Dragon Light Festival at Longqingxia, strolling through the Stone City at the foot of the Great Wall
1 cities |
5 attraction(s) |
total distance 131
km
TIPS
Day1
Day1: Beijing
5 attraction(s) ·
131 km
3
Famous Stone Pot Feast in Yanqing, a local specialty dish. The spacious courtyard is crowded on weekends. The most famous is the grilled pig face, which is half fat and half lean, added to the pancake and very delicious. There are also Stone Pot Fathead Fish, Stone Pot Eggs, etc. The average price is between 60-100 RMB per person. There are also set menus available, ranging from 1488-1888 RMB depending on the number of people.
3
km
4
The Shixia Pass section of the Great Wall, also known as the Ruined Great Wall, is located 5 kilometers southwest of Badaling Great Wall Scenic Area. It is surrounded by steep mountains and deep gorges, with connected walls and watchtowers, and is filled with ruins. The developed scenic area of the Ruined Great Wall is about 2 square kilometers, with about 2000 meters of ruins within this area. Currently, only around 100 meters are open to the public. Shixia Pass was the route Li Zicheng took to break through the weak point and enter Beijing overnight. In Ming Dynasty history, it held the same military importance as the Badaling Great Wall, both under the jurisdiction of Juyongguan, as part of the defense system of the Great Wall and a vital passage from outside the pass into Beijing. There are two climbing routes: the east route follows the newly built stone steps and leads to a viewing platform at the halfway point; the west route follows a newly constructed path and leads to a break in the Ruined Great Wall. The "Apricot Blossom Slope" in spring and the "Jinghua Valley" in summer are both important scenic spots for photography.
35
km
5
Yanqing Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival has been famous for years. The theme of each festival is different, but the ice waterfall spectacle cascading down the Shunshui Reservoir Dam is preserved every year. The 70-meter-high giant dam features a huge ice waterfall adorned with ice flowers and icicles, creating a sparkling and translucent ice and snow paradise. The beautiful Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival brings joy to visitors. It is held annually. The ice lanterns of Longqingxia have their own characteristics. The ice lanterns and colored lanterns in different themes throughout the years contain the rich wisdom and creativity of people, and bring beauty to the visitors. With the clever design of sound, light, and electricity, the ice lantern art of Longqingxia is full of charm. The Longqingxia Ice Lantern project has been going on for 24 years and has gained widespread recognition from domestic and foreign tourists. This year, the 25th Ice Lantern Festival will open on January 16th, 2011. The exhibition area covers an area of 200,000 square meters and is divided into four major areas: colored lantern area, snow sculpture area, ice exhibition area, and the "Longqingxia Cup" International Ice Sculpture and Snow Sculpture Grand Prix competition area. It includes more than 350 ice lantern works, more than 100 snow sculptures, and more than 1000 lantern works. This year's Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival has added many new highlights compared to previous years, showcasing the prosperous and harmonious scene of a prosperous country, happy and healthy people, and a stable society through exquisite ice lanterns, colorful lanterns, and pure snow sculptures, reflecting the theme of "Ice and Snow in Longqingxia". The ice lanterns are different every year, especially this year. The millions of colored lanterns in the ice lanterns this year are all LED energy-saving lights. Compared to the incandescent and fluorescent lights previously used, LED energy-saving lights can save half of the electricity bill each day; and LED lights do not have mercury pollution, do not harm the soil and water source, and can be recycled; LED light bulbs are small in size and can create high-brightness point sources. The finer the light source, the more varied the shape and the softer and more natural the light effect; also, LED lights are cold light sources, with little heat dissipation, so it is not easy to melt ice in the ice sculptures. The Ice Lantern Festival also features many colorful ice sculptures, such as unicorn auspicious beasts, pavilions and towers, and classical figures, either all green or orange, resembling jade and agate. It is said that the colored ice is made with edible pigments. Children can't help but touch, smell, and even lick the ice sculptures. The colored ice is 100% safe, allowing children to approach without any worries. The Longqingxia Ice Lantern Festival will continue until the end of February. After the festival, all the ice sculptures and snow sculptures will melt into water and flow into the ancient city reservoir, adding brightness to this picturesque gallery of mountains and waters.
