A 400-year-old village with more than 70 preserved courtyards, Cuandixia village is a popular day trip, located about 90km away from Beijing. The village is sometimes called the “Potala Palace” of the Beijing region due to its location on a slope. While that may be a bit of a stretch, the area and surrounding scenery is beautiful and makes for a good 12-to-36-hour escape if you have returning visitors who can’t be bothered going to the Great Wall yet again.

How to get there: The ride to Cuandixia is a beautiful 2-2.5-hour-drive. One of the easiest ways to get there is to book a driver beforehand. Alternatively go to Pingguoyuan Station, at the west end of Line 1, and from there you can either get a taxi or a bus. Take bus 892 to Zhaitang (this takes about two hours and 20 minutes), which is 6km from Cuandixia. From Zhaitang, take a taxi, which should cost about RMB 10 per person. If you jump in a taxi straight from Pingguoyuan you will probably pay around RMB 150 – make sure to agree on a price beforehand.

What to see: Once you get close to the village you’ll have to pay the RMB 35 entrance fee to Cuandixia scenic area. From the car park (and the drop-off spot for taxis and cars), you can walk up the mountain facing the village for hiking opportunities, to visit the nearby temples, and to reach the perfect altitude to take some snaps overlooking the village. Within the village itself, you can stroll around for about an hour to see some of the traditional houses and courtyards, as well as the old Maoist slogans that still adorn the walls. Some remnants of traditional village life have been retained too, including traditional cooking styles, showcased in the various restaurants dotted around, which double as perfect venues to stop and relax.

What to eat: Traditional dishes up in the hills of Cuandixia include a lot of wild greens. For example, try the mixed lily magnolia buds, or ban mulanya, which is a popular local dish. Alternatively, there are a few different dishes that are made using mountain mushrooms, or shanmo, for example pork fried with mountain mushrooms (rouchao shanmo), or chicken stew with mountain mushrooms (xiaoji dun shanmo). Most restaurants throughout the village serve these dishes. Pick a busy restaurant popular with locals to ensure that ingredients are as fresh as possible.

Where to sleep: The village is dotted with guesthouses, courtyards, inns, and people’s homes which are opened up to tourists a little later in the year. Just walk around and ask whether people have rooms available, check the room out in advance, and agree on your price. Most courtyards have fairly basic but acceptable facilities.

By:Margaux Schreurs(thebeijinger)
Photos: Margaux Schreurs