Hurrah for Huairou

by Simon Andrew

As the weekend approaches, many in Beijing start thinking of ways to escape the urban heat and sultry smog of the city. Beautiful Huairou County, only 60 km north, is becoming the answer for growing numbers of city slickers.

One of the main attractions in Huairou's vicinity is Qinglong Gorge. The dark, green luster of the clean water at the recess of the dammed gorge reflects the greenery of the bushes and trees carpeting the surrounding mountains. Qinglong Gorge provides an interesting mix of natural beauty, historic architecture and modern forms of adventure "fun" designed to help people override their natural instincts of self-preservation in seeking the ultimate thrill. The terrain around the gorge holds a wild kind of natural beauty, not the pretty serenity or beachside tranquility many Westerners associate with holiday resorts. The dam area is enclosed by small, rugged mountains, imbuing Qinglong Gorge with an atmosphere of seclusion.

From many vantage points along the lake it is possible to discern crumbling and recently rebuilt parts of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall rising above the undulating silhouette of the nearby mountains. In ancient times, the area around Qinglong Gorge was heavily fortified as the gorge formed a vulnerable pass offering invaders a chance to gain entry into the Middle Kingdom.

Today, however, government tourist officials and many local residents are making strenuous efforts to draw outside people to the area rather than trying to keep them out. Their efforts are obviously paying off as, according to tourist officials, an average of 7,000 to 8,000 people visit the gorge on weekends during the peak tourist season from July to September.

One of the more surprising methods employed to lure city escapees is bungee jumping. For the price of 150 yuan, brave visitors can throw themselves off a tower which rises 60m above the surface of the water. According to one of the proud tourist officials, who had not participated in this particular form of insanity himself, the bungee tower is the highest in the Beijing area.

Qinglong Gorge offers a number of other options for those who really like to scare themselves and consider such daring exploits as a bicycle ride through peak-hour Beijing traffic to be rather pedestrian.

Apart from bungee jumping, it is possible to do "rock climbing" up the bungee tower or to slide over the lake strapped into a harness running along an overhead cable.

Those who insist that every summer holiday resort should be equipped with at least one beach will be happy to learn that an artificial beach is under construction at the opposite end of the lake from the bungee tower. A speed boat to the beach costs 25 yuan.

For those who would rather commune with nature without the modern distractions of speed boats and bungee jumping, a purer form of serenity is available at Purple Cloud Mountain, a short bus ride from Qinglong Gorge.

The view of distant mountains, which appear like paper cutouts stuck on top of each other, offers rare moments of calm, a luxury for those accustomed to busy Beijing life. Beds at the hotel, located near the road entrance to Purple Cloud Mountain, are priced from 40 to 50 yuan. Visitors who like fishing but don't enjoy waiting for hours for a bite can catch their own tasty Rainbow Fish, which are crowded into a small pool near the restaurant. The hotel's management is presently constructing Japanese-style tatami rooms in the wilderness about a 15-minute walk from the hotel.