wall is the largest of the Great Wall of China".
The Simatai section of the Great Wall is famous for its danger, denseness, strangeness, ingenuity and completeness. Dangerous means that it is built on a ridge slashed by knives and axes, which is extremely thrilling; "Dense" refers to the distance between the watchtowers. The nearest distance between two watchtowers is tens of meters, the farthest is no more than 300 meters, and the average distance is only 140 meters; "Strange" means that the Simatai Great Wall is steep, majestic and majestic.
Both my husband and I have been to the Great Wall separately, but this is the first time we have walked on the Great Wall hand in hand, and it seems that we have walked through a long historical story together.
Tips:
- If you live in the ancient town, you can enjoy a discount of 120 yuan for a night tour of the Great Wall, but I personally suggest that it is better to browse the Great Wall during the day. There are ropeways for round trips. If you are physically fit, you can also consider half-way cableway and half-way walking.
- Tour the Great Wall alone, the ticket is 40 yuan/person, but due to the upper limit of the number of people, you need to make an appointment (although it was not too high season when we went, there was no appointment, but it is best to make an appointment on the official website at least one day in advance to be on the safe side).
Romantic Road – The forest is full of dyes, autumn is fading
Say goodbye to water towns and the Great Wall and continue chasing our fall colors. Driving the Freeman, the color changes gradually along the way. Sometimes it is just a moment to turn from the green of midsummer to the yellow of early autumn, but fortunately, love is like time and never fades.
Cuandixia Village – Courtyards of Ming and Qing Dynasties, Ancient Houses with New Rhyme
When we arrived at Cuandixia Village, the sky was getting dark. Although we were hungry all the way, but when we looked up and saw the starry sky that we had not seen in the city for a long time, all the fatigue seemed to be swept away.
Cuandixia Village is located in Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, in the western suburbs, at an altitude of 650 meters. It was once rated as "the most beautiful village in Beijing" in 2009, and was included in the first batch of municipal traditional villages in Beijing last year.
The ancient village was first built in the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of more than 500 years. It is the best preserved ancient residential complex. At present, there are more than 70 sets of Ming and Qing courtyards and more than 600 houses.
Because it is only more than a hundred kilometers away from Beijing, it attracts many tourists who come to vacation on weekends, and the locals have transformed many ancient courtyards into characteristic dwellings, such as warm courtyard houses, traditional kangs, and small houses full of age. The thing... makes time seem to slow down.
Tips:
To enter the village, you need to buy tickets for Cuanbai Scenic Spot at the entrance, 35 yuan per person, including several scenic spots such as Cuandixia, Yixiantian and Baiyu.
A ray of sky – meeting on a narrow road, a ray of light
In fact, there is another reason for choosing Cuandixia Village. It is only three kilometers away from the peaceful village, and there is a strange but familiar wild place - the sky in the west of Beijing. Huarong Road in "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and the narrow encounter in "Tou Ming Zhang" are all filmed here.
In fact, the original name of this place is Xiaobeigou Valley, and the locals also call it Chuandi Ankou. It is integrated with the village, like the neck of a treasure gourd, protecting this small village that escapes the world.
Tips:
- Yiyitiantian This section of the road is only a few hundred meters in length, with different widths and narrows, and there are places where you can miss the car in the middle. You can drive through directly, or you can park your car in the parking lot at the end and return to the walking tour.
- The traffic flow is relatively large during the day on weekends. If you want to stagger the peak, you can go early in the morning or at night. However, there is no mobile phone signal or light source in the valley.
Hongjing Road – fight, zigzag, gallop freely
Hongjing Road, also known as Shixia Road, known as "Beijing's 99 Turns", is a mountain road that winds and circles among the lofty mountains of Fangshan District. The continuous curves and the ups and downs of the terrain make Hongjing Road one of the popular check-in places for self-driving and cycling enthusiasts in Beijing and surrounding areas.
The strong power of Jeep Renegade makes it easy to speed up the vehicle when climbing uphill and when overtaking. Thanks to the rear independent suspension, which is rare in the same level of models, the body roll is not obvious when continuous cornering, and the entire chassis It will give you a sense of confidence and security.
798/751 – Art Park, where cute pets dominate
After the colorful journey in the suburbs of Beijing, when we return to the urban area, there is one more place that we must visit, and that is the 798/751 Fashion Art Park. As the earliest popular design park in Beijing, there are a lot of creative art companies here, so I have visited it many times, but it was a pleasant surprise to drive here in a free man and shoot a series of blockbuster movies.
The "Internet celebrity train" has always been the most popular place to take pictures. If you don't want to become a "tourist photo" that disappears from everyone, you need to pay more attention to it.
We have been chasing the autumn colors all the way, and different places have given us different surprises, and the graffiti walls that can be seen everywhere in the park seem to want to catch all the colors.
Tips:
798 and 751 are closely adjacent, and the car is parked in any parking lot, and it will not be too far to walk. However, this is both an office space and an internet celebrity check-in place, so whether it is a working day or a holiday, there are not too few cars and people. If you want to avoid the peak, you can choose the early morning of the working day. It is the quietest before working hours.
The journey is coming to an end, but there are still surprises waiting for us. It turns out that there is a husky-themed cafe hidden here. More than 30 huskies are rushing towards you. What does it feel like? It's happiness! Ha ha
Tips:
- The address is in Building D3, 798 Art Zone. Tickets are 158 yuan per person. There are four performances a day, 2.5 hours each (opening on 10, 13, 16, and 19 respectively). There are much fewer people on weekdays than weekends, especially the first one in the morning , fewer people and better dogs
- It is necessary to make an appointment on the official website WeChat in advance (reservation fee is 10 yuan per person, and the maximum number of people per session is 80 people); go there within the appointment time, register and wear a bracelet on the first floor, disinfect your hands on the second floor and wear shoe covers to receive drinks, and enter the venue on the third floor; free activities The time staff will send out some jerky to tease the dogs, and they will take turns taking group photos one hour before the end of each show
- Remember to break the jerky into small pieces when feeding the dog, otherwise it will be gone in one bite haha, takeaway food and drinks are not allowed
- Dogs also have their own personalities and tempers. Don’t force them to hug, pull their bodies, or wake them up. Just look at the front when taking a group photo. The staff will coordinate with the dogs
- There are dozens of Siamese cats in the store, and you can have both cats and dogs for a little extra fee
end
Although there are only a few days to squeeze out, and we only drive in Beijing and surrounding areas, the Freeman gallops all the way, and it still leaves unforgettable memories for our "honeymoon" in October every year.
In the eyes of many people, autumn is full of maple leaves and warm yellow, but along the way, we met more colors, combined them in the palette of our hearts, and left this memory in our memory. A romantic picture...