All year round, spring, summer, autumn and winter go on and on, and in the blink of an eye, it is beautiful autumn again. It is also autumn. Autumn in the south seems a bit ordinary, while autumn in the north is very charming and can be said to be the most beautiful season all year round.

In Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, on the outskirts of Beijing, there is a beautiful place to enjoy autumn scenery-Gubeishui Town. It is backed by the Simatai Great Wall, which is the best known as the Great Wall of China. In autumn, the leaves of the water town slowly turn red. After all turn red, the water town seems to be surrounded by red leaves and hidden among the red leaves, so it is called the Red Leaf Town under the Great Wall. Now this red leaf town under the Great Wall has entered a wonderful and romantic autumn season to admire red leaves.

In fact, before I went to Gubei Water Town, I heard a friend say that Gubei Water Town is particularly beautiful in autumn. I have always wanted to go, but I couldn't go for various reasons. I finally waited until autumn and made plans with my friends. Taking advantage of the good season to admire the red leaves, we finally came to Gubei Water Town a few days ago, starting my first trip to Beijing, dedicated it to the autumn scenery of Gubei Water Town. Here's to share our 3-day and 2-night red leaf viewing experience and must-do items in Gubei Water Town. I hope it will be useful to everyone ~

DAY1. Walk through the streets and alleys, shuttle through the town to enjoy the red leaves

There are many alleys, big and small, in Shuizhen. The walls of the alleys have gradually been covered with red leaves. I have to sigh the magic of autumn. It is like a painter who paints the leaves from green to red, and at a glance, the red red leaves are unique. The unique autumn charm Zen meaning can't help but think of Du Mu's poem "Parking for love in the maple forest at night, and the frost leaves are red than the February flowers", which makes me intoxicated in this charming red leaf scenery.

Stroll through the ancient alleys, walk in each ancient alley that seems to be the same but is actually different, and try to feel the different joys and stories of each section of the ancient alley with red leaves. The red leaves are combined with the entire Ming and Qing architectural scenery of Shuizhen, which has a deep beauty of Chinese aesthetics. If you stand from a high place and overlook it, it should be a beautiful paradise and you want to live here.

There are also many stores in the alleys, such as Dyefang Alley, Dabao Bar, Yang Wudi Temple Alley, Yinghua Academy, etc., which are all places worth stopping, taking photos and checking in.

DAY1, Hilltop Church, Genting Cafe, the most beautiful night view in Shangshui Town

In autumn, in Shuishui Town, in addition to enjoying the red leaves, you must not miss the night view of Shuizhen. The bright night sky in Gubei Water Town is very charming. Before the leaves turn red, many people come here in the afternoon to stroll around Water Town at night to see the night view, and then go back. It can be seen that the night view here also attracts many people. Come. At night, when all the lights in the ancient town are on, the Simatai Great Wall is like a dragon lying across the mountains against the lights, forming a super beautiful night scene with the entire town, making people mesmerizing.

There are two great places to watch: the Hilltop Church and the Genting Cafe. The mountaintop church is located on the hill in Gubei Water Town. There are about 200 steps from the foot of the mountain to the church. You can climb the steps and see many good night views. The exterior design of the church is a gray stone house, which is very unique and distinctive.

The Genting Cafe is not far from the Hilltop Church, about 3 minutes away. As soon as you enter the cafe, the strong aroma of coffee comes to your nostrils. People like me, who don't drink much coffee, can't wait to have a cup. Walking through the lobby of the cafe to the terrace, you will be able to enjoy the night view. You can have a close view of the bright night sky, which is so beautiful.

Tips：

You can visit the Hilltop Church for free, and you can also enjoy the night view on the terrace for free

DAY1. Drone Kongming Lantern Show

The performance is located in Riyue Island Square. This performance is very creative and combines technology and humanities. At the beginning of the performance, drones and Kongming lanterns flew up one after another and floated into the night sky, like a well-trained team, changing various shapes in the air. Tiananmen Square, 2019, magic wands, ships, and people were so cool. Watching this performance seemed to have entered a dream, having all kinds of strange dreams.

Tips：

Performance time: Sunday-Friday 20:00-20:10; Saturday and holidays: 20:00-20:10, 21:30-21:40; in case of special weather such as strong winds and thunderstorms, the flight show will be suspended.

DAY1. Water Dance Show

The performance is located at Wangjing Tower on Wangjing Street. It uses a "virtual reality" water dance control system to completely match the movements of the water dance with the control of the music rhythm. Under the rhythm of the music, the water shows itself like a girl. Her graceful and graceful posture, changing various dance positions, dancing to her heart's content, and with the cooperation of the lights, it is simply a magic show of water.

Amid the cheerful music of the water dance show, a vivid little girl suddenly appeared on the Wangjing Building. This was the projection performance part of sound and light. Wangjing Building seemed to have been transmitted with magic, and the magic performance began, changing various shapes and colors. As the plot continues to change, different things will appear. Palaces, generals, city walls, lions, phoenixes, etc. are so realistic and immersive, which is really eye-opening.

Exclamations could be heard from time to time among the watching crowd, and almost everyone raised their mobile phones to record this wonderful performance. This is the most beautiful and exciting water mist and projection performance I have seen. It is a visual feast.

The music fountain has been surrounded before the performance even started. It is recommended to go in advance and occupy the best position to see the most complete water mist and projection performances. It is one of the indispensable performances for a night tour of Gubei Water Town.

After watching the water dance show, there is an Internet celebrity check-in spot at the steps of Wangjing Street, which looks like a full moon. The silhouette is super beautiful, and then look at the night view of Water Town.

Tips：

Water Dance Show Performance Time: 19:20-19:30 20:00-20:10 20:40-20:50

DAY2. Simatai Great Wall Picnic

The morning in the city is a symphony composed of various sounds, while the morning in Gubei Water Town is quiet, and occasionally you can hear the crisp and pleasant call of birds. Get up early in the morning, go to the hotel front desk to pick up all the ingredients they have prepared for them, take the shuttle bus, and deliver them to the foot of the western section of the Simatai Great Wall. It takes about 5 minutes to climb to reach the picnic site, because the western section has not yet been officially opened. In order to ensure safety, security personnel will be present.

Under the faint glow, it felt so good to bask in the morning light with friends on the Great Wall while eating delicious fruit food, and a beautiful day began.

Tips：

1. Autumn event time is September 20-October 31 (9:00-9:30 and 15:30-16:00 every day)

2. Price: 280 yuan/set (double)

3. The hotel will prepare everything needed for the picnic

4. The garbage generated by the picnic needs to be cleaned up and taken down the Great Wall

DAY2, Simatai Great Wall Cycling

In addition to climbing the Great Wall, cycling on the Great Wall is also a way to enjoy the scenery. To be honest, I haven't been riding outdoors for a long time. Rent a mountain bike, ride on it, temporarily put aside all my worries, let go of myself, and use your eyes to appreciate and feel the scenery along the Yuanyang Lake and the Great Wall with your body and mind. It's really a good experience. If you choose to ride, it is recommended to wear pants for convenience.

Tips：

1. Autumn activity time: September 20-November 25 (9:00 and 14:00 every day)

2. Price: Cycling Station-Simatai Great Wall, 100 yuan/person; Cycling Station-Yuanyang Lake, 40 yuan/person

3. The cycling station has storage cabinets, professional cycling equipment, and instructors

DAY2. At Duanjia Hot Spring, soak in the hot spring and enjoy the night view of the Simatai Great Wall

In Gubei Water Town, hot springs are a very worthwhile project to experience, especially at night. After a day of shopping, you can take a soak at night to relieve your fatigue. Duanjia Hot Spring has two types: indoor and outdoor. I personally prefer to soak in the hot spring at night while looking up at the stars and enjoying the night view of the Simatai Great Wall.

Tips：

Hot spring price: 298 yuan/person

All guests staying in Shuizhen can soak in the hot springs unlimited times throughout the day

DAY2. Take a rowing boat, cross the water town, and enjoy the beautiful autumn colors

There is a river in Gubei Water Town, which is an existing river course. The river course is basically located in the middle of the entire water town. Later, it was repaired and introduced water from Yuanyang Lake Reservoir, which has become the current river. If you are tired from walking around the streets, you might as well take a rocking boat to swim around the water town, avoid the bustling crowds in the alleys, and quietly admire the red leaves, green trees, buildings on both sides of the river in the small boat shuttling through the river. You can also see many beautiful scenery that you can't see when walking on the shore. Looking at this small town, which is "not Jiangnan, but better than Jiangnan" in a small boat, is like a landscape painting, as if a person is swimming in the painting, with a unique artistic conception.

Tips：

1. Cruise ticket offices: Yangui Wharf, Riyue Island Wharf, Yuanyang Lake Wharf

2. Operating hours: 8:00-22:00 (non-weekends)/8:00-22:30 (weekends and holidays)

3. Each ship is limited to 6 people

4. Ticket price: Full journey (Yuanyang Lake Wharf-Yangui Wharf), 120 yuan/person/one-way boat combination, 600 yuan/piece/one-way boat charter; half journey (Yuanyang Lake Wharf-Riyue Island Wharf, Yangui Wharf-Riyue Island Wharf), 80 yuan/person/one-way boat combination, 400 yuan/piece/one-way boat charter

DAY2. Night tour of Simatai Great Wall

I have never been to Beijing before, and naturally I have never climbed the Great Wall. I will definitely climb it this time. It is said that Simatai Great Wall has a beautiful night view at night, and you can also see a more complete night view of Shuizhen, so I come to climb it once at night. The Simatai Great Wall is divided into eastern and western sections. Currently, the eastern section can be reached by cable car, but the western section has not yet been officially opened. When it is a little dark, take the cableway up the mountain, and then walk for about 15 minutes to reach the Great Wall.

The Simatai Great Wall, dotted with stars, looks really beautiful. Standing on the Great Wall, you can touch the moon and stars by lifting your hand. You must take a photo of the Great Wall holding the moon to commemorate it. There are no fences on both sides of the Great Wall, so you must pay attention to your safety when visiting the Great Wall at night.

At night, on the Great Wall, overlooking the entire Gubei Water Town, you are completely immersed in the brightly lit night. Beautiful, it is recommended that you must climb it once at night when the wall is cracked.

Tips：

1. Simatai Great Wall Tickets: 40 yuan/person

2. Simatai Great Wall ticket + cableway one-way: 110 yuan/person; Simatai Great Wall ticket + cableway round-trip: 180 yuan/person

3. Operating hours: Matinee 9:00-16:00 (16:30 Qingshan), night tour (winter) non-weekend 17:30 -20:00,(weekend):17:30 -20:30 ; check in time: non-weekend:20:10, weekend:20:40, clearance time: non-weekend 21:00, weekend 21:30, night tour end time: non-weekend 21:30, weekend 22:00; night tour (summer) non-weekend:17:30 - 21:00, weekend:17:30 - 21:30, check in stop time: non-weekend:21:10. Weekends:21:40, clearance time: 22:00 on non-weekends, 22:30 on weekends, and 23:00 on weekends.

DAY3. Breakfast at Thirteenth Sister Women's Theme Hot Spring Hotel-Return

Choose from Chinese or Western food for breakfast. In addition, I visited several boutique hotels in the town and will write another article to return to Xi'an.

About diet:

Guguan Hotpot

It is located at the entrance of Wangjing Street. We ate dinner here on the first day. There were many people at meal time. Fortunately, we went there a little early, otherwise we would have to queue up. His home has both large pot hot pot and small hot pot for each person. We both ordered a single pot. There are many kinds of pots at the bottom of the pot. Because I have been quitting spicy food recently and try not to eat spicy ones, I chose a mushroom soup pot. The ingredients can be adjusted according to my own taste. I recommend chicken breast meat, fried chicken rice flowers, and I love to eat mushroom.

Wangjinglou Flavor Restaurant

Located next to Wangjinglou Hotel, the restaurant has a very good environment. I like the presentation of its dishes. It is very exquisite. Just looking at it, I think it is very delicious. I recommend Gubei Grilled Fish Head (Gubei specialty), Gongpao Prawn Balls, Mushrooms and beef minced Beef, fried small yellow croaker, and Yao Zhu Kung Fu soup.

roast meat restaurant

Located near Yuanyang Lake Wharf, the most famous dish is roast pork. I am a person who doesn't eat fat meat much. This time, I tasted its roast pork and put it into the bread. It didn't taste too greasy. It has a soft, glutinous and dense taste. It's really delicious. I recommend trying this dish.

About the hotel:

This time, we stayed at the Shisanmei Women's Theme Hot Spring Hotel. It is the only hotel in Water Town that has its own indoor hot spring and steam. We stayed in a luxurious queen room. The first thing we felt when we entered the room was clean and tidy. The spatial design of the entire room, the placement of beds and sofas, etc., were all very comfortable to look at and there is a lot of space. It is also equipped with a humidifier, stereo, and tea, snacks, etc., which is very considerate.

The bathroom, steam room, and hot spring are on the other side of the room. I like this design very much. You can soak in the hot spring, steam in the sauna and then sleep at night. It's not a treat.

After getting off the bus, you can walk from the parking lot to the visitor center for about 10 minutes, and then check in. Your luggage can be checked in and delivered to the hotel in about two hours, or you can take it yourself to the hotel. The Shisanmei Women's Theme Hot Spring Hotel I stayed in is located on Wangjing Street, which can be said to be the center of the scenic area. It is convenient to go out and go out. It is said that only women could stay in it before, but now both men and women can stay in it.

Tips：

As long as you stay at a scenic hotel, you can hold the hotel room card and take the shuttle bus for free and unlimited times at the shuttle station.

concluding remarks

The red leaves in Gubei Water Town are definitely redder now. Those who like to enjoy the autumn scenery should not miss the good time to enjoy the red leaves. If you miss it, you will have to wait another year. The night view of Water Town is also worth seeing and must recommend ~

Three-day itinerary:

DAY1. Xi'an to Beijing, take the Gubei Water Town special line to Gubei Water Town-Stay at the Shisanmei Theme Hot Spring Hotel--Go into the alley to admire the red leaves--Guguan Hot Pot Restaurant (dinner)--Hilltop Church, Cloud Cafe Enjoy the night view of the water town--Drone Kongming Lantern Show in Riyuetan Square--Wangjing Street Water Dance Show

DAY2. Simatai Great Wall Picnic (Breakfast)--Bicycle to admire red leaves--Duanjia Hot Spring--William Chinese Restaurant (Lunch)--Take a rowing boat to admire the autumn colors of the water town--Roast Meat Restaurant (Dinner)--Night tour of Simatai Great Wall

DAY 3: Breakfast at Thirteenth Sister Women's Theme Hot Spring Hotel (optional Chinese or Western)-Return to Xi'an

About tickets:

Adults: 140 yuan/person, discount ticket: 80 yuan/person (children 1.2 meters-1.5 meters, primary and secondary school students with student ID card, minors under 16 years old with ID card, elderly people over 60 years old with valid ID card,), free ticket: children under 1.2 meters, etc.

About transportation:

Self-driving:

After getting off at Simatai Exit No. 24 of Beijing-Chengde Expressway, turn left on the right ramp for about 2 minutes to Gubeishui Town.

Public transportation:

Take Metro Line 2 to Dongzhimen, and change to the Beijing-Gubei Water Town special line direct train at Dongzhimen Outer Bus Station (at the junction of Dongzhimen Outer Xie Street and Xiangheyuan South Street, 942 and 855 bus yards). Gubei Water Town is expected to reach Gubei Water Town in 120 minutes.

Ticket price: 48 yuan/person/one-way, boarding and ticket purchase (starting half an hour in advance until full occupancy).

Departure time at Dongzhimen Gate: Monday to Friday 9:00, 12:00, 15:30, weekends and legal holidays: 9:00, 12:00, 14:00, 15:30