Throwback Thursday: National Holiday and Other Reasons for a City Break
Throwback Thursday takes a look back into Beijing's past, using our nine-year-strong blog archives as the source for a glance at the weird and wonderful of yesteryear.
Since we have been seriously mocking the archives in the past few Throwback Thursday blogs with lake monsters and hypnosis shows, let's take it down a notch and look at some lighter, less-mockable content for some purely-positive weekend vibes.
It's that time of a year again: almost like Christmas, when some rush home to see family members, some take off on trips and some simply dread it and barricade themselves inside their apartment waiting for the storm to pass. Golden Week has almost snuck up on us again, what a joy! It is indeed a great one if you are getting a full week off of work (maybe even more if you are lucky) or if you booked tickets to a beach way, way in advance. For all the others – for whom the never-ending stream of blog posts suggesting worthy National Holiday destinations never got through – here is another one because we love talking about holidays.
On top of the usual Tianjin/Qingdao city breaks, the Beijinger (with help from the My Health Beijing blog) has in the past suggested simply taking a drive out of town and enjoy the beautiful scenery that lies just an hour or two out of Beijing. Keeping in mind that traffic is going to be even more insane than usual, we suggest you give it four hours. The landscape surrounding Beijing never ceases to amaze if you know the right spots and the ways to get there.
Back in 2010, we suggested you head west on Highway 108 and feast your eyes on the mountains and (fingers crossed) vast blue skies. Trekking in the hilly terrain should also be included in your itinerary. You could explore the Silver Fox Cave and its unique formation – said to look like an upside-down hanging fox – on foot and by hopping on a boat.
If the west does not call your name, maybe the east side will! Does "peach orchard" sound dreamy enough? What about finding your way through the wetlands of Hanshiqiao by boat, or by biking on a dry path. What about a "gondola-accessible Panshan mountain"? (Really rolls off the tongue.) Those who complain that Beijing lacks romance haven't done their homework.
While the blog post from 2010 did not mention north, it is surely one of the most common destinations when getting out of the city. Head to Changping for the Ming Tombs and surrounding woods and reservoir, or maybe all the way to Miyun and explore the shores of the toothy-looking water body and our very own yellow mountains with their natural mountain spring water. Just watch your head for loose boulders if you are walking close to the mountains.
It is theoretically possible to visit all of the places mentioned above by public transport, but unusual schedules, traffic jams and unexpected changes due to the holiday can make the trip inconvenient (to say the least) and unpleasantly long (to say the worst). You might be better off gathering a few friends who are still undecided about their holiday destination and hiring a van to take you around. Better yet, pick up a tent or other camping gear from Decathlon and wait out the holiday craze in the wilderness, looking for smoke signals from the Great Wall to tell you it's safe to come back to the city. May the strongest hiker win.
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