Beijing Fall Foliage Getaways Ideas
Summer's humidity, too-hot temperatures and the summer crowds are gone, and you are going to plan for a fall vacation. Do you pine for the spectacular view of autumn foliage? Beijing is at its best in autumn - brisk, invigorating autumn air. Every year from early October to mid November is the best time to see red leaves covering the mountains. Mountains around Beijing are mainly covered by maple trees and smoke trees. Different varieties of trees change at different times."Peak" color is a bit of a myth, since every person has their own ideas of what "peak" looks like. The leaves on these trees turn red in cold weather due to the loss of chlorophyll and the remaining of anthocyanin. Sudden fall of temperature speeds up the changes. Many experienced foliage viewers know how to plan their leaf-peeping trips. You're likely to catch the best fall foliage sites in Beijing:Fragrant Hill:
Located in the east part of western hills and 28 kilometers northwest of the Beijing City, Fragrant Hills Park is a large park of hills and forest. It is rich both in natural sceneries and cultural relics. Its highest peak is Xianglu Peak (Incense Burner Peak), 557 meters high. The hill is dotted with maple trees, smoke trees and persimmon trees. When autumn arrives, fiery red leaves blanket the entire mountain. Every year, a huge number of tourists flock to the park. The cable cars are a great way to hike up the hill and enjoy the spetacular fall scenes at the same time.
Hongluo Temple:
Hongluo Temple is the origin of Buddhism in Beijing. Now it is actually a massive site which covers natural landscape and man-made architecture. Among the temple itself and other buddhist areas, it has two scenic spots. The two scenic spots are Hongluo Hill at the back of the Temple and Qinglong Hill to the east. Hongluo Hill, has two peaks about 800 meters high. In autumn, red leaves are all over the hill. At least 10,000 acient pines on Qinglong Hill are over 100 years old. It is one of the important forests in Beijing.
The Great Wall in autumn colour
Mutianyu Great Wall is quite famous for its autumn foliage. Actually other sections of the Great Wall - Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Badaling, Simatai and Jinshanling are also well-known for their autumn views. Mountains around Beijing are mainly covered by maple trees, smoke trees and pine trees. The leaves on these maple trees, smoke trees turn red in cold weather with the summer leaving.
Badaling National Forest Park
The Badaling Forest Park is next to the Badaling Great Wall, and the leaves in the park turn red about half a month earlier than that in the urban Beijing. People can find the whole mountain is covered all over by colorful leaves. The Great Wall is also overshadowed by green cypresses and red maples. The red leaves scenic area occupies an area of 65 hectares. The altitude there is 500 meters higher than downtown Beijing, making the place cooler in autumn and the leaves here are easier to turn red. People find that late September to October as the best time to see red leaves in the Badaling Mountain. It's said that the tourism peak will be on October 15.
Summer Palace
Rated as a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Summer Palace is one of China's most famous gardens, where city-weary visitors can escape just as the Imperial Family did in the centuries before. Autumn brings a spectacular blaze of colour to the garden. Summer Palace has 10,000 trees that are more than 100 years old. The specimens include lacebark pines, willow trees, crab apple, peach trees and more.
Ditan Park ( Earth Temple )
Most foreign tourists know Temple of Heaven located south of Beijing city center, but few people know Earth Temple ( Ditan Park ) located north of Beijing city center. Though Earth Temple doesn't give us as much historical value as the Temple Heaven, it is a good place to see the fall foliage when the leaves are turning. The trees in the park include Jingko trees, Maple trees and more. The leaves are colouring before they fall off the trees.
Lingshan Mountain
Lingshan Mountain is situated in the west of Mentougou District, about 120 km from the Beijing city center. 2,303 meters above sea-level, Lingshan Mountain is known as the highest peak in Beijing. The vegetation in Lingshan is varied with the different sea-levels. One can find vegetation in temperate zone as well as in cold zone. it has Pine, birch, linden and over 500 kinds of shrubs and herbaceous plants dotting the mountain. Lingshan Mountain is extremely beautiful in the autumn when the leaves change, a pefect spot for seeing the red leaves.
Mangshan National Forest Park
It is located in Changping District, about 35 km from the downtown Beijing. It is the largest national forest park in Beijing with an area of of nearly 1.3 million mu of the plantation. The forest coverage reaches 96.5 percent. The Park has various kinds of trees - more than 170 kids of flowers and trees. In autumn, Cotinus coggygria, maple, torch trees, and Jingko leaves are fighting for turning red! What a sight!
Shangfangshan National Forest Park
Situated in Hancunhe Village, Fangshan District, and about 70 kilometers west of Beijing, the Shangfangshan National Forest Park, has an area of 340 hectares with its main peak 860 meters high. The park has many famous attractions including the 9 big caves with the “Yunshui Cave” as the important, 12 peaks with “Zhaixingtuo” as the representative and 72 temples with “Doushuai Temple” as the most spectacular one. There are a great number of rare and ancient trees growing in the park. Shangfangshan National Forest Park is famous for the fantastic autumn view. The beauty of fall is best displayed in Shangfangshan mountains, where foliage turns colorful with the change of weather.
Badachu Park
The Badachu meaning "Eight Great Sites," refers to the eight Buddhist temples and monasteries scattered at the foot of Beijing's Western Hills Scenic Area in the Shijingshan District. Badachu Park is an attractive place to frolic all year round. People can walk from one temple to another, seeing the beautiful scenery and enjoy rare ancient trees. There are some over-6-century trees, but their roots and branches are still firm and strong. In September and October, when the leaves are turning red, a huge number of tourists flock here to climb the mountains. There is a cableway up to the mountain top.
Miyun Reservoir
Lying 100 km northeast of Beijing City, it is a mountain valley reservoir. Two main rivers, Chaohe and Baihe, enter Miyun Reservoir. Taking a walk around the reservoir in the valley to see the beautiful scenery. These valleys are peaceful and picturesque with small villages, dusty tracks, crab-apple orchards and plots of maize and peanuts. You can walk further where you want to go with tall mountains towering above you. Autumn changes foliage into the colorful world - a nice place to see fall foliage.
White Dragon Pond (Bailongtan)
White Dragon Pond is located in Muyun District, about 100km north-east of downtown Beijing. White Dragon Pond takes its name from the undulating mountains, dense forests, streams and valleys. There is a waterfall not far from Xiawanzi Village with the height of 20 meters which forms three ponds. During the rainy season in Beijing - spring and summer, white clouds hover over splashing waterfalls which looks like a white dragon playing in the mist, hence its name White Dragon Pond. It is a less crowded spot to behold the colorful foliage.
Xiaolongmen Forest Park
The Xiaolongmen National Forest Park is situated at the foot of Lingshan Mountain in Mentougou District. it is about 114 kilometers west of downtown Beijing. The Lingshan Mountain withj an average altitude of 1,333 meters is the highest mountain in Beijing. The park has an area of 771 hectares with the percentage of forest cover getting to 74%. There are over 800 species of plants. The dense forest and pleasant climate make it a good place for fall foliage.
Beigong Forest Park
Beijing Beigong National Forest Park is located in Fengtai District,west of downtown Beijing. It is to the east of Lugou Bridge, west of Qinglong Lake and north of Jietai Temple. It has several function areas like sightseeing and picking area, country leisure and holiday resort, country fitness and competition area, martial education area, camping area for young people, special planting demo base and forest park management and service center. This park has an unique location one of the parks close to downtown Beijing. The Beigong National Forest Park is a good foliage attraction to enjoy the autumn in Beijing.
Baiwangshan Forest park
It is located just 3 km north of the Summer Palace. It covers an area of 150 hectares the with a great variety of mature trees, including common smoke trees and torch trees. In autumn, the mountain is beautifully decorated with splendid red foliage. It offers an excellent view of enchanting red leaves in autumn.
Jiufeng National Forest Park
The park is located northwest of Haidian District, 18 kilometers from Summer Palace. There is an ancient path winding its way to the peak, surrounded with red foliage such as red maple and sawtooth oak. The famous Dajue Temple, with a 1000-year-old ginkgo, is at the foot of the mountain. 45min from Beijing.
Miaofengshan Mountain
Located to the northeast of Mentougou District, about 70 kilometers west of Beijing, there are persimmon and hawthorn fruits in the area. Red leave trees include maple, yellow smoke trees, and persimmon. Miaofeng Mountain is one of the high peaks rising to over 1,300 meters. Its sheer cliffs, jutting crags and tortuous mountain paths make it one of the most renowned scenic spots in northern China.
Yunmengshan National Forst Park
Often regared as "small Yellow Mountain," it is located between Miyun and Huairou. The mountains are deep with foliage of great variety. It is about 80 kilometers from Beijing. Its plants are abundant. The coverage rate of the forest is over 91 percent.
Songshan Forest Park
Situated northeast of the town of Yanqing, about 90 kilometers from downtown Beijing, Songshan Mountain Forest Park is under state protection of the central government. It has an altitude of 2,199 meters, the second highest peak around Beijing, just after Lingshan Mountain. Covering 4,660 hectares, Songshan Forest Park offers various sites and activities for urban visitors. The reserve has over 700 known plant species, 29 species of mammals, 143 species of birds, 15 species of reptile, 2 amphibian and 12 fish species.
Mt. Baihua
Baihuashan literally means"one hundren flower mountain". So there are a lot of flower on the mountain. It is located in the area between Fangshan District and Mentougou District, about 50 km west of downtown Beijing. It has the third highest peak in the Beijing area. It is a good spot for sightseeing or a cool retreat on a hot day. Baihuashan is also reputeded as the “best forest bath” in a Beijing suburb. This forest park has a number of pine trees, like larch and Chinese pine, and the ground is dotted with wild flowers. Seeing Fall foliage is a must activities in September and october.
Wulingshan Nature Reserve
Wulingshan Nature Reserve is located 130 kilometres north-east of Beijing, not far from the Jinshanling Great Wall. It is famous for its steep cliffs and precipices valleys, hanging clouds, springs and pools, spectacular Buddhist pagoda, rich bird and animal resource, the characters carved on the cliffs and the fall foliage. The Reserve was set up in 1984 to protect the local forest ecosystems. It occupies an area of over 14,300 hectares. Known as the "Highest Peak East of the Capital", the Waitao Mount of the Reserve is 2118m above sea level. you will be arranged to travel Immortal Tower area and climb the Dragon Pool scenery. Cable car is available.
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