What free ancient town attractions are there in Beijing?

Beijing, the capital of China, has a long history and is a tourist destination for many friends. There are many tourist attractions here, but it is not convenient to go out of Beijing recently. So, what free ancient town attractions can you visit in Beijing?

1. Changyu City

In the northwest of Liucun Town, Changping District, there is an ancient city built in the Ming Dynasty called Changyu City. To the north is a ridge called Huangtu Xiling. On a ridge with an altitude of more than 1,400 meters, there is the Yan Great Wall, which was built 2,300 years ago and is the tallest Great Wall in Beijing. In the Ming Dynasty, Changyucheng, Zhenbiancheng and Baiyangcheng were known as the three major border towns in Beijing and were important military locations in ancient times.

With lush vegetation and fresh air, it is known as Beijing’s ‘Little Tibet’. Every spring, flowers bloom all over the mountains and fields as far as the eye can see. In summer, fruit trees are luxuriant, and the shade of the trees blocks the sun. The air is cool, and the average temperature is about 5% lower than that in the urban area. Autumn is the harvest season. You can never get tired of eating the unique local corn grains and sweet meals. Feel free to pick grapes, hazelnuts, walnuts, red fruits, and crabapples. In winter, the snow in Nanshan lasts until the second year. The snow-covered land is particularly enchanting and makes people feel proud.

Address: Liucun Town, Changping District, Beijing

Transportation: Navigate to Changyucheng by car and take bus No. 33 to Changyucheng.

2. Yaoqiao Castle

Yaoqiaoyu Village has a long history, 130 kilometers away from Beijing and 50 kilometers away from Miyun County. It is located in the east of Xinchengzi Town, Miyun District. It is surrounded by mountains to the north and the Andamu River to the south. In early winter and spring this place requires a bridge to be built across it. Because the bridge was unstable, it was named "Shaking Bridge", which was later homophoned as "Yao Bridge". Yaoyu Folk Village is the first village in Beijing to carry out folk tourism reception, and has played a leading and promoting role in the development of Beijing folk customs. There was a castle on the defensive border of the Ming Dynasty called "Yaoqiao Fort". The two gates are called a city, but here there is only one gate, so it is called a castle. There is a tower at the south gate and watchtowers at the four corners. The turret no longer exists, but the entire turret is well preserved.

Yaoqiao Castle was built in the 26th year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty. The city is 123 meters long from east to west, 102 meters wide from north to south, 7 meters high and 4 meters wide at the top.

Yaoqiao Castle is well-designed, equipped with complete facilities, and its geographical location suits strategic requirements. Often, even enemy spies have trouble spotting it due to its hidden terrain. So it had great strategic value at the time. There is a city gate in Nanzhong, and the children of the Ming Dynasty border guards still live in the castle!

Address: Yunxiu Valley Hunting Natural Scenic Area, Xinchengzi Town, Miyun District, Beijing

Transportation: You can navigate Yaoqiaoyu Castle by yourself or take bus No. 39 to Yaoqiaoyu Get off at the station.

3. Liugou Phoenix Ancient City

Yanqing District has a long history and has left behind many ancient villages that have gone through vicissitudes of life. In Jingzhuang Town, more than ten kilometers southeast of the county, there is a famous ancient city called Liugou Fenghuang.

According to historical data, the ancient city was once the place where troops were garrisoned in the late Ming Dynasty. The name "Phoenix City" comes from the topographic features of the city. Standing on the hillside near the village and overlooking the whole city, it looks like a phoenix spreading its wings. The top of the peak is the screen wall in front of the north gate. To this day, there are still ruins such as ancient city walls, city gates, and ancient wells in the ancient city, as well as the faintly visible remains of the Great Wall on the mountain. The towering north gate is the representative of the ancient city. The old city wall was repaired with a large number of old city bricks collected by the people, making this basically intact city gate still impressive.

There is also an ancient well in the ancient city. It is said that the water drawn from the well is sweet and clear, and the tofu ordered with it is especially tender, with yellow oil oozing out from the surface. Therefore, the "well" and "tofu" in Liugou have become legends, and the "tofu feast" in Liugou is even more famous.

Address: Liugou Village, Jingzhuang Town, Yanqing District, Beijing

Transportation: Navigate to Liugou Fenghuang Ancient Town by car or take bus y8 and get off at the Ershi Road intersection.

4. Yongning Ancient City

Yongning Ancient City is located 18 kilometers east of Yanqing District, Beijing. Its establishment began in the Tang Dynasty. In the twelfth year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, Yongning County was established at the foot of Tuanshan Mountain. The "Book of Books" means "the peace lasts forever". You can visit Yongning Yuhuang Pavilion, ancient streets, Catholic churches, ancient temples and other sights. It is a transportation hub in the eastern mountainous area of ??Yanqing and is now the seat of Yongning Town Government. This is a town full of nostalgic history. What we want to do here is buy some local specialties to take home. There are many shops selling specialty products on both sides of the street, with many varieties. Many friends from the urban area often come here to "sell". What is particularly worth mentioning is the special fire spoon that can only be bought here. It is tender and crispy, with a soft inner layer, delicious and cheap. If you buy a few to take back, you will find snacks.

Yongning’s ancient streets have a long history. Especially during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the culture and economy here have developed greatly. At that time, there were shops and merchants everywhere, and it was the commercial distribution center for Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Tianjin and other regions. It is full of hotels, inns and restaurants. Now walking in the streets and alleys, you can still find some traces of the past, as if you have traveled to the Ming and Qing Dynasties in an instant.

Address: Chichang Road, Yongning Town, Yanqing District, Beijing

Transportation: You can drive to Yongning Ancient Town and take bus No. 925 to Yongning.

5. Wanping City

Wanping Ancient City is the only preserved double-gate guard city in northern China. In order to protect the capital, the Ming Dynasty ordered the eunuch Wu Jun to preside over the construction of the city. The city is divided into two gates, east and west, with a length of 640 meters from north to south and a width of 320 meters. The total area of ??the city is about 20 hectares, which was used to defend Li Zicheng.

Except for the bullet holes blown by the Japanese invaders, all other buildings in Wanping Ancient City have been repaired and rebuilt. In 1961, the State Council listed it as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units; in 1984, the state allocated special funds to repair the city wall and the East and West Towers; it was opened to tourists in 1987. At the end of the 20th century, the Beijing Municipal Government decided to restore the original appearance of Wanping Ancient City during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, including restoring the asphalt roads to bluestone floors.

Wanping Ancient City makes full use of the historical and cultural resources within its jurisdiction, and fully protects and utilizes historical and cultural resources. The People's Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall and the People's Anti-Japanese War Memorial Sculpture Garden were built one after another. Wanping Lake, Xiaoyue Lake, and Greenland Park have improved the living environment of residents, and the beautiful scenery of Lugou Xiaoyue has been restored. Wanping Ancient City has formed a tourist attraction in southwest Beijing that integrates history, culture, art, and patriotism education.

Address: Chengnan Street, Fengtai District, Beijing

Transportation: You can go directly to Wanping Ancient City by bus and can be reached by multiple bus lines.

6. City along the river

The Great Wall along the river is located in Mentougou District. The difference between the Great Wall along the river and Badaling and Mutianyu is that there is almost no tourism development here, and everything still maintains its original historical appearance. The ancient city still retains its ancient city walls, ancient stage and some exquisite ancient buildings. Yanhe City is located in the Grand Canyon in the northwest of Mentougou District, which was once the throat of the capital.

According to research, the Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall were built by the famous anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang. Their main function was to prevent northern nomads from invading Beijing along the Yongding River.

As a military fortress, the city along the river was built with city walls and fortifications, and the entire village was completely surrounded by the city walls. Its defensive characteristics make it possible to minimize the length of the border when choosing a village form so that it can be surrounded by city walls, so the entire village presents a defensive centralized layout.

Address: Yanhe Town, Yanhe Town, Mentougou District, Beijing

Transportation: You can navigate to Yanhe City by yourself, or you can take the m15 or m33 bus and get off at Yanhe City.