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Autumn colours
By Li Jing (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-10-22 08:52
The falling foliage of autumn delights colour-enthralled tourists and the
Fragrant Hills in northwest Beijing is not the only place to watch this autumn's
scenery around Beijing can be found anywhere.
According to the Beijing
Forestry Bureau, a 230-km belt of red leaves will appear around the outskirts of
Beijing, an achievement finally realized by the bureau's "Red Leaves
Project," which started in 2000.
The following are suggested places to be
captivated by the ever-changing season.
Fragrant
Hills
 In Beijing, the Fragrant Hills (Xiangshan Park) are still
the first choice for tourists who want to enjoy the leaves of autumn, despite
the weekend crowds and traffic that are inevitable.
Though the government
has made efforts to improve the traffic conditions to the mountain, it is not
enough during the peak time from late October to early
November.
According to information from Xiangshan Park Administration,
50,000 downtown visitors made their way to the mountain for the red leaves last
weekend. Beijing's Tourism Administration suggest that on its best day, the
capacity of the mountain park is around 20,000.
Unlike many other places
that show off their red leaves, the Fragrant Hills offers lots of ancient
Buddhist buildings and historic resorts: the reason why many visitors go there
despite the crowds and traffic.
Located 28 kilometres northwest of
downtown Beijing, the Fragrant Hills are, as their name indicates, an aromatic
area of natural beauty.
The best places to watch the red leaves are at
Xiangshan Temple, Banshan Pavilion, and Yuhua Peak. If you're up for it, climb
up to Pingtai, Xishan Qingxue, and Shenyuwu for a view of the whole mountain.
For people with children, Shuangqing Villa, Jianxin Hall, and Liuli
Pagoda are recommended due to their lower altitude and easy access by
road.
Admission: 10 yuan (US$1.20) Other fees are charged at some of the
temples.
Chairlift: 30 yuan (US$2.80) per person. Takes you to the summit
of the hill; in strong winds, the chairlift does not
operate.
Accommodation: It usually takes half a day to visit Fragrant
Hills Park. If you want to stay for one night, hotels are available at the foot
of the hill.
Getting there: Buses are the easiest transport option
because of the special bus lanes en route, and no parking hassles on
arrival.
Catch No 333, 318, 360 or 904 from downtown
Beijing.
Opening hours: 6 am - 7 pm, daily.
Badaling
Great Wall
 This is also a good place for watching the red leaves
and the Wall itself. The top beacon tower offers a superb angle to view the red
scenery to the horizon. Badaling is not as crowded in autumn as it is in summer.
Be sure to take warm clothing with you. It is very cold in late October. Snow is
already falling on nearby mountains.
Admission: 45 yuan
(US$5.5)
Chairlift: 20 yuan (US$2.5) per person.
Accommodation:
Hotels can be found at the foot of the wall.
Getting there: Take bus
route 919 at Deshengmen in the North Second Ring Road to Badaling Station. You
can also drive along Badaling Highway. It takes about 50 minutes.
Opening
hours: 8 am to 5 pm, daily.
Baiwang Mountain
A
red-leaf watching festival is the norm for this mountain during the period, only
three kilometres northwest of the Summer Palace, and almost the nearest
destination for red-leaf watching. The mountain is now a mass of red
trees.
Admission: 10 yuan (US$1.2)
Accommodation: No such service
offered because it is so near downtown, but restaurants and eateries are not far
away.
Getting there: Buses 330, 716, 718, 722, 752, 903 get there from
downtown.
Opening hours: 8 am - 6 pm, daily.
Jinhai
Lake
About 80 kilometres northeast of central Beijing, the lake
is surrounded by mountains where trees turn red.
The lake itself is also
a famous travel destination in Beijing.
Admission: 10 yuan
(US$1.2)
Accomadation: Star hotels can be found outside of the main gate
of the park.
Getting there: Take bus 918 at Dongzhimen to Jinhai
Lake.
Opening hours: 8 am - 6 pm, daily.
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