Where would you choose as your destination for a summer trip? I believe that many people will turn their attention to the grassland - the heat of summer always makes people want to go to the vast grassland to enjoy the breeze. Yes, no one can resist the temptation of the grassland. Beijing, which has just experienced a new round of conditions, has finally been able to travel freely recently. So, my friends and I set off by car to the grasslands more than 200 kilometers north of Beijing.
18°C cool in summer
The extraordinaryness of 2020 has made everything in life full of uncertainty, and time has never stopped. Before you know it, it has come to midsummer August. Although there has been a lot of rain this year, the heat wave is still unabated. Driving away from downtown Beijing, the further north you go, the cooler it will be. After entering Fengning, Chengde, Hebei, I simply turned off the air conditioner, opened the windows, and breathed in the cool air.
Today, the No. 1 Grassland in North Beijing, located in Datan Town, is the Bashang Grassland that we often talked about in the past. It is more than 200 kilometers away from Beijing, and it only takes 3 hours by car. The average altitude of 1,800 meters makes the temperature here about 10 degrees Celsius lower than that in Beijing, and the average temperature in summer is only about 18 degrees Celsius. Isn’t this the coolness we all want?
There are green grasslands on both sides of the road, and galloping horses can be seen everywhere. At this time, do you want to ride the horse and raise the whip to feel the vastness of the world? This is the most beautiful season on the grassland, and there are many tourists here. It's just that many people have only heard about it, but they don't understand it. In fact, as long as you find the right place, you can have fun.
Before going to the First Grassland in Beijing, my friends and I also did enough homework, and finally chose the Great Khan Palace Scenic Spot as the destination of this trip. The Great Khan’s Palace has two scenic spots. One is the Great Khan’s Palace, which is mainly for sightseeing and mainly displays Mongolian and Yuan culture.
How does the grassland work?
Some friends may ask, grassland tour is nothing more than riding a horse, eating roasted whole lamb and living in a yurt. What is there to do in the wetland? This statement is wrong. The abundance of grasslands is closely related to water. It is the water resources of today’s Hailiutu National Wetland Park that nourishes the Bashang grasslands and creates a long history here. It's a pasture, a horse farm.
Walking into the Hailiutu National Wetland Park, it is a vast green grassland, which does not seem to be anything special. But if you use the perspective of a drone, you can clearly see a meandering river on the grassland in the air, with nine bends and eighteen bends, and the water is as bright as a mirror. In this way, the unique scenery of grassland wetlands is different.
Now that you have come to the grassland, I believe you have already figured out what to play in your heart. I think there must be grass skiing, horse riding, archery and other activities among them. Indeed, we are all on the prairie, and riding a horse must be a must. While galloping on the vast grassland, take a few more beautiful photos, so that you can get countless likes when you send them to Moments.
Compared with horse riding, grass skiing is more exciting. Slide down from a high place quickly and feel the refreshing wind blowing across your face. It is absolutely exhilarating. Compared with horse riding and grass skiing, archery is much quieter and more technical. Pull the bow and set the arrow vigorously, hold your breath and look at the three points and one line... The hunting method of the grassland people in the past has now become a grassland experience project that tourists love.
If the first few activities are played by many people on the grassland, then you can play something different here - rafting. Isn't it just floating on the water for a while? In fact, it is not easy to control this small kayak. At first I also wanted to control myself, but then I just went with the flow, having fun with the wobbles and twists and turns. By the way, it is said that you can reach Miyun in Beijing by walking along the water.
Nice show don't miss it
In addition to the experiential activities mentioned above, how can the grassland tour be less about watching performances? The town of Big Beach has a deep connection with horses, and many people here are also good at riding horses, so let's go to the equestrian show. The skilled riders made various moves on the running horses, and the audience watched intently, cheering and cheering. It is worth mentioning that for children and friends traveling with parents and children, there are small animal performances here, which are also worth seeing.
If you walk along the wooden plank road and look at it, it is not difficult to find that flowers of various colors are still blooming on the grassland in August, and the girl in Mongolian costume walks by, which brings people's thoughts to the scene of "the sky is vast and wild". In the artistic conception. If it wasn't for an unknown water bird flying up from the wetland and interrupting my thoughts, I wouldn't turn my gaze into the blue sky and white clouds, and then miss the goshawk circling in the sky.
As the back garden of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the First Grassland in North Beijing is a huge scenic spot, while the Great Khan Palace and Hailiutu National Wetland Park are the core scenic spots. Friends who want to go to Datan Town to experience the essence of grassland tour, now you know where to go? Don't forget to taste the special delicacies here, and only when you have physical strength can you continue to play the Great Khan Palace Scenic Area.
The charm of Mongolian and Yuan culture from the grassland
When you come to the grassland, what else do you think of? The endless green ocean, the wind blowing grass under the blue sky and white clouds can see cattle and sheep, a generation of Tianjiao Genghis Khan... Everyone has a prairie complex in their hearts, and the vast prairie expands people's reverie space infinitely. With curiosity about the grassland, I came to the Great Khan Palace to feel the charm of Mongolian and Yuan culture.
There are many ethnic groups who have stepped out of the grasslands and entered the stage of history. People are familiar with the Liao established by the Khitan, the Jin established by the Jurchen, and the Yuan established by the Mongols. However, Yelu Abaoji and Wanyan Aguda are obviously much less famous than Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan not only unified China, but also conquered most of Eurasia and established an empire across Eurasia.
How did Temujin, honored as Genghis Khan, build such a huge empire, and why was his army invincible? The journey in the Great Khan's Palace will reveal the answers one by one. After entering the scenic spot, there is a huge stone archway in front of you, with "Chongtian" written in Mongolian on it. This is the Chongtian Gate, and the Mongolian people regard "Cangtian" as the god of heaven, that is, "Changshengtian". It was through the protection and support of Changshengtian that Genghis Khan became a generation of Tianjiao.
On this vast grassland, there are countless sculptures of Mongolian warriors. Some of them ride horses, some draw bows, and some hold knives, reproducing the bravery of warriors hundreds of years ago. It is worth mentioning that the Mongolian cavalry can be regarded as one of the most powerful armies in the cold weapon period. This invincible force made countless opponents frightened and surrendered.
What is Genghis Khan's golden tent like?
Where did Genghis Khan, who commanded the army to conquer the east and west, strategize? His command post is called the Golden Tent, which is huge and can accommodate many people to discuss matters together. In order to be able to move easily on the ever-changing battlefield, the Golden Tent is placed on a huge car. The golden tent of the Great Khan Palace is designed as a soaring eagle, so it is also called the eagle tent. In the eyes of the Mongolian people, the eagle symbolizes a hero.
The interior of the golden account reproduces the scene of the monarch and his ministers discussing affairs in those days. Sitting in the middle is Genghis Khan Temujin, with his wife and concubines on both sides, and his capable generals on both sides under the sweat. The main characters are Sijie (also known as Simao), Siyong and four younger brothers. It is worth mentioning that tourists can change into Mongolian costumes and take pictures in the golden tent, and take a journey through time.
Continue along the main road, and the big tent not far behind the golden tent is Genghis Khan's sleeping tent, which restores the scene where Temujin asked Qiu Chuji, the head of the Quanzhen sect, for advice on immortality and the strategy of governing the country. Further back is Aobao and the Tiantai, where you can climb the steps to the top platform of the Tiantai, overlooking the panorama of the Great Khan Palace.
On the way back, you will pass by the tents of the four sons of Genghis Khan. Temujin's four sons, Jochi, Chagatai, Okudei, and Tuolei, were respectively in charge of the four major khanates, the Qinchak Khanate, the Chagatai Khanate, the Ogodei Khanate, and the Ilkhanate. Walking through the large tents representing the four major Khanates, you can learn a lot about the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties.
The Mongolian people are "a nation on horseback". To the Mongolian people, horses are as important as water is to life. On the way, there is a yurt with "a universe inside", which exhibits many saddles, stirrups and other horse gear used by Mongolians. These saddles are carefully collected from folks, and some have a history of hundreds of years. Among them, the most advanced saddles are sterling silver saddles made for nobles.
Meet the gorgeous picturesque scenery
The weather on the prairie changed as it said, and the clear and sunny day was blocked by thick clouds at some point, followed by rain. I ran back to the room in the shape of a yurt, admiring the beauty of the rain falling on the grassland through the window. Not long after, the rain cleared and the air became cooler. At this time, the beauty of the double rainbow appeared in the sky, which was so beautiful that it was intoxicating.
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun lights up the thick clouds, and the glowing red sunset covers the sky. The grassland is no longer the protagonist of this land, but the best foil for the scenery. One day in the Great Khan Palace, I experienced blue sky and white clouds, wind and rain, rainbow and sunset. Who said grassland has only one color?
After sunset, what can you expect from dinner on Prairie Nights? Roasted whole lamb is sizzling on the fire, and the air is filled with the aroma of barbecue. I believe you also like this kind of delicacy, the color and taste are irresistible. After dinner, the excitement continued. After watching the performance, we danced around the bonfire and broke the silence of the grassland night with laughter.
The night sky in the grassland is not lonely either. Fireworks burst into the sky with dazzling light, as if embroidering the sky with colorful flowers with colored threads. And the sound of fireworks exploding in the sky resounding through the sky becomes a beautiful melody for singing and dancing.
Are you still wondering how to escape from the heat this summer? In fact, it is very simple. From Beijing at 35 degrees Celsius to Fengning Beach in Chengde, Hebei at 25 degrees Celsius, you only need to drive for more than 3 hours, and the distance of more than 200 kilometers has turned the heat into a cool one. The summer trip on the first grassland in the north of Beijing is not only cool, but also the Mongolian and Yuan culture and rare colors.
Various Tips for you
Self-driving route: From Beijing to Datan Town, you can directly navigate to the destination "Great Khan's Palace". The nearest route is to take the Beijing-Chengdu Expressway and the G111 National Highway, and then turn from the Capital Ring Expressway to the G239 National Highway. The whole journey is about 280 kilometers and takes about 3 hours.
The weather in the grassland is changeable and the sunshine is strong. Pay attention to sun protection and bring rain gear. It is around 25 degrees Celsius during the day and around 15 degrees Celsius at night, so be sure to bring a thick coat to keep warm.
