Beijing: Hongluo Temple-Qingling Gorge-Mutianyu Great Wall

The Hongluo Temple is located the south foot of Hongluo Mountain, 5 kilometers north of central Huairou District, 55 kilometers away of downtown Beijing. Covering a total area of 800 hectares, it is now a AAAA level national tourist area. Hailed as “the first temple of northern Beijing”, Hongluo Temple has been the holy land of Buddhism in the history and also the birth land of Qigong (a system of deep breathing exercises) in Beijing. Original built in 378 A.D., and expanded in the flourishing Tang Dynasty, it is originally named “Daming Temple” or “Huguo Temple”. At the foot of the mountain, there is a “Pearl Spring”. Legend has it that there are two dark red(“hong” in Chinese)Margaryamelanoides (“luo” in Chinese), hence its name “Hongluo Mountain”, and the temple is commonly known as “Hongluo Temple”.

Qinglong Gorge is 20 kilometers north of Huairou District. It is a beautiful natural scenic spot which integrate green mountains, clear water and ancient Great Wall together. The grand dam divides the scenic spot into two parts.

Mutianyu Great Wall is also located in Huairou District, 73 kilometers away of downtown Beijing. As the essence of the Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall, it is one of the famous section of the Great Wall in Beijing. In 1987, Mutianyu Great Wall was selected as “one of the 16 views of new Beijing”. And in 2002, it was rated as a AAAA level scenic spot. For most people who join a Beijing Xian tour, they are more likely to go to the Badaling Great Wall, but I prefer the Mutianyu Great Wall, because there are always too many tourists in Badaling.

In the Xian tour, it will provide you another great project of wall of Ming Dynasty, that is the 600-year old Xian City Wall.