Qinglong Gorge (qīng lóng xiá 青龙峡) has verdant mountains, crystal-clear water and the ancient Great Wall of China that are about twenty kilometers to the north of downtown Huairou County (huái róu xiàn 怀柔县), northern Beijing. The scenic area has an area of 150 hectares and it is being divided into southern and northern parts by a big Miyun Reservoir (mìyún shuǐ kù 密云水库) and a majestic dam. The southern one is tranquil flowing stream in which boats can be sailed while the northern is a high ground lake that boat and ferry services are provided, also you can swim in the lake or play football and volleyball on the beach along the lake's bank. Exciting and breathtaking activities such as Bungee Jump, cliff climbing and prompt drop that you can take part on the eastern bank ; Enemy Watching Tower built in the Ming Dynasty is a well preserved architectural relic on mountain top.

The ancient Great Wall that traverses along the Qinglong Gorge was first constructed during the reign of Emperor Shenzong (shéng zōng 神宗) (1573-1620) of the Ming Dynasty (míng cháo 明朝). This part of the Great Wall connects with Simatai Great Wall (sī mǎ tái cháng chéng 司马台长城) in Miyun (mì yún 密云) in the east, and Mutianyu Great Wall (mù tián yǜ cháng chéng 慕田峪长城) in the west. The wall was built with rocks or bricks with a rock base. The wall and a dozen of beacon towers well preserved today still show its ancient features after several hundred years. This makes the place one of the famous sections of the Great Wall in the ancient cultural heritage of China. Situated between the mountain area and the plain, one may see, on the wall, the Miyun Reservoir in the east, rural scen¬ery of north Beijing in the south, the ancient Great Wall in the west and ranges of mountains with trees in the north.

The lake at the foot of the Great Wall is situated between mountains on both sides. It can be toured by taking a yacht, a dragon boat, an an¬cient-style boat or a luxury pleasure boat. The mountain there is just like Huangshan Mountain; the gorge there is just like the Three Gorges along the Yangtze River while the water there is just like Lijiang River in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

How to get there.

Bus 916 from Dongzhimen (dōng zhímén 东直门) bus station, by bus2 or taxi to Qinglongxia
Bus 936 to Qinglongxia directly
Admission 15yuan, free for child under 1.2m

Tips
1.You had better ware sports shoes, it is more comfortable.
2. Please comply with the local rule of law.

tags: Travel in Shanxi      Travel in Tibet