Simatai Village

Simatai Village

Simatai Village is located in Xiayunling Township, Fangshan District, within Beijing’s Xiayunling National Forest Park, approximately 103 kilometers from downtown Beijing. Situated on the mountainside of Baimapian at an altitude of 2,161 meters — known as a “natural oxygen bar and cool world” — the village itself has an average elevation of 900 meters. Over the past decade, under the leadership of Zhang Jinlai, the national model worker and village Party secretary, the village has blazed a sustainable development path that balances economic growth with environmental protection — the “Black Nourishes Green” model.

Coal mining was once the dominant industry in the village, and the place was synonymous with dirtiness, chaos, and squalor. But in order to leave a pristine environment for future generations, the village, leveraging its coal resources, allocated 400,000 to 500,000 yuan annually from the coal industry into agriculture, recreating the advantages of land and fruit tree resources. It has gradually transformed from a coal-dependent economy into one driven by eco-agriculture and folk tourism as pillar industries. This year, the apricot trees have entered their prime fruit-bearing period. Currently, the village’s forest coverage rate has reached 87%. Baimapian, known as the “Heavenly Mountain” and the second highest peak in Beijing at 2,161 meters, is located right within Simatai Village.

Today’s Simatai seems like a mirage springing vividly before our eyes: silver-gray walls, Han-style roof tiles, and rows of well-aligned, uniformly styled two-story villas nestled among green trees. The town features straight roads, a cultural square, supermarkets, health service stations, and rows of new solar-powered street lamps — all of which are a feast for the eyes. The blend of modernity and nature, the embrace of green hills and silver rooftops, the harmony of farmland and floral scents — every corner exudes a serene atmosphere. It’s no exaggeration to call this place a paradise on earth.

Currently, the village has 121 homestays recognized as municipal-level folk tourism reception households. Each household has its own independent villa courtyard, offering various types of guest rooms including single rooms, double rooms, multi-person rooms, and kang (traditional heated bed) rooms, all equipped with private bathrooms. The village can provide guests with a variety of entertainment facilities and services. The cuisine of Simatai Folk Village is distinctive, featuring special dishes such as red-legged Chinese toon, sprouted wood vegetable, Chinese prickly ash sprout, crown daisy, linden leaf, bitter weed, horse-tail tofu, free-range chicken eggs, and wild mushrooms. Main staples include Chinese pancake, cornbread, congee made with millet and corn, stewed noodles with green beans, rice cake, and wild vegetable rice, all guaranteed to delight visitors’ palates.

Simatai Village: Simatai Folk Village is situated in the northwestern part of Xiayunling Township, Fangshan District, Beijing, nestled on the scenic mountainside of Baimapian at an average altitude of 900 meters, about 105 kilometers from Beijing. The area's Baimapian Peak stands at 2,161 meters above sea level, with temperatures around 10–15°C lower than in the city. The region features high mountains, dense forests, deep valleys, and fragrant blossoms. Covering a total area of 19.1 square kilometers, the village has 900 mu of arable land, 5,000 mu of apricot orchards, 280 households, and a population of 922. Twenty households are engaged in folk tourism, all of which have been rated as municipal-level folk tourism reception households.

In recent years, the village has made full use of local... Detailed information about Simatai Village ++