Living and working in Beijing, I always feel invisible pressure from time to time. While this city has given us too many opportunities, it also makes us have to work from 9 to 5 in order to make a living. Sometimes I will be in a trance suddenly, 24 hours a day, how much time really belongs to me? When I read "Walden Lake" when I was a student, I yearned for such a natural and simple life; after reading Sanmao, I also wanted to follow her to the Sahara to watch the sunrise and sunset in the desert. I don't like the steel and concrete in the city. After drinking and drinking all day, all I look forward to is the fragrance of birds and flowers.

So, this early summer, I took my little summer and a family of three to Gubei Water Town. When I met Gubei Water Town at the foot of Simatai Great Wall, it became my ideal town.

Before I came to Gubei Water Town, I didn't know that there would be such a fairyland around Beijing. This is a resort-style town located in Miyun District, Beijing. Behind it is the Simatai Great Wall, which was praised by the ancient architect Mr. Luo Zhewen: "The Great Wall of China is the best in the world, and the Great Wall of Simatai is the best of the Great Wall of China". This is the first time summer has come to the Great Wall and Gubei Water Town, and I find it very interesting.


With white walls and black tiles, small bridges and flowing water, although Gubei Water Town is in the north, it exudes a kind of southern gentleness. Stepping on the bluestone road, with my fingertips running across the green wall-climbing tiger on the wall beside me, I seem to have become "a girl with a grudge like a lilac" in Dai Wangshu's works. Sitting in the awning boat swaying with the water waves, looking at the winding Simatai Great Wall in the mountains in the distance, time seems to go back a few centuries.

If the town only has beautiful scenery, it would be a bit boring. The surprises brought to me by Gubei Water Town this summer are far more than that.


How to Get to Gubei Water Town

There are many transportation routes from Beijing to Gubei Water Town

① For those who want to drive by themselves, after exiting at Simatai Exit No. 24 of Jingcheng Expressway, drive to the left on the ramp on the right for about 2 minutes.

② You can also get there by train! Take Metro Line 13 in Beijing and get off at Huoying Station, walk about 323 meters to Huangtudian Station on the "Huaimi Line" and take the "Huaimi Line" train (bound to Huairou North), get off at Gubeikou Station, Take the Gubei Water Town Line from Gubeikou Station to Gubei Water Town.

③ There is also a through train from Beijing to Gubei Water Town! Take Metro Line 2 to Dongzhimen, and transfer to the Beijing-Gubei Water Town direct bus at the Dongzhimen Outer Bus Station (junction of Dongzhimen Outer Xie Street and Xiangheyuan South Street, 942 and 855 buses) to Gubei Water Town. It is expected to reach Gubei Water Town directly in 120 minutes.

④Bus route from Beijing: Take bus No. 980 from Dongzhimen, get off at Miyun West Bridge Station, transfer to bus No. 51, get off at Simatai Village Station, and walk to Gubei Water Town.

This summer, Gubei Water Town should play like this

hotel pool party

Although it is early summer, the weather has begun to be a little hot and unbearable. Even in Gubei Water Town, which is shady and cool everywhere, I can't bear it. I came to Gubei Water Town in the past few days to catch up with the summer event "Summer Fun Pool Party" in Gubei Water Town. I didn't expect such a quaint town to have such a wild moment.


The sweetness of colorful cocktails and freshly squeezed juices intertwined with super high music, and guests danced hotly with models in bikinis. After playing, I jumped into the swimming pool to cool down. I posed for pictures with props flamingo and big white horse in the swimming pool. I couldn’t believe that I was on vacation in Gubei Water Town.




Tips: Party admission fee is 128 yuan for adults and 68 yuan for children


Summer's Desire

I still remember that every time I went to the playground when I was a child, I had to pester my mother to buy myself bubble toys. I like to watch the transparent bubbles become colorful in the sunlight. In the Riyue Island Square of Gubei Water Town in early summer, Gubei Water Town gave everyone present a world only about bubbles. Looking at the children stepping on the bubbles and laughing heartily, I envy them having a carefree childhood.

Tips: The free activity time is 6.1-9.15 14:00-15:00 (subject to the actual situation of the day).

Experience traditional handicrafts and ingenuity inheritance in Gubei Water Town

Experiencing traditional handicrafts in a quaint town is another unexpected experience of my trip. There are all kinds of small shops in the streets and alleys, no matter which one I walk into, it brings me surprises. I have never tried making kites, dyeing cloth, and brewing wine. I would be at a loss at first, and then I would become addicted.

Yongshun dyeing workshop

Chinese folk traditional and unique dyeing process. The tie-dyeing process is divided into tie-dyeing and dyeing. The fabric is dyed after being tied, sewed, tied, embroidered, and clipped by tools such as yarn, thread, and rope. Yongshun Dyeing Workshop not only sells exquisite tie-dye products, but I also personally made tie-dye handicrafts here. From pattern selection to coloring to final production, seeing a work of art being born in my hands, this small square scarf has more meaning in my heart.







Sima Shaoyao

I am a non-drinker, but I am quite interested in wine making. In this winemaking workshop, I understand and participate in the ingredients and process of winemaking. The wine shop exudes a strong aroma of wine, just smelling it, the whole person is drunk.






Zhenyuan Escort

I love watching the TV series "Longmen Bodyguard Bureau", but I don't know much about the ancient industry of bodyguards. There is such a Zhenyuan Escort Bureau in Gubeishui Town, which tells the real scene of Zhang Zhenyuan's escorts receiving, discussing and delivering darts in ancient times. The arena and martial arts training ground in the escort agency highly restore the scene at that time, and as the commanding heights, you can also enjoy the majestic mountains and the Simatai Great Wall in the distance.




Playhouse

The Children's Playhouse is the favorite place of this little summer. There are too many interesting things in it, such as cars, slides, and handcraft classrooms. It is simply a paradise for children, a paradise for children. The hand-painted little squirrels on the wall are playful; the rotating slide is full of children's laughter. Summer played in it all afternoon and was unwilling to leave.







Play the Great Wall in an alternative way

Cruise breakfast

On the Yuanyang Lake reservoir, a small cruise ship has been waiting for a long time. Choose breakfast on the cruise ship, with the mountains as the background and the water as the foil. Eating breakfast in this environment, whether it is Chinese-style buns or Western-style cakes, can give you an elegant feeling. It doesn't matter what you eat, just the beautiful scenery makes me very satisfied.

Tips: Cruise breakfast needs to be reserved in advance.




Great Wall Yoga

Never thought I would do yoga on the Great Wall. In the early morning, following the Indian yoga teacher, breathing the fresh air, accompanied by quiet and melodious music, stretching the waist at the unmanned Simatai Great Wall, feeling the unity of nature and man. While relaxing the muscles and strengthening the bones, the body that has been sleeping all night is also awakened at this moment.

Tips: If you want to experience Great Wall Yoga, remember to make an appointment in advance. The fee is 100 yuan per person.



Lantern Night Tour Simatai

Luo Zhewen, a famous Chinese ancient architect, once praised the Great Wall of Simatai: "The Great Wall of China is the largest in the world, and the Great Wall of Simatai can be called the largest of the Great Wall of China." The only section of the Great Wall that is open to tourists for night tours. After enjoying the majestic Juyongguan Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall during the day, the Simatai Great Wall at night is another kind of style.


When I was a child, I was exhausted from climbing the Badaling Great Wall without going far. When my friends planned to visit the Simatai Great Wall at night, I was still a little scared. But in fact it was not as hard as I imagined. In the evening, carry a small horse lantern and walk from Gubei Water Town to the cable car station. After taking a cable car and walking for a while, you will arrive at the Simatai Great Wall. The sky is getting darker, and the lights are coming on. The night and the Great Wall and Gubei Water Town under the shadow of the lights are in harmony. The lovers snuggled together and looked at the dim lights in the distance, and the children were amused by the Kongming lantern show by the drone. At that moment, they only hoped that this moment would be frozen forever.

Tips: Ticket price: 40 yuan/person


Cycling the Great Wall

Cycling is a popular sport right now. An athlete's physique is not required, and cycling in Gubei Water Town has become another unusual way to experience the Great Wall. Cycling on the Great Wall tour route, looking at the green hills in the distance, experiencing the tranquility of the town, whether it is urgent or slow, it has a special flavor.

Tips: When riding a bicycle on the Great Wall, please pay attention to make an appointment in advance! There are two lines in total, 40 yuan/person and 100 yuan/person. The water town will provide helmets and bicycles.




Where does Gubei Water Town live?

There are dozens of boutique hotels, theme hotels and inns in Gubei Water Town. They also vary in style. Some focus on the sense of history, and the room design has strong ethnic characteristics; some are more inclined to the accommodation experience, and the comprehensive design is specially designed for families; there are also various inns along the street that make people feel extremely cordial.

Hangu Villa

What attracts me most about Hangu Villa is the camp tent in the independent area. They remind me of glass houses in Finland. Large and small white tents lie on the lawn among the trees, soaked in the aroma of Gesang flowers, and blend with nature. Breathing the fresh air at night, gazing at the stars above my head, and listening to the birds chirping, I couldn't even bear to fall asleep.

Tips: The number of camp tents is limited. The night is cool and there is a small fan. When the day is hot, you can go to the rest area to escape the heat




Mucheng Hotel

Mucheng Hotel is surrounded by quiet valleys. Its exterior design is simple and elegant, and the geometric lines of the building are full of design sense. The hotel is hidden among the mountains. The room is very large, the decoration is very modern, and it feels like a super five-star standard. The oversized glass windows in the room allow me to feel the beauty of nature when I open the windows.

The exquisite breakfast combining Chinese and Western in the hotel restaurant brings me a good mood for the day!





Firepit Hotel

Huotang Hotel moved the Hakka Tulou to Gubei Water Town. Tibetan elements are reflected everywhere in the hotel, and the Tibetan patterns and carpets in the rooms also reflect the carefulness of the designers. The novelty is that beside the bed is a bathtub made of red copper. While bathing, you can enjoy the scenery outside the window through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which is a bit too romantic. The circular open-air firepit imitating the Hakka Tulou in the hotel is the core of the hotel. From here, the night sky and the Great Wall complement each other, which is very beautiful. The flame bar and book bar on the first floor are full of strong ethnic customs.



I like the swimming pool here the most. It has a sense of design. The windows reflect in the water. The symmetry is very beautiful. The most important thing is that you can see the Simatai Great Wall opposite while swimming.


A few days is not a long time, but it means a lot to me. The beauty of Gubei Water Town reminds me that "survival" is not "life". Only by embracing nature and letting go of your body and mind can you find the true meaning of life.