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Cuandixia Village Photos

Tuesday, April 5th, 2022

Plan your Beijing village tour? Numerous villages are dotted in the suburbs of Beijing. One village known as Cuandixia V illage stands out as a unique window through which you learn more about the folk culture and vernacular architecture in Beijing.

Cuandixia Village is nestled in a valley among the mountainous areas, 90km west of downtown Beijing. One and half hours driving brings day-trippers to this village. Cuandixia Village is supremely peaceful over-400-old village, hugging a hillside in a valley with ancient Qing-Dynasty styled courtyards scaling many layers.

The courtyard buildings are spread like a huge fan spreading to the east and west side along a north-south axis. The village running up the hillside is naturally divided into the Upper village and Lower Village by a curved wall 200-meter long and 20-meter high. Also 170-meter curve wall circles the village from the bottom of the populated hillside. Three north-south lanes connect the upper and lower villages, keeping the village from possible floods and robbery in the past.

A curved walking route brings you atop the slope of the valley south of Cuandixia Vi llage, you may have a panoramic view of the village fanning on the hillside on the another side of valley. You will clearly see a high wall cutting the village into upper and lower parts.

Many visitors would choose the two curved walking routes ( one loop waking trail ) – one curve takes you to the village and the other brings you up on the top of the hillside south of the village where you may have a bird’s-eye view of the village hugging other side of the valley.

One thing we’d like to remind you that you won’t expect any paddy fields here in Cuandixia Village s. The remaining families in then village mainly live on rual tourism – offering homestays and food to tourists flocking here.

Listed as one of China’s famous historical villages, Cuandixia is a bright pearl of China’s ancient building encompassing the profound northern China’s architecture. You see plentiful Chinese elements of traditional architecture – Courtyard buildings, wall screens, arch gates with buildings scaling the hillside.

The rich and profound culture could be found from the Ming-dynasty relics, Qing-dynasty dwellings, old wall paintings, ruined houses left over from the Second World War. It is interesting to know that people could still discern the revolutionary slogans painted the exterior walls in the village. Old stone rollers, millstones, old wells and tempes add much to the charming of Cuandixia Village.

Below are a set of photos for you to feel this picturesque ancient village of Cuandixia.

The Chinese character of Cuandixia ” 爨”.

The 200m along and 20m wide wall sections the village into the upper and the lower. Several layer of houses hug the hillside with impressive views.

Zoom in the stone village of Cuandixia and you see clearly the black tiles, stone walls and wooden framed houses.

Well-preserved courtyards and hutongs around Guangzhou.

The narrow stone paved path and ancient houses with revolutionary slogans on the wall.

An entrance to a courtyard, now used as a homestay to boost local accommodations and rual tourism.

An entrance to a courtyard, now used as a homestay to boost loal accommodations and rual tourism. — An entrance to a courtyard, now used as a homestay to boost local accommodations and rual tourism.

Brick walls, red lanterns, yellow sweetcorn cobs.

Brick walls, red lanterns, yellow corns underthe sun. — Brick walls, red lanterns, yellow corns under the sun.

Inside a courtyard houses, you will see the yellow sweetcorn cobs.

Inside an courtyard houses, you will see the yello sweetcorn cobs — Inside a courtyard houses, you will see the yellow sweetcorn cobs

The highest house on the hillside.

Inside the courtyard with slabs paved ground and brick walls.

Many of the houses in the village have been turned into homestays.

An exquisite courtyard with a high north room.

A roof top view of the village

A glimpse of a room in a farmhouse turned guesthouse

Locally made shoes for babies known as tiger-headed shoes.

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Tips for watching the sunrise on Tiananmen Square

1. Calculate the sunrise time in Beijing

The sunrise time changes daily in different seasons. You need to know the sunrise time on the morning you are going to jump up from your cozy bed and dash to the square. Check Flag Raising Time for your sunrise trip.

2. Locate a right spot for sunrise watching

Tiananmen Square is a large public square and it is important for you to find a good spot for sunrise viewing. Basically there are huge crowds of tourists flocking into the square. Normally, you should stand on the west side of the square for better views of the colorful eastern side.

3. First watch National Flag Raising Ceremony

Tiananmen Flag Raising Ceremony starts with the sunrise time on any particular day. You won’t miss the opportunity to watch the flag raising ceremony, a unique occasion for foreign tourists.

You should stand behind the cordoned area on the west side of the square, capturing a good view of the ascending flag and radiant colors over the nearby eastern buildings.

4. Watch sunrise over Chang’an Avenue

On Tiananmen Square, between the western building ( National Museum ) and the Gate of Heavenly Peace is the flat, wide and straight east-west Chang’an Avenue, where you can watching the dazzling rising sun high over the eastern end of Chang’an Avenue.

After seeing the flag ceremony, go through a tunnel on the northwest corner of the square and get to the north side of the Chang’an Avenue in front of the Gate of Heavenly Peace.

5. Create photogenic opportunities

The red rising sunshines blanket the square and its surrounding area, creating many photogenic opportunities, the brilliant Gate of Heavenly Peace., the stately Great Hall of the People, the spectacular view of the two Qianmen Towers…

Virtual Tour of Viewing Sunrise over Tian’anmen Square

Follow me to experience the sunrise and flag raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.

The square is circled by chest high fences for security purpose. Everybody has to go though a security check point before entering the fenced Tiananmen Square. People are gathering from all sides of Beijing from all parts of China, like many layers of walls!

Huge crowds of people are raising high their cameras, mobiles, waiting for the solemn moment!

Approaching the sunrise time, a group of soldiers of guard of honor coming through the Gate of Heavenly Peace, south of the Forbidden City.

The eastern side of the square is brightened by the rising sun.

The national flag with a backdrop of the rising sunlights. — The national flag with a backdrop of the rising sun lights.

Watch the rising sun over Chang'an Avenue — Watch the rising sun over Chang’an Avenue

The Gate of Heavenly Peace looks more beautitul under the rising sunlights. — The Gate of Heavenly Peace looks more beautiful under the rising sun lights.

The spectacular view of the twin Qianmen Towers

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Best Spot to View Beijing Sunrise

The hill in Jingshan Park is 45.7 meters at relative height and 94.2 at sea level, the highest sea-level viewpoint in Beijing where you are able to have a panoramic view of the city of Beijing – East: Beijing Central Business District; South: Forbidden City; West: the Beihai Park and the North: Drum Tower and Bell Tower on the north-south axis of Beijing.

Some Useful Tips

1. It is important to know when the sun will rise and set. Different day and season has its unique sunrise or sunset time. Check Beijing Real Time Photos for the general ideal of the sunrise time.

2. It is better to get up early to be on the hilltop of Jingshan Park and have ample time to check the surroundings and understand where would be a good spot to take pictures.

The shortcoming is that the official opening hour of Jingshan Park is set at 6:30am, which makes some seasons, especially summer time impossible to capture the first rays of the sunrise.

The sunrise time from March to October is after 6:30am in Beijing. That means people cannot watch the first rays of sunrise from the hill top of Jingshan Park.

3. So the best time for watching the sunrise from Jingshan Park falls on later autumn (November) to the early spring (February) when the sunrise time is after 6:30am, the opening hour for Jingshan Park.

4. Though the time between March and October is not the good time for watching the sunrise from Jingshan Park, basically it won’t deter you to go there for a splendid sunrise experience! Before you clamber up the hilltop of Jingshan waiting for the sunrise, you are advised to go to the northwest corner outside the moat of Forbidden City, a perfect spot capturing the first rays of sunrise over Forbidden City and the moat, an amazing supplement for the shame caused by the improper opening hour of Jingshan Park.

After watching the sunrise over the moat and Forbidden City, continue to walk to the Jingshan Park to watch the sunrise already a bit higher over skyline in the east of Beijing.

How to get to Jingshan Park

Jingshan Park is located just across the north gate to Forbidden City. Jingshan Park has three gates with south gate facing the north exit of Forbidden City. At such early hour in the morning, you’d better take a taxi from your hotel, and ask your taxi driver to drop you off at any of the three gates – east, west and south.

Opening hours: 6:30 am – 9:00pm. Entrance fee: RMB 2 (RMB10 per person during Peony Festival April and May). Basically it takes 3-5 minutes to walk up to the hilltop of the a park. On the hill, there are five pavilions with Wanchun Pavilion perched in the middle along Beijing’s North-south axis and two couple of pavilions on both side the Wanchun Pavilion. The Wanchun Pavilion is the best spot to watch the sunrise.

If the sunrise time is before the opening time of the Jingshan Park, you may go to the northwest corner outside the moat of Forbidden City, a perfect spot capturing the first rays of sunrise over Forbidden City and the moat, a amazing supplement for the shame caused by the improper opening hour of Jingshan Park.

For information on Jingshan Park, please read my earlier post of Jingshan Park not to be missed and Sunset View at Jingshan Park.

Virtual Tour of Sunrise over Jingshan Hill

Now, follow me to experience the sunrise from Jingshan Park.

Leaving my home around 5:50am and drive directly to the west gate to Jingshang Park. After parking my car at the parking lot west of the west gate, I have to walk fast to the northwest corner of Forbidden City to catch the rising sun since it has been already 6:00am, a sunrise time today!

It is a 3-5 minute walk from the parking lot to the northwest corner of Forbidden City. To my pleasant surprise, there have been already a few crazy people there chatting, and taking pictures. This is a perfect spot to shoot the magnificent turret of Forbidden City and its reflection on the moat.

there have been already a few crazy people there chatting and taking pictures 1

It is a cloudy today and the sunrise is blurred and shreds dotted rays, adding much colors to the skyline decorating the Turret ornately.

adding much colors to the skyline decorating the Turrent ornately. — adding much colors to the skyline decorating the Turret ornately.

The sun defies the blocking of the clouds and gives out radiant rays.1

The red sunrise rays cut through the thick clouds with pretty reflections on the moat.

Mesmerized by the stunning view, I’ve almost forgotten the time. It is past 6:30am, so I walk quickly to the west gate to Jingshan Park and walk up to the hilltop – Wanchun Pavilion and enjoy myself with the whole city below me.

The sun has been higher over the skyline