Dongji Xian Valley Natural Scenic Area

Dongji Xian Valley Natural Scenic Area

Dongji Xian Valley Natural Scenic Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Dongji Xian Valley Natural Scenic Area is located at the easternmost tip of Beijing, at the border between Beijing and Hebei Province, on the northern foothills of Wuling Mountain, the main peak of the Yanshan Mountain Range. It enjoys a superior geographical location and very convenient transportation. The scenic area boasts beautiful scenery and distinct seasons. In spring, the mountains are covered with blooming flowers, all things come back to life, birds sing among fragrant blossoms, willows turn green, and bees and butterflies flutter about. Azaleas, lilacs, and honeysuckles bloom in vibrant competition, creating a riot of colors. Even the greens display varying shades and layers, filling the area with vitality and allowing you to experience the boundless beauty of nature up close. In summer, the area is lush and green. While the outside world swelters under the scorching sun, inside the valley the trees remain verdant, cool breezes bring relief, waterfalls and streams flow gently, and pools are clear and serene. The natural forest provides ample shade, and the intense sunlight, filtered through layers of leaves, casts only gentle spots of light on the ground. Visiting here for a cool retreat will leave you feeling refreshed and reluctant to leave. In autumn, while the lower areas remain lush green, the birch and larch trees on the mountain have turned golden, shifting layer by layer into yellow, red, and purple hues. Looking out, patches of red leaves, clusters of fruits, and dots of color are embedded among the overlapping peaks, resembling red sails floating on emerald waves or rosy clouds drifting across the blue sky. In winter, ice pools connect one after another, presenting a vast northern landscape where sturdy pines and cypresses stand firmly against the snow, exuding a serene and chilly charm. The area is home to 1,870 species of higher plants from 665 genera and 168 families, including nationally protected species such as ginseng and golden lotus, as well as schisandra berries, goji berries, bupleurum, edible cherry stones, walnuts, wild grapes, pears, and hawthorns—truly a place where every inch of land holds precious resources. It also hosts 18 species of nationally protected animals, including golden eagles and leopards, as well as 121 other key protected animal species at various levels. It serves as an ideal base for scientific research, teaching fieldwork, specimen collection, and science education. The area also features numerous ancient relics. Currently developed attractions in Dongji Xian Valley Natural Scenic Area include Heiguan Pass, Wuhumen, and the Ming Great Wall, among others. With landscapes where mountains and waters blend seamlessly, where water meets sky and mountains reflect in water, and where scenes contain layers upon layers of beauty, the area’s unique natural environment—thanks to its distinctive location (the easternmost part of Beijing), near-thousand-meter elevation, distinct climate, and 98% vegetation coverage—forms a natural oxygen bar, making it the perfect destination for travel and vacation.

"Heiguan Pass" gets its name from its location beneath Black Mountain Ridge. It sits at the junction of Beijing and Hebei and is also the birthplace of Beijing’s first ray of sunlight. Heiguan Pass features one gate and one sluice, forming a double pass. The sluice gate connects directly to a towering cliff, with a gatehouse atop it equipped with three wooden, oil-soaked pulleys that operate the lifting mechanism via a single crank. The gatehouse is connected to the pass’s gate tower, which consists of a large room with flying eaves, forming a tower-like structure. Upon entering the pass, you’ll find an ancient military camp and old city. The main gate faces north, with a small side gate to the east, another small gate on the southern hillside, and no gate to the west. Inside the main gate, in the northeast corner, stands a large opera stage, while the western base of the city wall was once a bustling area for merchants. Legend has it that on the 13th day of the fifth lunar month, during the Guan Yu’s Knife-Sharpening Festival, flowers from both inside and outside the pass would gather here, creating several days of lively festivities.

About five li southeast of Heiguan Pass lies a remarkable section of the Great Wall with a unique structure. In the middle of this wall segment are two side-by-side gates, topped with four tiger heads, and featuring a carved image of a reclining tiger in the center—hence the name "Wuhumen" (Five Tiger Gate). Additionally, since these two gates were specifically designed to allow water to pass through, they are also referred to as "Wuhumen." Wuhumen is home to a series of wonders, including Lion Mountain and Twin-Stacked Waterfall, both offering beautiful and pleasant scenery. The Twin-Stacked Waterfall stands about 25 meters high. The stream originates from natural springs of Wuling Mountain, forming a natural creek that cascades down, layer by layer, into an 80-centimeter-deep pool within the waterfall. When the pool overflows, the water plunges into the deep pool at the base of the falls. This creates the stunning spectacle of a pool within the waterfall and a waterfall within the pool. Another unique feature of Wuhumen is its mountain spring and internal waterfall—the spring water neither freezes in winter nor surges in summer, flowing steadily year-round. Legend says this spring connects to the “sea eye” beneath Wuling Mountain. The mountain waters converge and flow out through the water gate. Fifty meters below the gate lies a 10-meter-high cliff, over which the river plunges, forming a waterfall that has become a highlight of the water gate, known locally as the "Water Gate Waterfall," now called Feipu (Flying Waterfall). The Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall, stretching 300 kilometers through Miyun District, features over 40 water gates of various sizes along its route. Some serve as partial structures of passes, channeling rapids, while others are merely small holes in the wall base, directing thin streams. Wuhumen, however, is a dedicated, relatively independent water gate structure—an extremely rare feature in the Ming Great Wall. It can be considered a masterpiece of the Ming Great Wall, with its unique architectural style and exquisite construction techniques showcasing the wisdom of ancient Chinese laborers.

Dongji Xian Valley is one of the latest-developed tourist destinations. On the eastern side of the scenic area lies the birthplace of Beijing’s first ray of sunlight and the junction of two provinces and four counties. Here, nearly 90-meter-high cliffs rise dramatically from the ground, while the perennially flowing Andamu River meanders around the village. On the southern side, rolling hills are surrounded by 3,000 meters of the original Ming Dynasty Great Wall, which features 28 continuous pools formed by streams over a 2,000-meter stretch of rapids, including a semi-permanent icefall and the legendary Fairy Bathing Pool... Dongji Xian Valley offers distinct seasonal scenery, rich in historical traces, with breathtaking views and mountain vistas at every turn—a magnificent landscape unmatched by many other scenic areas. Hence, Dongji Xian Valley is also known as the “Fairyland, the Eastern Back Garden of Beijing.”

Welcome to visit us here. The simple local customs, beautiful landscapes, and the majestic Great Wall will shield you from the noise of the outside world and the concrete jungle, leaving only comfort and joy to make your stay unforgettable.

Address: Huayuan Village, Xinchengzi Town, Miyun District, Beijing

Phone: 13126919465, 010-81023008

Official Website: http://www.dongjixiangu.com/

Opening Hours:

(April 15–October 15): 7:00–17:00

Ticket: 25 RMB, half price for students