Beijing Mentougou, the only corridor in the mountains of western Beijing, National Highway 109, appreciate the beauty of late autumn

It’s a crisp autumn day again. Many people recommend 109 to the west of Beijing. In fact, it is inevitable that everyone will be deeply impressed by 109. After all, the winding mountain scenery along this road is unique and there are many beautiful scenic spots. Although it is a national highway, it is... Many self-driving enthusiasts and travel enthusiasts take it as a synonym for it, and that’s right. Originally, we didn’t want to introduce the national highway, haha, but introduced this synonym - 109!

National Highway 109 is actually very young. It was completed and opened to traffic in 2009. It starts from Fuchengmen Bridge on the West Second Ring Road of Beijing in the northeast and ends in Lhasa, Tibet in the southwest. It has a total length of 3922 kilometers and passes through Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, and Inner Mongolia. , Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai and 8 provinces in Tibet. Looking at this map is still very exciting, especially for travel enthusiasts. It is really an endless yearning all the way. The mountains are high, the water is wide, the seas, rivers and lakes are so beautiful! Hope to have a chance to go there once!

We are mainly talking about 109 in Beijing, which is 119.2 kilometers long from Fuchengmen to the Weizigang Pass in Mentougou. The main tourist attractions accessible along the way include West Beijing Shibatan, Miaofeng Mountain, Pearl Lake, Youzhou Grand Canyon, Guabi Highway, Lingshui Juren Village, Cuandixia, Huangcaoliang, Longmen Stream, Baihua Mountain, Lingshan, etc. There are countless of them, each with its own characteristics. In fact, it is not an exaggeration to say that there are scenic spots everywhere. You can stop and stop along the way and enjoy wherever you want. It is a comfort to our good mood!

Although there are many scenic spots, the feeling of 109 is not perfect because it is a national highway. Maybe it is because there are more large trucks and trucks, which breaks the peace of the mountainous area. Occasionally there are big The speeding car will also stir up bursts of smoke and dust, which is not as clean as in Huairou. There are also many villages passing by along the way. Although the villages are not very big, maybe this is the meaning of the national highway!

109 passes through Junzhuang, Xiaweidian, Yanchi, Zhaitang and Qingshui in Mentougou District, and enters Hebei Province to the west of Xiaolongmen Forest Farm. Most of them are mountainous roads. The winding mountain highway is much the same. There are now more mature fruits, fiery red persimmons, and bright red apples on both sides of the highway. However, the mountain scenery on both sides is still not very beautiful. Maybe it is due to the geology and landforms. The mountains here and Fangshan Mountain The ones over there are the same, not as beautiful and soft as the ones over there in Huairou, Yanqing, but each has its own merits.

Cuandixia Village was built in the Ming Dynasty and has been passed down ever since. The village population is about seventy or eighty, and the main income is tourism.

Lingshui Village is 4 kilometers away from National Highway 109. Since the rise of the imperial examination system in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there has been an endless stream of people in the village who have passed the exams, so Lingshui has been dubbed the "Juren Village" by the locals.

Lingshan is known as the "Alpine Genetic Plant Bank"

Gaoxia Pinghu Pearl Lake

It has to be said that Mentougou attaches great importance to tourism. After all, 109 is the only highway from Mentougou city to the deep mountain area, so 109 is also completing the new line of expressway. According to the architectural plan, the new line passes through 7 towns including Junzhuang, Longquan, Miaofengshan, Wangping, Yanchi, Zhaitang, and Qingshui with 4 entrances and exits. It is expected to be completed in 2023. The overall direction of the line is from east to west. The total length of the route is about 65 kilometers. Once opened, it will bring great convenience to the public. It only takes more than half an hour to drive from Mentougou City to Zhaitang.

Youzhou Grand Canyon was introduced in my previous article. You can read it. The scenery now is also very beautiful, with high mountains and canyons, and signs of busy farming everywhere, orchards and jujubes. The park has everything you need. Although the map may show that there are road construction or road closures on the hanging wall highway, it is actually passable and is currently open to traffic!

Geographical environment

The geographical environment along the route is varied, mostly mountainous and hilly areas, with winding mountain roads, rich vegetation, many streams and rivers in the mountains, and beautiful scenery.

Climate temperature

It is a typical warm temperate semi-humid continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons. Winters are dry, springs are windy, summers are hot and rainy, autumns are sunny and mild, and the annual average temperature is about 12 degrees Celsius.

Overall road conditions

National Highway 109 is mainly a mountain road with good scenery and characteristics, but there are many curves. Sometimes it's risky. There are many villages along the way, hidden among the woods or fields. There will be pedestrians crossing the road when passing through the village, so be careful to slow down and drive slowly.

Catering and accommodation along the way

Mainly in farmhouses, local fresh fruits and vegetables and local poultry are often used as signs. The special ones include red trout, which can be eaten raw or grilled. eat.

Now that you’re in the mountains, you should also try the farm’s game. Scrambled eggs with locust flowers, willow buds, and fried pepper leaves all taste good, especially for people who have lived in the city for a long time.

Safe parking spots

If you leave National Highway 109, the branch roads are mostly rural secondary or tertiary roads with many bends and woods, and the view is easily blocked. Choose temporary parking. When driving, be careful to avoid curves and places with many trees. When entering the scenic spot, it is best to park your car in a parking lot with formal ticket management established in the scenic spot. Do not park randomly on the roadside or in front of small shops to avoid unnecessary disputes.

Public toilets

Tourist spots or tourist spots along the way have relatively complete public toilet facilities, and gas stations everywhere can also provide free toilets.

Food and Beverages

Most of the places we pass are countryside. Every season, local villagers put their home-grown fruits on the roadside for sale. There are also ecological gardens along the way. Sells simple food and drinks.

Oil quality

There are many Sinopec stations along the way, so there is no need to worry about the gas stations. The quality is guaranteed and it is very convenient.

Communication conditions

The signal coverage of China Mobile and China Unicom is relatively comprehensive, but the telecommunications is weak. Generally, telecommunications signals will disappear in remote places in the mountains, so everyone must pay attention, especially If you often need to contact relatives, friends, colleagues, and leaders, you should plan ahead. There may not even be a signal on some remote and steep roads, so you need to pay special attention when driving, otherwise it will be difficult to contact outside assistance if something goes wrong.