I have been to Beijing many times on and off in the past few years. Compared with Shanghai, I like Beijing more. I like the leisurely life of old Beijingers, the gossip in the alleys, and the daily life of the old man walking the birds.
Maybe it's because I have never lived in Beijing for a long time, so I can't feel the fast pace here. Last August, I also came to Beijing once. For a few days, I plunged into the alleys inside the second ring road, lived in a courtyard house, got up early to eat a Beijing-style breakfast, and went to Houhai to listen to a song after sunset.
After a year, I returned to Beijing again, but this time I started a short self-driving trip with my father. My father has stayed in Beijing for 7 years, and he needs more cooked food in this city than I do. It's just such a big suburb of Beijing, he hasn't been there much like me.
For this short vacation, let’s go to Haituo Valley.
[One · driving for 3 and a half hours, approaching Little Switzerland]
I have always been yearning for Switzerland, and I like the environment and landscape there.
But it has always been delayed because of such and such things. Taking advantage of a little leisure in August, come and get closer to this small Switzerland in the suburbs of Beijing, and see if the scenery here is as memorable as it is said on the Internet.
In order to make it easier to travel the next day, I chose to live in Nanfaxin the night before. The advantage of living here is that I don’t have to experience the terrible morning rush hour in Beijing the next day, and I can enter the expressway relatively quickly.
Depart from Nanfaxin at 7:00 in the morning, pass through the Badaling Expressway, and it takes 3.5 hours to reach Haituo Valley.
Haituo Valley is located at the junction of the northern part of Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing County, Beijing and Chicheng County, Hebei Province. It is about 18 kilometers away from Yanqing. It is next to the Haituo Scenic Area. The natural environment is very good, so many Beijingers will come here on weekends. , a breath of fresh air.
Before arriving here, driving on the road, with continuous mountains on both sides, I really thought that I had arrived in Switzerland.
The current construction in Haituo Valley is quite good. There are special trails and sightseeing cars to take.
Walking on the trail, the mountains in the distance look extraordinarily green against the blue sky and white clouds.
As I walked, I saw the words. On this trail, there are such slogans everywhere, and many young people sit here to check in.
The valley is not like summer at all, the temperature is around 20 degrees and accompanied by wind, so you need to prepare a thicker coat when you come here. Compared with the temperature in the urban area of Beijing, this place is really a good place to escape the summer heat.
There are such statues everywhere on the lawn of Haituo Valley. They are very cute, and many people took photos with them.
At present, many experience areas, tourist areas, resort areas, etc. have been built here. Come here for a weekend. In addition to camping, you can also experience some of the projects here.
【II·1473, the highest cafe in Beijing】
1473 Cafe, which is also one of the biggest highlights of Haituo Valley.
It is said that this is a log cabin from the same family as the Queen's Hunting Lodge, and every piece of wood used for construction here comes from across the ocean from the West.
The cafe is built on the top of the mountain, and you can reach it in about 10-15 minutes by following the signs at the bottom of the mountain.
The step road is not easy to walk, and it is even more "challenging" for people like me who have difficulty climbing mountains. Fortunately, the weather is cool, and there are shadows of trees along the way, so it is also a kind of scenery to stop and go.
We met such a statue halfway, it should have shown us the process of transporting the goods. Compared with other people's burden, we are much happier.
There are such signposts along the way to guide us.
Remember, don't go too fast, happiness is chasing you.
The half-mountain trail is like this, the leaves block most of the sunlight, and the shadows on the steps are mottled.
When we approached, we could see a corner of Cafe 1473 through the gaps in the leaves.
The wood used to build this cafe has been grown for more than 100 years, and the quality is the same as the Queen's hunting lodge in 1962.
The hill where the cafe is located can reach an altitude of 1472 meters, but the reason why it is named 1473 is that the extra meter is a feeling and an attitude.
In the cafe, you can drink coffee, taste drinks, eat freshly baked pizza, have an exquisite afternoon tea with friends, etc.
I also saw warm reminders in the order area, but unfortunately I didn’t see the cute fur kid, probably it is taking a lunch break.
The cafe is not too big, there are not many seats on the first floor, and there are even fewer seats on the second floor. In comparison, the second floor is quieter, and many people sit quietly and read books.
There are also seats outdoors, but the wind at the top of the mountain in Beijing is really too strong. After doing it outside for 10 minutes, I was blown into a bad cold.
Standing on the top of the mountain, you can overlook the entire Haituo Valley.
On the other side of the cafe, there is another mountain surrounded.
Seeing the continuous mountains in this way, looking at the erratic clouds in the distance, is probably the so-called climbing high and looking far away.
[Three. Another year of Gesang flowers blooming]
Summer here is the most comfortable summer.
With the breeze blowing, the wind is high and the clouds are light, strolling among the mountain roads, spending the weekend leisurely.
The Gesang flowers in the mountains are in full bloom. It is very comfortable to walk along the two sides of the road without driving.
Here is a small slope, Gesang flowers are planted along the slope, and there is a European-style windmill at the foot of the mountain. Looking at it this way, it feels like being in a foreign country, but in fact, we are only 3 hours away from the city by car.
If you come here, you may like it as much as I do, and like the purest air here.
【四·From the love of swans in Swan Lake】
The Heart of Haituo is actually two lakes, one large and one small, in the Haituo Valley.
Whether you look at this lake from the side of the tent area or Ruilan Hotel, it looks very good. All you can see here are mountains.
The green forest landscape in summer and the swiftly moving clouds are all unforgettable.
Most of the lake is surrounded by very beautiful European-style buildings. If I didn't say that this is in Beijing, I might really think it is in a European lake area. During the day, the reflection of the building on the water surface, together with the blue sky and white clouds, is like a gemstone with unique decoration.
The owners of the lake are groups of swans, black swans and white swans, they are swimming and playing very close to the lake.
They are not afraid of people, and when there are many people, they will show off their "singing voice" and long neck.
Compared with white swans, black swans are easier to attract people's attention. Two black swans together with long necks can easily form the shape of a heart. They are also expressing love and friendliness to us.
A lot of supporting facilities have been built around the lake, such as lawns, boardwalks, camping sites and so on.
The time of walking by the lake is the best slow time.
【Wu·Children's Library, a place only for children】
In the Haituo Valley, there is another place that I think is particularly intimate, that is, there is a special children's library here. This place is aimed at teenagers aged 3-12 with independent reading ability, and the bookshelves are also partitioned, and books of different age groups are placed in different places.
This is also to cultivate children's autonomy and reading habits, and adults are not allowed to accompany them.
For several families to go out together, children read books here, under special supervision, and adults can also watch their own affairs, killing two birds with one stone.
The design of the children's library is very beautiful. In addition to the appearance, the indoor sea has specially designed bookshelves that are "undulating hills and valleys, resembling mountains".
This kind of design inspiration also comes from the rolling mountains in the suburbs of Beijing.
The bookshelves are densely packed with books, mainly picture books and some suitable for older children. Of course, in addition to books, there are Lego building blocks here, mainly for some relatively young children. Generally speaking, children who walk in here will spontaneously keep quiet and will not affect other children's reading.
On the other hand, for safety reasons, the bookshelves are not allowed to be climbed, although the construction is very much like a slide.
When I came in here, several children were reading quietly. They seem to be regular visitors here, leaving after their parents put them here, and they also pick out their favorite books to read.
This quiet space has also become a paradise for children.
[In the Lu Camping Park, a small appearance in summer]
In the hot summer, how can you miss the different starry sky camping? Although this kind of camping mode is very common in foreign countries, there are still relatively few camps in our country, especially if camps are provided on a large scale like this, and there are even fewer ones with mature facilities.
The camp is a large open grassland, where you can camp, attend lectures, drink, chat, daze, and watch stars and listen to music at night. At present, Haituo Valley provides several kinds of tents. The steeple-style ones are relatively better and larger. They can sleep 2 people or a family of three, and the price is 600+ per night.
Of course, there are ordinary tents that we often see. The price is relatively cheap, but the space is small, and the overall price is relatively ordinary. The price of a bowl is 200+. Indifferently, if you choose to bring your own equipment, it is also possible, but the temperature in the mountains is low in the morning and evening, so you must pay attention to keeping warm.
Falling asleep here, accompanied by the stars all over the sky, watching the most beautiful sunrise, filtering out the impetuousness of being in the city, has both lively and quiet, natural and beautiful scenery. Now it has become one of the favorite party modes for young people.
[7. The largest RV in Asia, trendy life in Europe and America]
The caravan-themed hotel here is the largest in Asia. This kind of caravan travel life has been popular in Europe and America for many years, but the craze for it in China has just begun.
The caravan hotels in Haituo Valley are all American Jayco caravans. The interior space of the RV is still very large, basically independent bedroom, living room and bathroom are included, living here is not much different from living at home.
The caravan hotel here basically covers an area of 600 square meters in a single camp, and there is a tent beside each caravan as an auxiliary. You can play in the tent during the day and go back to sleep in the caravan at night.
Of course, here, in addition to falling asleep, you can also do some BBQ, picnic and so on. Wouldn't it be nice to look at the distance and enjoy delicious food on the grass.
The caravan camp also has an exclusive area, and the experience of staying is still relatively high. Compared with tent hotels, it is more suitable for young people, but here is more suitable for family travel.
【Some small surprises in Ruilan Hotel】
In Haituo Valley, in addition to tent camping and caravan hotels, there is also a Ruilan Hotel. This hotel is built according to the standard of star hotels. Compared with the first two, the environment is better, and the experience of staying is naturally better. It's even more comfortable.
As soon as I walked into this area, I saw the slogan "Accompaniment is true love". Coming here for vacation is a process of companionship.
The architectural style of Ruilan Hotel is more Western-style. The rooms are built against the mountain. Some small details always make people think that they are in Switzerland, which is very delicate.
There are two important places in Ruilan Hotel, one is if book bar, and the other is Taotaro.
The book bar is mainly used for people to rest. The space is not too big, but there are special people in charge, so the room is very quiet. There are rooms on the left and right sides of the second floor here, all of which can be entered, and there are quite a lot of experience items inside.
First, I met a place where clay is made here. Generally, there are many people when activities are held, and there are special teachers to teach how to make embryos. It happened to be noon when we came and it was empty.
In the two rooms on one side of the hall, one is full of magazines and books, and the other is potted plants and delicate bowls.
The entrance to the other room is a place for reading. The bookshelves are full of various types of books. If you want to read here in the afternoon, you will not be bored.
I sat on the sofa and read books for a while. Some of them were works I was familiar with, and I had read many times when I was a student.
But to say that the most surprising encounter is probably this small room.
When you walk into the room, you will be greeted by old tapes all over the wall. In this era when listening to music is already dependent on mobile phones and computers, it is not easy to still see the popular tapes of the last century.
I said, maybe you can find Su Youpeng's tapes here.
As soon as the words fell, my father said, do you think it belongs to your old Su? When I saw that it was really his, the 1999 tape mainly contained some classic songs from his early years.
As Alec Su's "brainless fan" who has half-retired, he naturally took pictures when he saw it. I don't know why, seeing such a tape is like seeing the past, the golden age of the Chinese music scene.
And Su Youpeng, who debuted as the Little Tigers, also happened to catch up with that era. Later, I found 4 tapes of the Little Tigers on this wall, but unfortunately these are not for sale, so I can only take photos to see.
Finally, take a photo at the window, and leave the memory of this place in the photo.
Tao Taro is more a good place for children, and the interior decoration of the room will be more cartoon and cute, which is very suitable for children to play here by themselves.
When I came here, there was a girl in a little princess dress who was playing Lego so intently that no one could influence her. Her parents should be going to do other things, leaving her alone, and there will be someone to take care of her here, so the parents can rest assured.
At the entrance of Ruilan Hotel, there is a waiting platform for scenic traffic vehicles. Stand here and wait for the bus to the next destination.
[Nine Black Pine Forest Cycling Club, the fun of coffee and cycling]
If you think that coming to Haituo Valley is only for leisure, and it is a relatively gentle itinerary, then you are very wrong. Here, there is also a black pine forest cycling theme park, so a black pine forest cycling club has also been derived.
In the Black Pine Forest Cycling Club, you can drink coffee and enjoy afternoon tea here. Sitting indoors, your eyes are full of cycling themes. Sitting outdoors, blowing the breeze and looking at the open scenery is also a good experience.
In the afternoon, there are a lot of people here, most of them are small groups of family and friends. Walking in here, the mellow smell of coffee is everywhere, and the air is a little sweet.
Sitting in the open-air seats, listening to music with the wind blowing, you can feel the petty bourgeois life in Beijing.
Black Pine Forest Cycling Theme Park is a cycling park built by Haituo Valley for cyclists with an investment of millions. Here, cyclists can get the greatest satisfaction. Of course, it doesn’t matter if you are not particularly professional. Here are Professional TO leads the team, so that you can immediately experience what is "freedom like the wind".
There are professional mountain off-road vehicles here, as well as high/middle/junior tracks. It is a "knight" experience that the whole family can play.
Come here and start a friendly competition along the professional track. After staying in the city for a long time, the life pressure is high, and the physical function will also decline. Come here to exercise, you can ride more and more healthy.
【Pick up Haidibao Restaurant and Lawn BBQ】
In the valley, you don’t have to worry about eating. There are also restaurants here. The most convenient and fast one is Haidibao Restaurant, which is a restaurant for discovering delicious potatoes. In addition to potatoes, it is also paired with meals such as burgers, fried chicken, and pizza.
It's good to try these fast food once in a while. Of course, this place has become the most popular Western-style fast food restaurant in the valley.
The restaurant is very big and can accommodate many people dining at the same time.
Different from the fast food restaurants in the city, the French fries here are made of high-quality potatoes that have been baptized by high altitude and strong sunshine. The fried chicken is also selected local farm organic poultry, which has both taste and health. Take care.
In addition to Haidibao, because of the music festival in the past two days, there is an all-weather BBQ. The lawn is full of tables, chairs and parasols. When eating, you don’t have to worry about being exposed to the sun, and you can enjoy the breeze, which feels very good. good.
There are also a lot of food here, with old Beijing flavors, such as noodles with fried sauce, as well as very common cold noodles, tea eggs, and so on.
There are many seasonings here, you can add them according to your own taste.
This kind of big sausage seems to be very common, and meat lovers prefer it.
There are fried chicken, grilled skewers, grilled sweet potatoes, etc. In fact, I am not particularly interested in other things, but how can there be no skewers in summer, summer is incomplete without skewers!
Skewers with beer, summer night, perfect.
In the Haituo Valley, there is also specially provided mineral water. The packaging is custom-made. Like the road here, there are some interesting texts. Like this bottle, it says "This bottle of water has no taste. If you feel sweet , because your heart is sweet."
[Pick Up One: Overburning Summer Memories in Haituo Valley]
After dinner, the most anticipated event is the Birch Forest Music Festival.
When it was just a little dark, the music on the stage began to sound, and the lighting, stage equipment, and music were all ready, and we waited for the start of the event at 18:30.
The night here is very burning, accompanied by rock musicians, everyone present has turned into a small fan, waving the light sticks in their hands, and integrating themselves into the music.
Every band will sing several songs. Sometimes I feel that playing music in Beijing is really very atmospheric. As long as you like it, you can turn this into a career.
I also stand in the audience, like all fans, swinging with the music.
People gathered here, waving their arms, and interacting with the singers.
The night in Haituo Valley is like this, a crazy and lively night.
The light shines far away here, like the infinite horizon.
On the lawn, the picnic mat lights are still on, sitting on the grass, drinking wine, listening to songs, and talking about their own stories.
【Twelve · Epilogue】
After a long time in the busy city life, remember to slow yourself down.
Live in another environment, maybe the years will be more gentle.