Live Your Best Lives
If you want to check in to the long-dreamed-of north during the hot summer, and also plan to go to the prairie you long for to let go and have fun, and don’t want to miss the must-see summer activity - a seaside vacation, then I suggest you go this way: Beidaihe seaside vacation + Chengde Mountain Resort + Ulan Butong Bashang Grassland, cross the ocean to the grassland, and have a diversified journey!
Beidaihe is a well-known tourist destination in northern China. Located in Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, Beidaihe District is one of my country's four major summer resorts (the others are Jigong Mountain in Xinyang City, Henan Province, Mogan Mountain in Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, and Lushan Mountain in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province).
Beidaihe's coastline is located west of Qinhuangdao, just a 2-3 hour drive from Beijing, Tianjin, and other cities. It's an ideal path and resting place for migratory birds. Beidaihe boasts neither scorching summers nor freezing winters. Its clean waters and fine sands create a refreshing summer breeze, bringing a refreshing coolness. It has become a popular summer retreat for surrounding cities.
Although Beidaihe is just a district of Qinhuangdao, there is a high-speed rail station within it - Beidaihe Station. This station is not far from the seaside and can be reached by taxi in only 20 minutes.
If there is no direct train from your city to Beidaihe Station, you can also consider taking the train from Qinhuangdao Station or Qinhuangdao East Station.
If your province is far from Hebei Province, you can also consider flying. Qinhuangdao's only airport is located in Beidaihe District, but Beidaihe Airport is located in the suburbs, 40 kilometers from the city center. Therefore, it is recommended to take the high-speed rail to Beidaihe.
Tips:
After arriving in Beidaihe, it is recommended to take a taxi with Didi Chuxing. If you choose to take a taxi, you need to ask whether it is metered or a fixed price. If it is a fixed price, you need to negotiate the price in advance to avoid unnecessary trouble caused by the driver's arbitrary price increase.
If you want to live near the sea and have more convenience for sightseeing, the price will definitely be more expensive. It is recommended to book a room in advance on some free travel platforms before traveling. After all, summer is a super peak season for tourism in Beidaihe, and the price fluctuations of hotel rooms are relatively large. Booking early will be relatively cost-effective.
Many people come to Beidaihe for another purpose, which is bird watching.
Tips:
Mid-March to late May and early September to mid-November each year are the best time to travel to Beidaihe and the best season for bird watching.
If you want to birdwatch and enjoy the sunrise over the sea, head to Dove's Nest Park, considered the symbol of Beidaihe District. On a cliff overlooking the sea, formed by a geological fault, stands a massive rock shaped like an eagle, earning the name Eagle Rock. Over 20 meters high, the rock used to be home to flocks of pigeons, hence the name "Dove's Nest."
Tips:
Dove Nest Park is located at No. 25, Gechi Road, Beidaihe District. It is not only the best place to watch the sunrise over the sea in Beidaihe, but also an excellent spot for bird watching.
Due to the high reputation of Dove Nest, there is a fee for admission. About Dove Nest Tickets and Opening Hours:
[Peak season: May to September] 3:00-18:00, ticket price: 25 yuan
[Off-season: October to April] 8:00-18:00, ticket price 5 yuan
Tips:
There are usually a lot of people in the morning, and the toll booths are basically crowded. If you plan to take some big pictures, it is recommended that you go there early.
If you are lucky, you may even witness the sunrise in Beidaihe in the early morning. The spectacular sight of the red sun setting over the sea of love may make you unable to tell whether it is sunrise or sunset.
In fact, Beidaihe is not only a place for recuperation and leisure, but also has mouth-watering fresh seafood. From the must-eat Beidaihe mantis shrimp to crabs and oysters, the variety of seafood is dazzling, which is one of the reasons why people can't give up Beidaihe.
In the summer, especially during the summer holidays, Beidaihe is packed with people, and prices tend to rise significantly. As for seafood, if you're too lazy, you can choose to eat around the scenic area, but it's recommended to check out some well-received and highly rated restaurants on Dianping.com first.
If you have time, it's best to buy your own seafood at places like Shitang Road Market or Binhe Road Market and then prepare it yourself. This is economical and fresh. But remember to ask for the price and the weight, and you can even try to bargain a little (this is where you need to act like a local; even if you're not a local, pretend you've lived here a long time!).
Tips:
If you ask the seafood market to process the products for you, there may be some fraudulent activities, so please be careful in your choice and beware of some merchants who try to shortchange you on weight.
There are actually many ways to eat seafood, such as steaming, grilling, frying, etc. It depends on personal preference, but my favorite is the salt and pepper mantis shrimp. When I saw the picture, I really want to go over and eat and drink it right away!
If you like swimming when you come to Beidaihe, you can make good use of your time. The softness of the sand and the purity of the water in Beidaihe are well known to people in the north.
The beaches along the entire coastline are basically free bathing areas except for Tiger Rock Park. Although there is a fee, Tiger Rock Park is still the most visited beach. In July and August every year, the beach here will definitely be crowded because the ticket is only 8 yuan per person, which is very cheap!
But one thing to note is that you cannot bring your own swimming rings here because the waves are so strong that it is unsafe to bring your own swimming rings and it is easy to get into an accident. So you must rent the park's standard black tire swimming rings, which cost 40 yuan each.
Another point to note is that staff members are not allowed to bring any personal water toys into the sea (there are many staff members who will stop them as soon as they see them), and children are not allowed to go into the sea without swimming rings.
The entire Tiger Rock beach is generally flat, suitable for children to play here, and the overall feeling of the photos taken is very good.
Tips:
1. Be careful of jellyfish when swimming at the beach. If you are stung, you need to go to the hospital or health center immediately for treatment.
2. There are often many merchants soliciting customers to take boat rides at the entrance of the scenic area. It is not recommended to take a boat ride here because there is no safety guarantee!
3. If you want to swim or dive, it is recommended to stay away from the reefs, because some of the underwater reefs are very slippery, some have sharp edges, and the sea water makes it difficult to see clearly. Therefore, many tourists get their feet scratched by the reefs every year, so you should pay special attention to this.
Since you're in Beidaihe, why not visit the renowned Shanhaiguan? Located at the eastern end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, Shanhaiguan Scenic Area is one of the most important passes in the eastern section of the wall and the only place where it meets the sea. It forms a strategic connection with Jiayuguan in the western section, earning it the reputation of "the first pass in the world." The pass is nestled against the Yanshan Mountains to the north and borders the Bohai Sea to the south, earning it the name Shanhaiguan. It also marks the boundary between Hebei and Liaoning.
Shanhaiguan Pass, with a circumference of approximately 4 kilometers, is connected to the Great Wall. The Ming Dynasty walls within the ancient city are well-preserved, and the main streets and alleys have largely remained in their original state, lending the city a touch of elegance and simplicity. The most striking feature of the ancient city is the Zhenyuan Tower at the east gate, also known as the "First Pass Tower in the World." Standing tall atop the Great Wall, the tower offers a commanding view of the surrounding landscape. Climbing the tower offers a panoramic view of Shanhaiguan Pass and the scenery beyond.
Laolongtou, located 5 kilometers south of Shanhaiguan District in Qinhuangdao City, is the eastern section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall where it meets the sea. During the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall spanned towering mountains and curved like a giant dragon into the Bohai Sea, hence the name Laolongtou.
Laolongtou consists of a stone city entering the sea, Jingluotai, Nanhaikou Pass and Chenghai Tower. It is the only naval and land military defense system of the Great Wall that integrates mountains, seas, passes and cities.
Tips:
Scenic area opening hours:
Peak season 07:00-17:30
Off-season 07:30-17:00
If you are traveling independently, you can consider buying tickets on Ctrip.com. You can buy them separately for 50 yuan for the First Pass under Heaven and 40 yuan for the Old Dragon Head.
When you have finished your trip to Beidaihe, you can consider continuing north.
If you drive directly from Beidaihe to the grassland, the distance is a bit long and it will take most of the day to drive, and it will be physically tiring. In this case, Chengde is a good transit station.
After all, it is a summer vacation trip, so here I would like to recommend to you the famous Chengde Mountain Resort, which is located between the sea and grassland.
Construction began in 1703 and took 89 years to complete during the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. It served as the emperor's second office during the scorching summers of North China. With its simple and elegant rural charm, the resort draws inspiration from the natural landscape and incorporates the scenery of both the south and north of the Great Wall. It is the largest surviving ancient imperial palace in China. It is also considered one of my country's Four Great Gardens, along with the Summer Palace in Beijing, the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou, and the Lingering Garden.
The local people in Chengde call it "Chengde Summer Palace", also known as "Palace" or "Rehe Palace". The entire Summer Resort is divided into four major parts: palace area, lake area, plain area, and mountain area. The "Palace" with distinct four seasons attracts many guests in every time period.
Tips:
According to the current management regulations of the Mountain Resort, only one-way visits are allowed in the museum area, i.e. entering through Lizheng Gate and exiting through Xiuyun Gate, and returning is not allowed.
Lizheng Gate is the first of the 36 scenic spots of Emperor Qianlong. As a landscape, the political value of Lizheng Gate is obviously higher than its ornamental value. The majestic and ferocious lion of Emperor Qianlong, the dismounting stone for "civil officials getting off their sedan chairs and military officials getting off their horses", the plaque with Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian, Uyghur and Tibetan characters symbolizing national unity, and the name derived from "the sun and the moon are bright in the sky" all show the feudal ruling atmosphere of this palace.
Mountain Resort opening hours:
08:00~17:30
fare:
Peak season (April 1st - October 31st): 130 yuan;
Standard season (November 1st - March 31st): 90 yuan
There are more than 120 groups of large and small buildings in the entire Summer Resort. Among them, there are 36 scenes composed of four characters by Kangxi, and 36 scenes composed of three characters by Qianlong. Together, they form the famous 72 scenes of the resort.
Although there are many attractions in the Summer Resort, it takes about half a day to walk around it. There are also sightseeing buses and Rehe cruises in the scenic area for tourists to take at their own expense.
If you're feeling energetic during your evening in Chengde, we recommend catching the "Kangxi Ceremony of the Prosperous Dynasty," the world's first large-scale outdoor live performance focused on imperial culture, showcasing the legendary life of Emperor Kangxi. The performance draws on Chengde's unique natural and cultural elements. Tickets can be booked by searching for "Kangxi Ceremony of the Prosperous Dynasty" on various independent travel websites.
After a day of transit at the Chengde Mountain Resort, it's time to head straight to the long-awaited prairie! Located in northern Hebei Province and southern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the Bashang Grassland is the closest natural grassland to Beijing. Also known as the First Grassland North of Beijing, it was once the royal hunting grounds of successive Chinese dynasties.
Bashang is a geographical concept, specifically referring to an area where grasslands rise suddenly. The best preserved one today is the Ulan Butong Bashang Grassland, so the current concept of "Bashang Grassland" mostly refers specifically to Ulan Butong. There are also others such as Fengning Bashang, Guyuan Bashang, Zhangbei Bashang, Grassland Sky Road, etc.
From Chengde, you can first navigate to the Yudaokou Scenic Area, and then navigate to Ulanbutong, the most essential grassland heartland. (Going through Saihanba is the closest route, but Saihanba requires an additional entrance fee of 130 per person, which is not very cost-effective, so it is recommended to enter the grassland from Yudaokou.)
The ticket price for entering the Ulan Butong Grassland is 120 yuan per ticket. Currently, the ticket office of the Ulan Butong Scenic Area only accepts cash, so you should prepare enough cash before purchasing the ticket.
Tips:
After getting the ticket, please be sure to keep it until you leave the grassland, because during your visit to the grassland, some scenic spots, such as Princess Lake, are located outside the core management area, and you will have to pass through the ticket gate when entering and exiting, where staff will check your tickets.
The Bashang Grassland is cool in the summer, and most people come here to escape the heat. Take Wulan Butong, for example, where the average summer temperature (June to August) is 15-25 degrees Celsius. Aside from high UV rays during the day and the intense midday sun on sunny days, sleeping at night rarely requires air conditioning. Sometimes, when the temperature is naturally low, you might even need to wrap yourself tightly in a blanket. As a result, Wulan Butong hotels generally lack air conditioning.
Hotel types: There are simple and comfortable types, more boutique types of accommodation, and luxurious resorts.
Since you're on the grassland, barbecue, roasted whole lamb, oat noodles, yogurt, and lamb offal soup are essential. If you visit Ulan Butong, you'll usually stay at the Hongshan Military Horse Farm on the grassland. There's a main street on the farm, lined with restaurants, shops, and specialty stores.
Personally, I think the three best restaurants are "Bashang Grassland Pastoral Hotel", "Narimanda" and "Gaowa Mongolian Cuisine".
Recommended dishes are oat noodles and mutton offal soup, which are available in almost every restaurant.
Mutton offal soup is also a famous dish in North China. It can be said to be a very tonic dish. The main ingredients are sheep tripe, sheep liver, sheep lungs, and sheep intestines. If you have a weak stomach, you can try it once. The effect is quite good. In Wulanbutong, the price is generally 15 to 30 yuan per bowl.
Oatmeal is flour made from oatmeal. In Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, and the Bashang region of Hebei, it's a general term for oatmeal noodles. The price of a Ulanbutong is around 30 yuan per portion, depending on the size.
Tips:
1. Compared to southern dishes, northern dishes are very generous and generous. So when you go to the grassland, you can order a little less to avoid waste.
2. Some cooking methods of northern dishes may be different from those commonly used by southerners, so you can consult the waiter about this when ordering.
3. The taste of northern cuisine is also relatively strong. Usually, many southerners’ first impression of the taste there is “salty”. Therefore, if you usually have a lighter taste, remember to remind the waiter when ordering to add less salt!
On the grasslands, you'll be greeted by blue skies and white clouds, as well as herds of cattle, sheep, and horses. There's a wide variety of activities to try: sandboarding, horseback riding at the local racecourse for 200 yuan, a gentle sunrise and a romantic sunset, a sophisticated buffet, and even fun sports events that will transport you back to your childhood. If you can imagine it, the Bashang Grasslands have it all.
A panoramic summer escape might be described in one word as "tiring," two as "beautiful," three as "perfect," and four as "worth the trip." In the scorching heat of North China, a few days of escape from the summer heat is a truly remarkable experience.
