Beijing outdoor travel

Feel tired about museums and monuments? Want more fresh air and open spaces? So get out of the city and return to the nature. There are many kinds of outdoor activities to be joined in Beijing.

Biking

The unique and easiest way to explore Beijing is from the seat of a bike. Traveling by bike is healthy, convenient, economical and funny. The flat Beijing city has bicycle lanes on almost every street. But the most common route that bikers favor is through hutongs.

If visitors prefer the fun of biking in the mountains, Beijing suburb also has a number of places to go. Baicaowa National Nature Reserve, located in Hebei, is a perfect place for mountain-biking. It is a peaceful mountain covered by birch woods. The road is newly built, leading to the mountain top. Visitors can get there by entering Hebei along State Highway No.101 and follow the road signs.

Other biking destinations:

Fragrant Hill Mountain Biking: take bus No.56 and get off at Xidiaoyutai Station, then take bus No.733 and get off at Xiangshan (Fragrant Hill) station.

Great Wall Mountain Biking: Great Wall stretches many sections in Beijing such as Badaling, Juyongguan, Simatai and Mutianyu. Visitors can choose one section for biking in a day. Badaling can be reached by taking bus No.919 at Deshengmen Station.

Shisanling Reservoir & Ming Tombs Mountain Biking: take bus No.845 at Xizhimen to Shisanling Reservoir

Hiking

Another way to spend the weekends and holidays in Beijing is to go hiking. Mountain-hiking is probably the most adventurous outdoor activity to fill your day off. Beijing has a wealth of hiking spots on its outer reaches. The varied terrains around the city provide hikers many perfect destinations. For hiking lovers from home and abroad, Lingshan Mountain is highly recommended. Located northwest of Mentougou district, Lingshan Mountain boasts magnificent peaks, large areas of alpine meadow and rich animal and plant resources.

How to get to Lingshan Mountain: start from Fushi Road, drive along Sanjiadian (Mentougou district) – Xiaweidian – Yanchi – Junxiang – Zhaitang – Qingshui – Qijiazhuang – Shuangtangjian – Jiangshuihe and arrive at Lingshan Mountain.

Besides, visitors are suggested to take a stroll through some small villages or head to a seldom-visited section of the Great Wall. There are several hiking routes that stretch over the Great Wall around Beijing.

Other hiking destinations:

Yunmeng Mountain to Yunmeng Gorge: take bus No.916 at Dongzhimen and arrive at Huairou Bus Station, take bus No.916 (outer ring) and get off at Yujiayuan, take bus No.936 and arrive at Yunmeng Mountain.

Xiaowutai Mountain: take the long-distance bus at Xizhimen Long Distance Bus Station to Yu county and get off at Taohua town, take a minibus to Chiyabu or Xijing Hekou.

Rock-climbing

One challenging sport is to go vertical. Rock-climbing is an efficient way to release the pressure. Beijing is the hottest city for rock-climbing in China. The number of rock-climbing sites comes first in the country.

Ritan Park Rock-climbing Area

Ritan Park Rock-climbing Area covers an area of over 400 square meters and has two separate courses. The line course cliff measures 50 meters wide and 15 meters tall. There are nine passages up the cliff which offer many choices for rock climbers of different levels. The stone hugging area was built according to international standards. Mountain-climbing shoes can be rented on site.

Baihe Natural Rock-climbing Cliff

For those who want to go rock-climbing on natural cliffs, Baihe Natural Rock-climbing Cliff is a perfect place. The steep sides of Baihe River Valley are ideal for climbing. The cliffs in the valley can make climbers of any level contented. Besides, the bottom of the valley is a suggested place for camping and hiking.

Other rock-climbing site: Sidu, Longtan Lake, Olympic Athletic Park

Fishing

Fishing is indeed a good way to relax the mind and body. Around Beijing, there are many fishing ponds, gardens and lakes, natural or manmade.

Bixi Fishing Garden

Bixi Fishing Garden is located in Fangshan district, 26 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Fishers can catch grass carp, cyprinid, catfish, blunt-snout bream and so on.

How to get there: take bus No. 917 from Tianqiao (Heavenly Bridge) and get off at Fengtai Station.

Nangong Hot Spring Fishing Center

Located at the Nangong World Geotherm Expo, Nangong Hot Spring Fishing Center has five pools for fishing and one for spearing fish. There is also a special area for children to fish. Fishers can catch grass carp, cyprinid, catfish, golden trout, rainbow trout and blue shark.

How to get there: take bus No. 715 and get off at Geotherm Expo Station.

Other fishing ponds: Chaolai Agricultural Garden, Xiwa Club, Fangcao Fishing Village and Golden Dragon Fishing Garden