Live Your Best Lives
It's summer time again, and I'm sure many of you are looking for somewhere to escape the heat! For those living in Beijing, the best places to escape the summer heat are either the beach or the Bashang Grasslands!
Bashang Grasslandcheck the details
The Bashang Grassland, located in northern Hebei Province and southern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the closest natural grassland to Beijing. Also known as the First Grassland North of Beijing, it served as the imperial hunting grounds of successive Chinese dynasties. "Bashang" is a geographical term referring to a region of steeply elevated grassland. The best-preserved area is the Wulan Butong Bashang Grassland, and the term "Bashang Grassland" currently refers specifically to Wulan Butong. As a flagship itinerary of China-TravelNote, the Bashang Grassland has been meticulously crafted over the past decade. Private ranches, pastoral camps, and holiday buffets offer a unique experience for grassland tourism. The Bashang Grassland is a meadow-like grassland, unlike the typical grasslands of windblown grass with shimmering cattle and sheep. Summer, autumn, and winter offer a relaxing and summer escape, and it's also a photography paradise. The classic Windows XP desktop was filmed on the Bashang Grassland. "My Fair Princess," "The Legend of Miyue," and "Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace" were also filmed here.
Recommended months: May-October
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The Bashang Grassland in Fengning, Hebei Province is only 4 or 5 hours away from Beijing by car. It has mountains, forests, grasslands, canyons, and strange pines... The temperature here is 20℃ with a gentle breeze during the day and only 17℃ at night. You still need to cover yourself with a quilt in the morning and evening to avoid being too cool!
This summer weekend, take a self-driving trip to the grassland with friends!
Ma Town is located in Datan Town on Fengning Dam in Chengde. Fengning has been a place for raising horses since ancient times. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the State of Yan, one of the Seven Kingdoms, raised horses and soldiers here.
Later, during the Yuan and Qing dynasties, this place also became an important production area for cavalry mounts. Using "horse" as the theme of this special grassland town is truly worthy of its name.
If you're visiting Fengning with children, Horse Town is a fantastic destination. Not only can you get up close and personal with horses, but you'll also find a wide variety of rides, performances, parties, and a dazzling array of delicious food. You won't feel tired after a few days of fun! From adorable children's musicals to dazzling equestrian acrobatics, there's something for everyone, young and old!
"God of War Zhao Zilong", "Legend of Dancing Horse", "Guardian of Time" and "Grassland Silk Road" are the four must-see classic performances in Ma Town.
The magnificent Royal Stables in China Horse Town are home to the legendary "Ferghana Horses"! The Royal Stables also boast a wealth of other breeds, including the indigenous Mongolian, Sanhe, Shandan, and Northeastern draft horses, as well as imported Dutch Warmbloods, English Thoroughbreds, Gypsy, Friesian, and adorable Shetland ponies. Grab a can of carrots and feed these horses!
Would the evening be boring? Of course not! As night fell, China Ma Town lit up ablaze with lights, a passionate electronic music extravaganza, and the dancing of Ukrainian girls instantly ignited the atmosphere! Everyone sang and danced around the stage, while fireworks rose in the sky, painting the dark night sky with a vibrant array of colors.
When you arrive at the grassland, why not eat roasted whole lamb?
In Mazhen, you can enjoy authentic roasted whole lamb! The dish emphasizes the "six ways" of preparing the lamb, starting with the skin, then the meat, bones, skewers, and finally the broth. The lamb is then put on the rack and processed several times, one by one. Diners don disposable gloves and gather around the lamb to tear it apart, creating a lively atmosphere. However, those who can finish all six courses must be big eaters!
China's Mazhen Town boasts two excellent hotels: the four-star, Mongolian-style White Horse Hotel and the five-star, Tibetan-style Mengma Hotel. The spacious rooms offer stunning views, comprehensive amenities, and a small children's playground, making them ideal for families.
The Colorful Forest is also located in Datan Town, not far from Ma Town. The name "Colorful Forest" comes from the rich vegetation here, with forests alternating with meadows, wetlands bordering lakes, and trees such as larch, Scots pine, white birch, and various shrubs. The forest changes color with the seasons, giving it a vibrant, multicolored appearance. In summer, the forest is lush and verdant, and in autumn, it's sure to be a dazzling spectacle!
The Colorful Forest Resort is vast, boasting a cloud pavilion, forest pasture, agate lake, a "Treetop Footsteps" glass plank road, a Manchu folk garden, and a hotel area. You can explore each area by taking the scenic train. Of course, if you're feeling energetic, you can also take a leisurely hike along the scenic wooden plank road. The vegetation here is lush and the air is fresh. If you catch a rain shower, you might even catch a rainbow on the grassland!
Once you're in Bashang, what's a good place to get up close and personal with the cattle, sheep, and horses? For horseback riding, head to the Jungle Tribe and enjoy a leisurely stroll through the forest. Don't worry, if you don't know how to ride, there's a horseman leading the way. And if you're a skilled rider, you can even let the horseman take a break and ride your own horse!
The forest pasture is a favorite for children. Here, horses, camels, yaks, a plump alpaca family, and even sika deer roam freely. Just strolling and grazing on the grass, the children would probably be unable to walk.
Tianjing Lake is my favorite spot—as the name suggests, it resembles a "mirror of the sky," with clouds floating on its clear surface, reflecting the colors of the sky! Our train ride to Tianjing Lake coincided with a torrential downpour, and we were greeted by a rainbow in the Colorful Forest. The sun was shining, and the sky was clear—this is what Bashang should be like.
Following the path, we arrived at Tianjing Lake, a lake divided into two parts by a dam. Along the lakeside, a wooden boardwalk led to a stroll, while on one side, a transparent glass plank path crossed the water. Lush greenery surrounded us, with birch trees seemingly growing out of the lake itself, and windmills slowly turning on the hillside. It was dusk, and at dusk, Tianjing Lake, the calm waters, the lush forest, and the white windmills were bathed in a warm golden hue. At that moment, the world seemed to have fallen silent.
Accommodation: The Colorful Forest Resort has the high-end Colorful Forest International Resort Hotel, the parent-child-themed Squirrel Inn, etc., all of which have very good conditions.
In addition to these scenic spots, Fengning Bashang actually has beautiful scenery everywhere, and it is more pristine. After visiting Ma Town and the Colorful Forest, I accidentally came to Xiaobeigou Village. Unexpectedly, it is also very interesting.
Xiaobeigou Village is located in a hilly area, with rolling hills on both sides and a small lake at the foot of the hill. The lake is surrounded by lush trees and wild geese flying around, creating a beautiful scenery. There is also a horse farm in the village with many horses, and people come to ride horses in waves.
Young riders, skilled in horseback riding, sing and whip their horses across the grasslands, full of passion and enthusiasm. For a more adventurous experience, you can hire a horseman to lead the horses and stroll along the lakeside. And taking a photo while riding a horse is also a great way to capture a great photo!
Tips:
Equipment: Before we set off, our friends who often go to the dam repeatedly reminded us to bring thick clothes. As it turned out, this was a wise move!
Although the weather on the dam is cool during the day, it is OK to wear short sleeves. However, it will be colder when it rains, blows or at night. If you are doing outdoor activities, you need to wear a thick coat or a thin down jacket. After all, it is 17℃ in summer!
It was a short 2-day weekend, but it was a pleasant self-driving trip to Bashang. On the way back to Beijing, we also encountered a beautiful sunset!
