Live Your Best Lives
The familiar saying, "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," profoundly reflects the importance the government and the public place on environmental protection. Whenever I hear this phrase, the first place that comes to mind is Saihanba.
Since its establishment in 1962, three generations of Saihanba people have worked hard to build the world's largest artificial forest under extremely harsh natural conditions and ecological environment, creating a green miracle of turning desert into oasis and wasteland into forest.
"Saihan" is Mongolian, meaning "beautiful", and "Ba" is Chinese, meaning "high mountain".
Saihanba, once the heart of the Mulan Hunting Grounds, was praised in songs by Emperor Kangxi and poems by Emperor Qianlong. This popularity came to an abrupt end in the fourth year of the Daoguang reign. The turbulent Qing Dynasty, with its raging logging and encroachment on the hunting grounds' resources, left behind only a desolate landscape, eroded by time and wind.
It was not until 1961 that Saihanba's road to rebirth was officially launched. In 1962, a construction team of 369 people moved in. After more than 50 years of hard work, Saihanba's forest coverage rate increased from 12% to 80%, becoming a vast green ocean and returning to the true name of "beautiful Gaoling"!
Now Saihanba has become a beautiful natural scenic area and the largest national forest park in the north. It has a total of six major scenic areas and 104 attractions, including: Saihan Tower, Seven Star Lake, Taifeng Lake, Mulan Autumn Hunt Cultural Park, Luanhe Source, Golden Lotus Reflection in the Sun Viewing Garden, etc.
Route 1: Beijing - Huairou - Fengning - Guojiatun - Pailou - Turn left to Yudaokou Township Gas Station - Saihanba Forest Park Scenic Area Center
Route 2: Beijing - Chengde - Longhua - Weichang - Qipai Mountain - Saihanba Forest Park Scenic Area Center
Tips:
If you follow Baidu Navigation from Beijing to Saihanba directly, try to fill up the gas if you pass by a gas station, as there are relatively few gas stations there.
First, go to Beijing, then take a train to Siheyong Railway Station on the edge of Weichang County. There is one train departing from Beijing East and one from Beijing Station every day, and the journey time varies from 6 to 8 hours.
1. There are 12 buses to Weichang County from Beijing Liuliqiao Passenger Transport Hub every day, with a timetable of 5:40-19:30. The journey takes about 7 hours and the fare is about 113 yuan. From Weichang County, there is a bus every hour from 5:30-13:00 every day to the Mechanical Forest Farm, with a fare of about 20 yuan.
2. There is a bus from Liuliqiao Passenger Transport Hub to the Mechanical Forest Farm at 9:40 every day. The journey takes about 8 hours and the ticket price is 125 yuan.
Saihanba National Forest Park is 240 kilometers away from Chengde City, with a total area of 1.41 million mu. It is part of Mulan Hunting Ground, the royal hunting ground of the Qing Dynasty.
Summers here are exceptionally cool, with temperatures never exceeding 25°C, making it a truly ideal summer retreat. With its diverse flora and fauna, it's known as "the source of water, the home of clouds, a world of flowers, an ocean of forests, and a paradise for rare birds and animals."
Arriving on this vast grassland, galloping on horseback and fully experiencing the thrill of the wind and lightning is probably the most important activity. The horseback riding sites in Saihanba are mainly concentrated on the shores of Yanming Lake, west of the Mechanical Forest Farm.
Tips:
There is a unified horse team for tourists to choose from, and the fee is 50 yuan per person per hour, so you don’t need to worry about being ripped off here and you can ride with confidence.
If you visit Saihanba in mid-August, you will see all kinds of mushrooms popping up in the forest after heavy rain, most of which are edible. You can ask the locals for advice, take a bag and go mushroom picking in the forest. You can also bring the freshest mushrooms to your accommodation and ask the restaurant chef to cook you delicious mushroom dishes.
Tips:
Although mushrooms are delicious, you must be cautious and carefully identify them before eating!
Saihan Pagoda, with a base four meters high, a tower body 42.8 meters tall, and a span of 21 meters, features seven stories and octagonal archaeological structures. It serves as a lookout for forest fires, ecotourism, a re-enactment of the Mulan Autumn Hunt, Buddhist displays, and photography opportunities for the four seasons of the Great Wall. Climbing Saihan Pagoda offers panoramic views of the vast forests of Qianliba.
Tips:
Ticket price: 20 yuan (since this is a private place, you can bargain with the ticket seller)
There is an elevator inside the tower that you can take to the top of the tower
Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong came here to hunt. When he was riding on the eastern mountain and looking into the distance, he saw the mirror-like lake surface winding like a jade ruyi, so he named this place Ruyi Lake, also known as Taifeng Lake.
The surface of Taifeng Lake is as calm as a mirror, crystal clear and sparkling. The reservoir is surrounded by pine trees, fir trees, willow trees and birch trees. The grass in the woods is dotted with colorful wild flowers, making it extremely quiet.
How can you come to Saihanba and not see the herd of yaks on the dam? This is also the only place on the entire dam where there are yaks. This location is very close to the windmill array. It should be noted that there are many yaks blocking the road here. Since yaks are ferocious by nature, it is not recommended that you get off the car to see them.
Kangxi's Generals' Platform, also known as the "Dragon-Shaping Platform," is located in the Yinhe Scenic Area of the Forest Park. It stands as a single, isolated rock, shaped like a crouching tiger, with a narrow platform at the top and flat, open terrain surrounding it. Legend has it that after the victory at the Battle of Ulan Butong, Emperor Kangxi ascended this platform to review the victorious Qing troops, hence the name "Dragon-Shaping Platform." Today, the platform is surrounded by a planted larch forest for over ten kilometers. From the platform, one can gaze upon the rolling green sea and the gentle breeze. One can truly appreciate the grandeur of Emperor Kangxi's military review, only now the uniformly aligned larch trees have replaced the Qing soldiers of three hundred years ago.
The Golden Lotus Garden is located 500 meters west of Saihanba City. Its unique geographical environment provides a good growth environment for Golden Lotus.
Being in the viewing garden is like being in a sea of golden lotus. Bathed in the sunshine, the golden lotus flowers sway in the wind, creating a spectacular sight of "golden lotus reflecting the sun".
Qixing Lake Wetland Park, also known as Qixing Lake False Sage Grass Wetland Park, is located three kilometers north of Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm and covers an area of 1 million square meters.
There are seven natural lakes of varying sizes and shapes distributed in the wetland. If viewed from the air, they look like the Big Dipper in the sky, so they are called the Seven Star Lakes.
The source of the Luan River is located at the boundary between Hebei Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is the boundary river between Keshiketeng Banner, Inner Mongolia and Weichang County, Hebei Province.
The black Lightning River and the silver Black Wind River meet here, forming the Luan River. In Mongolian, the source of the Luan River means "Tuligen River", which means winding and narrow.
Saihanba has a very rich variety of biological and plant species, so it is known as a photographer's paradise. Summer and autumn are the most suitable seasons for photographing Saihanba's vegetation, and spring, summer and autumn are good seasons for photographing animals!
Every year from early April to mid-May in Bashang, it is the season for the black grouse to mate and hold cockfighting competitions. The black grouse is a precious national second-level protected bird.
At this time, several male black grouse will set up a "competition for mates" arena. This year, the snow still fell in April in Bashang, but it still couldn't stop the black grouse's passion for courtship, and it also attracted photographers from all over the country to focus their lenses on them.
In the relatively flat areas, you can see a group of giant windmills. It is shocking to see a group of windmills turning for ten minutes. This is also an excellent photography spot.
In summer, the wild flowers on the grass and the windmills in the distance complement each other beautifully. Using windmills as the foreground for taking pictures of the starry sky at night is also a good choice!
Saihanba is most famous for its ten thousand mu pine forest. The pine forest in Saihanba is larch. Especially in autumn, due to the diversity of tree species, the forest presents colorful colors, and the clouds in the sky present a very beautiful light and shadow effect.
Because the vegetation coverage rate of Saihanba's tens of thousands of acres of mountain forests is extremely high, it provides a very good shelter for wild animals, thus maintaining biodiversity here and becoming a paradise for animal photography enthusiasts!
The Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm in the middle of this picture is the center of Saihanba Forest Park. There are dozens of hotels and nearly a hundred restaurants in the mechanical forest farm, which can fully meet your needs for food, accommodation and transportation.
The overall accommodation conditions at Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm are good, and most of the hotels are of express and three-star standards.
Recommended hotels: Lingyun Holiday Hotel, Dingsheng International Hotel, Saihan Jinding Holiday Hotel
Tips:
Rooms are in short supply during the summer and holidays, so friends who are going to play must book a room in advance!
Zhama Banquet is a unique celebration banquet of the Mongolian people, where a whole cow or sheep is served. Zhama, in Mongolian, means a whole animal with its hair removed. It means that after the cattle or sheep are slaughtered,
Use hot water to remove the hair, remove the internal organs, roast or boil it and serve it on the table, accompanied by singing and dancing music, so that you can fully experience the Mongolian Yuan culture.
How can you go to the dams of Saihanba and not try the lamb shanks? The mutton on the grasslands is plump and tender. Place the lamb shanks on a charcoal grill, turn them over and roast them, then brush them with seasoning. The lamb shanks sizzle and ooze oil over the fire, filling the air with fragrance. This delicacy can be found everywhere in Saihanba.
The golden lotus is almost unique to Saihanba. Every July and August, the golden lotus blooms on the dam, creating a golden scene that is quite spectacular.
Golden lotus can be used as medicine and can also be used to make tea. It can clear the heart and eyes, moisten the lungs and relieve internal heat, and has a long aftertaste. It is known as the "best tea outside the Great Wall."
Saihanba is famous for two types of noodles: silver thread noodles and cat ear noodles. Silver thread noodles are made from buckwheat flour and, as their name suggests, resemble strands of silver threads. They are smooth, crispy, and refreshing, and were even a favorite of the Qing imperial court.
Cat's ear noodles are made by kneading oat flour and rolling it on top of sorghum straw. Because they look like cat's ears, they are called cat's ear noodles. They should be the favorite noodles of the locals.
There are many varieties of white mushrooms in Saihanba. They can be made into braised dishes, used as stuffing, or used as a side dish for soup. When you go to Saihanba, you must have a few delicious meals there and take some home. They are also great as souvenirs.
Saihanba's bracken and white mushrooms are equally famous and both are top-notch dishes. Whether served cold, in soup, or stir-fried, they both have a unique flavor.
In spring, the ice and snow melt, all things begin to grow, and life is everywhere; the birds and animals in the forest also become active!
April-May: outing and tree planting
The golden lotus in the swamp blooms in patches, swaying in the wind, as well as the bright red wild lilies, purple copper gong flowers, and snow-white celery.
June to August is the most beautiful season in Saihanba, with green mountains, clear waters and lush vegetation. You can escape the summer heat, ride horses and have bonfire parties.
The blue sky and white clouds on the dam seem to be within reach, with various shapes and colors, making people feel relaxed and happy;
September-October: Photography, sketching, and viewing the golden autumn leaves
Here, the ice and snow are floating, and the whole place is covered with silver, which has infinite charm and makes people sigh: What a beautiful northern scenery.
November-March: Skiing, skating, photography
Saihanba is such a place. It can satisfy your yearning for grassland and your longing for thousands of acres of forest. Here you can experience snowy winters and midsummers with flowers in full bloom.
This place can satisfy all your yearning for travel, as well as the indomitable Saihanba spirit. Don’t hesitate, follow our steps and come to make a pilgrimage to this travel holy land!
