Did you know there’s a Natural Reserve Just Outside Beijing?
Beijing sometimes gets a bad rap for it’s landlocked location, but the scenery just outside of the city’s ring roads is full of jaw-dropping natural beauty that’s just begging to be explored. Who needs a beach when there are glorious green mountains to climb?
For most Beijing visitors and residents, the Great Wall is often the go-to spot for a weekend escape. I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times I’ve climbed various sections of the Great Wall (from Badaling to Mutianyu, Jiankou and Jingshanling, you name it and I’ve probably hiked it), it’s really one of the best outdoor activities available in Beijing. There’s something magical about walking on the Great Wall that can only be shared through experience. The physical achievement of climbing up and down those steep stone steps with your own two feet is one thing, but understanding and appreciating the incredible history of the Great Wall and the impact it’s had on the course of China’s history brings the experience to another level. It’s truly a thrill for anyone who craves epic hikes and there are many to be found on the outskirts of Beijing.
Can you imagine a better spot for a picnic lunch?
But, always on the look-out for hiking adventures, a recent new discovery of mine is the Songshan National Nature Reserve. Located in the northwest part of Yan Qing County, about 90 kilometers from downtown Beijing, this forest park is the first and only national level nature reserve in the Beijing municipality. It is home to the largest habitat area for natural Chinese pine forest in the region and there are over 10 different scenic spots to hang out along the clearly marked pathways.
Unlike some of Beijing’s more popular hiking sites like Yunmengshan, which are crawling with hardcore Chinese hiking groups, we hardly came across any other people at SongShan.
It’s such a gorgeous park and considering it’s not far from the city center, I was surprised by how few other hikers there were. I have a feeling that the RMB 50 entrance ticket may be off-putting for many, but for us, it was worth every fen (Chinese penny) to really enjoy a long hike alongside a running spring, big rock boulders and tall pine trees.
Just Alongside this Massive Rock Formation was a Shallow Icy Stream to Soak Our Toes In
Aside from a ravenous picnic lunch and water breaks along the way, we hardly took any other stops as we were eager to get to the top. The level of hiking difficulty is rather mild, but that gave us the energy to really enjoy our surroundings and smell the fragrant sprouting flowers all along the trail.
The entire route to the top and back is probably about 6-8km and with very clearly marked paths and no possible chance of getting lost, this is a very family-friendly hike. I also noticed plenty of educational signs along the trail that teach local hikers about the unique geological formations and foliage in the area (yes, more useful and interesting than signs that read “no naked flames”).
There are meant to be more than 30 scenic spots in the area, including Mount Hai Tuo, which at 2,199.6 meters is the second highest peak in the Beijing area. In addition to the natural pine forest, there is “Bai Pu Spring, Fairy Cave, Song Yue Pool and Flying Dragon Cliff” (all very exotic names to entice you to climb that much further). Apparently, there are also local hot springs that were recommended as worth checking out, but we never came across them. Instead, we opted to find a sunny spot to soak our toes in a cool little spring, which was a perfect ending to our Saturday afternoon.
To make your trip as smooth sailing as possible, I recommend booking one of Bespoke’s full-day cars as the journey is between 90 minutes-2 hours depending on severity of traffic and you can depend on our trusted drivers to know the most efficient routes, feature in-car Wifi connection and music CD’s for your listening pleasure.
To book a Bespoke driver for a trip out to Songshan National Nature Reserve, just click here and we’ll get you sorted!
Songshan Nature Reserve Details:
- Opening Hours: 6:30AM-Sunset
- Entrance Ticket: RMB 50
- Tel: 69112634
- Website: Click here.
This article was written by Bespoke’s Marketing & Events Queen Bee, Kristen Lum, who runs Bespoke’s Street Snack and Market Tour and also happens to be the founder of LumDimSum, one of Beijing’s most read blogs offering the inside scoop on Beijing’s ever-evolving party and restaurant scene.