On March 23, Mentougou District hosted the “Meeting of Mountains and Waters, Roaming the Green Sea” – 2012 Beijing Mentougou Tourism Promotion Conference, inviting nearly 200 heads of travel agencies from across the country to explore the rich tourism and cultural resources of western Beijing’s Mentougou. At the conference, the China Travel Salon and the Beijing Cuandixia Scenic Area in Zhaitang Town signed a 10-year strategic cooperation agreement and a direct tourist bus launch agreement, and presented Zhaitang Town with a plaque as “China Travel Strategic Partner.”
Mentougou District is located in the western part of the capital, covering a total area of 1,455 square kilometers, with mountainous areas accounting for 98.5%, making it the only all-mountain district in Beijing. The district has 2 AAAA-level scenic spots, 5 AAA-level scenic spots, 1 national nature reserve (Baihuashan Nature Reserve), 2 national forest parks (Xiaolongmen National Forest Park and Tianmen Mountain National Forest Park), 4 municipal forest parks (Malan Municipal Forest Park, Xifeng Temple Municipal Forest Park, Nanshiyang Grand Canyon Municipal Forest Park, and Miaofengshan Municipal Forest Park), 3 national historical and cultural villages (Cuandixia, Lingshui, and Liuli Canal), and 2 municipal-level scenic areas in Beijing (Dongling Mountain–Baihuashan Scenic Area and Tanzhe–Jietai Scenic Area).
In recent years, Mentougou District has adhered to the development direction of ecology, high-end, and characteristic industries. Taking the opportunity to create a “National Tourism Pilot Zone,” it has accelerated the construction of an industrial system based on tourism, culture, and leisure, successfully transforming resource advantages into industrial strengths. The establishment and improvement of various mechanisms to promote the development of the tourism and cultural industry have not only effectively enhanced supporting service facilities for tourism, culture, and leisure but also facilitated the transformation and development of key mountain towns.
Currently, Mentougou District has further upgraded and improved tourism-related supporting service facilities. A large number of tourism infrastructure projects have been renovated and upgraded. All public toilets and tourism signage in the district’s scenic areas have been renovated, and 19 tourist hubs integrating parking, shopping, and leisure have been built along National Highway 109. The first phase of the project has been fully completed, and the second phase is being actively implemented. Tourism information service centers have achieved full coverage. These centers have been established in Mentougou urban area and nine towns, with service facilities improved in 16 municipal-level folk tourism villages, and a number of star-rated folk tourism service points have been certified. Tourism reception facilities continue to improve. On the basis of renovating COFCO Academy and Longquan Hotel, efforts have focused on attracting investment along the western extension of Chang’an Avenue, introducing 12 landmark buildings including AVIC International Headquarters, Chang’an International Financial Center, a seven-star hotel, and a tourism observation tower, with a total investment of 135 billion yuan. The overall plans and regulatory detailed plans for these 12 projects have been largely completed.
Meanwhile, the mechanisms for promoting the development of the tourism and cultural industry in Mentougou District have also been further refined. The district was the first in the city to establish a Tourism Development Committee, linking tourism with agriculture, gardening, commerce, culture, and other departments to coordinate the planning, development, integration, and utilization of tourism resources, and promote the integrated development of tourism with other industries. The organizational management structure of the cultural and creative industry has been improved, with the establishment of the District Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Center. The District Eco-industrial Park Management Committee has been set up to lead the construction of the Sino-Finnish Eco Valley and Sino-Swiss Eco Valley, as well as agricultural industrialization projects. It coordinates ecological construction, infrastructure development, resettlement of residents, and employment income growth, striving to optimize the allocation of production factors such as tourist attractions, cultural resources, construction land, and specialty products to enhance industrial efficiency. In addition, a long-term mechanism to promote tourism development has been established. A special fund of 30 million yuan for the development of the tourism, culture, and leisure industry has been set up to support the construction of tourism infrastructure and foster small and medium-sized tourism enterprises and folk tourism. Extensive brand promotion activities have been carried out, with major events such as the Tourism Mountain Festival, International Mountain Hiking Conference, and Jinglang Music Festival held annually to continuously expand the region’s visibility and influence.
At this promotion event, the China Travel Salon also helped elevate Mentougou District’s tourism industry to a higher level. It is understood that the headquarters of the China Travel Salon is located in Beijing and is voluntarily formed by tourism authorities nationwide, travel agencies, media, transportation companies, and scenic spots, aiming to develop the tourism market, pioneer new tourism routes, expand industry influence, and build tourism brands. With the launch of the direct tourist buses, the China Travel Salon will involve nearly 200 travel agencies in the western Beijing tourism industry, further developing the rural folk tourism market and enhancing mutual influence in the industry.
The launch of the direct tourist buses also signifies that the western Beijing tourism market, represented by the Cuandixia Scenic Area, will usher in a strong tourism boom this year. It is understood that as spring arrives, Mentougou District will enter its peak tourism season. In mid-April, the Tangqi Magnolia Festival will be held at the Tanzhe Temple Scenic Area, in late April, the traditional temple fair will take place at Miaofeng Mountain, and in May and June, the third Miaofeng Mountain Rose Culture Festival will be celebrated. In addition, Mentougou will continue to host the third International Hiking Conference, the second Beijing Around Professional Road Cycling Race, as well as the first Beijing West Road Cycling Race, the first Dingfeng Peak Mountain Bike Cross-Country Race, and other events. Taking today’s promotion event and launch ceremony as an opportunity, Mentougou will fully kick off the tourism promotion for the Year of the Dragon, vigorously implement the Leap Action Plan for Tourism Development, and strive to build a leisure and holiday tourism destination in western Beijing.
Mentougou District “Direct Tourist Bus” Routes:
Route One: Cuandixia Scenic Area Line and Malan Hiking Route
Located in Cuandixia Scenic Area, Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing, the area covers a total of 46.6 square kilometers. The scenic area uses the picturesque Qinglongjian as its gateway, highlights the mountain folk culture of Huanglingxi as its relay point, passes through the magical “Stone Village of Western Beijing”—Shuangshitou, and reaches the core of the area—Cuandixia, one of China’s first historical and cultural villages. Deep within the scenic area, visitors can also quietly enjoy the ancient military music—Baoyu’s traditional opera.
Cuandixia was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty and is the most well-preserved ancient residential complex of the Ming and Qing dynasties to date. The ancient village is built against the mountain, centered around Longtoushan with a north-south central axis, featuring 76 sets of exquisitely designed quadrangle dwellings totaling about 700 rooms. These homes are spread out in a fan shape down the mountain slopes, arranged flexibly on limited foundations. The overall layout of the village is rigorous and harmonious, varied yet orderly, resembling a gold ingot when viewed from above.
A single flower does not make spring; a garden full of blooms does. The social value brought by the historical and cultural resources of Cuandixia has led the mountain-dwelling residents to reflect deeply. In recent years, Mentougou District has shifted from a coal-based economy to an ecotourism economy. Zhaitang Town and Zhongkun Group have jointly explored the cultural heritage and valley resources of Zhaitang, forming the Cuandixia Scenic Area by integrating resources and breaking village boundaries. By having prosperous villages support weaker ones, the area has been developed into a uniquely charming ancient town, establishing Cuandixia Scenic Area as a distinctive valley tourism base.
The completed Cuandixia Scenic Area has become a leisure and resort destination representing ancient village culture. It has been awarded titles such as National Cultural Relics Protection Unit, China’s Most Valuable Ancient Village for Tourism, China’s Outstanding Tourism Destination, First Batch of China’s Historical and Cultural Villages, and Beijing Intangible Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, the Ministry of Construction, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the Beijing Municipal Government, respectively.
In addition to the ancient village of Cuandixia, the other villages within the Cuandixia Scenic Area each have their unique features. Huanglingxi Village, known as the “Home of Common People,” boasts green mountains, clear waters, and deep pools, with a layout in the shape of a “human” character. The hardworking, simple, and hospitable local villagers, primarily engaged in farming, have preserved a wealth of old traditional farming tools and household items. The village has developed tourism themed around “Home of Common People,” opening fossil exhibitions, farming tool exhibitions, daily life item exhibitions, a farmhouse canteen, and even a red song performance troupe, allowing visitors to enjoy both performances and authentic local cuisine.
Beijing’s Stone Village—Shuangshitou Village. Located beside the ancient Beijing-West road, the village gets its name from a pair of massive rocks in the valley and is shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings. The entire village embodies a stone culture, as the song goes: “Stone mills, stone mortars, stone walls, houses built atop stones, stone gates welcome guests from afar, weddings held in stone houses.” The village features wonders such as Mandarin Duck Stones, Sister Stones, Twin Hanging Stones, and Lovers’ Stones, as well as folk houses built on giant rocks, highlighting the area’s stone-centric culture.
Military Households’ Ancient Music—Baoyu Village is a typical military household village. About one kilometer north of the village lies the “Tianjin Pass” (also called Tianjing Pass), where successive dynasties established fortifications and stationed troops. Baoyu Village’s Yangge opera is known as the “living fossil” of theater, with a history of over 400 years. The singing is passionate and rustic, with tight and coherent rhythms, earning its reputation for having “nine melodies and eighteen tunes.” As early as 2005, Baoyu Yangge Opera was listed as a municipal intangible cultural heritage for protection.
Hiking Route—Malan
Malan Village is located south of National Highway 109, 5.5 kilometers from the Zhaitang Town government, covering an area of 16.34 square kilometers, with 397 households and 810 residents.
Malan Village has a long history and abundant red tourism resources. The former headquarters of the Jirecha Advance Column of the Eighth Route Army, now a museum, was the first museum funded and built by farmers. Opened on July 7, 1997, it was designated as a municipal patriotic education base and a youth education base by the Beijing Municipal Government in the same year. In 2000, it became a municipal defense education base; in 2008, it was among the first 33 free museums in Beijing; in 2010, it became the first municipal-level red tourism site in Mentougou District.
In addition to its rich red resources, Malan Village has abundant coal resources with a long mining history and coal with low ash content and 7,000 kcal heat value. Historical records indicate that coal burned by merchant ships traveling to ancient Beijing came from Malan. During the War of Resistance, General Xiao Ke wrote his book *Blood Soaked Luoxiao* in a small coal mine here. After the reform and opening-up, Malan Village had 22 coal mines, and a coal museum will be established to showcase the history of coal formation and mining in various forms.
Shuihuxiang in Malan Village is a pristine natural landscape. In 2011, the village funded the construction of over 1,000 meters of tourist paths, with stacked water features such as Sun-Moon Lakes and Tongxin Lakes along the way. Additionally, the Yuan Dynasty’s Dragon King Guanyin Chanlin Hall and ancient stage have been restored, offering creative activities.
Route Three: Tanzhi Scenic Area Line
The Tanzhi Line is a key tourist attraction along National Highway 108 in Mentougou, home to the famous Tanzhe Temple and Jietai Temple.
Tanzhe Temple is located in the southeastern part of Mentougou District and is a national key cultural relics protection unit. Named after the Dragon Pool behind the temple and the Zhe trees once widely planted on the mountain, it was first built during the Western Jin Dynasty (265–317 AD), boasting a history of over 1,700 years—800 years older than Beijing itself, hence the saying “Tanzhe Temple came before Beijing.”
Tanzhe Temple is grand in scale, covering 2.5 hectares within the temple grounds and 11.2 hectares outside, plus over 121 hectares of forest and mountain areas under its jurisdiction. The halls are built along the mountain’s contours, creating a well-arranged layout. The temple currently has 943 rooms, including 638 ancient halls, maintaining the architectural style of the Ming and Qing periods. It is the largest ancient temple architectural complex in the suburbs of Beijing. The entire complex reflects the aesthetic principles of ancient Chinese architecture, with a central axis running through it and symmetrical layouts on both sides, giving it a sense of order, hierarchy, and prominence. Architectural forms include halls, chambers, pavilions, studies, terraces, towers, and more.
The temple is home to famous ancient trees such as the thousand-year-old ginkgo trees “Emperor Tree” and “Consort Tree,” Zhe trees, sal trees, purple magnolia, magnolia, and cypresses, which have witnessed the temple’s long history. Outside the temple are numerous structures and attractions such as the Anle Hall, Upper and Lower Pagoda Courts, East and West Guanyin Caves, and Tiger Listening Cave, scattered like stars around the moon, forming a vast tourist attraction with many scenic spots. The late Zhao Puchu, former president of the Buddhist Association of China, once wrote a couplet praising it: “Its aura commands half of the Taihang Mountains, its grounds pioneered the secluded land of Youzhou.”
Jietai Temple is located at the foot of Ma’an Mountain in Mentougou District, 35 kilometers from Beijing, overlooking the capital from the east at an altitude of over 300 meters. Covering an area of 4.4 hectares with a built-up area of 8,392 square meters, the temple’s halls are built along the mountain’s contours, combining the majestic grandeur of northern temples with the serene elegance of southern gardens. It boasts a strong religious cultural atmosphere and breathtaking natural scenery, making it not only a renowned Buddhist temple in China but also a famous tourist destination.
Jietai Temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty’s Kaihuang era (581–600 AD) and has a history of over 1,400 years. It is named after housing the largest Buddhist ordination platform in China, commonly known as the Ordination Terrace Temple or Jietai Temple.
Jietai Temple has long been renowned worldwide for its "ordination altar, ancient pines, and caves." The ordination altar was first built in the fifth year of the Xianyong era during the Liao Dynasty. Along with the ordination altars of Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian, and Zhaoqing Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, it is collectively known as one of the "Three Great Ordination Altars in China." Among them, the ordination altar at Beijing’s Jietai Temple is the largest, earning it the title of "The Number One Ordination Altar Under Heaven." It is the highest-grade ordination site in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Despite enduring the trials of time, it remains remarkably well-preserved.
Jietai Temple boasts numerous ancient and famous trees, including 88 that are under national protection, among which the ancient pines are the most celebrated. These ancient pines, whether shaped by human hands or formed naturally, have withstood centuries of wind, frost, snow, and rain, developing a variety of unique shapes that hold high aesthetic value. The Activity Pine, Carefree Pine, Nine-Dragon Pine, Tower-Embracing Pine, and Reclining Dragon Pine are collectively known as the "Five Famous Pines of Jietai." When a gentle breeze blows, the rustling of the pines creates the distinctive "Pine Waves of Jietai," a unique landscape of the temple.
The mountains behind Jietai Temple are composed of limestone. Over hundreds of millions of years of erosion by rainwater, many natural caves have formed. The stalactites and stalagmites inside these caves create bizarre and stunning formations that are a feast for the eyes—"with dragons leaping, fish swimming, and lions sitting, all formed from solidified limestone." These have given rise to countless myths and beautiful imaginings. Some of the caves in the area have been artificially modified to become grotto temples, which were once places of quiet meditation for eminent monks of the temple.
Additionally, located adjacent to Jietai Temple is the newly constructed Dingdu Pavilion Scenic Area. Dingdu Pavilion is situated on Dingdu Peak in Tanzhesi Town, Mentougou District, Beijing, at an elevation of 680 meters. Its main structure was completed in 2012. Covering a land area of 550 square meters and a building area of 2,400 square meters, the pavilion stands 33.9 meters tall with six floors in total—five above ground and one underground. Among the above-ground floors, two are concealed, making the visible structure appear to have only three levels.
Dingdu Pavilion features an ancient-style design, with multiple hip-and-gable roofs combining into a complex roof structure. Each floor is adorned with single-knocked, single-rising five-curved bracket sets beneath the eaves. The structure tapers upward floor by floor and is complemented by cantilevered corridors. Its name, Dingdu Pavilion, comes from its location atop Dingdu Peak at the western end of the western extension of Chang’an Avenue.
"An ancient peak hosts the capital’s altar; a new pavilion shines over Chang’an." Dingdu Pavilion, at the western terminus of the Chang’an Avenue extension, forms a striking cultural counterpoint with the Grand Canal in Tongzhou to the east, creating a new core cultural landmark for Beijing—"The Grand Canal in the East, Dingdu Pavilion in the West." It has become a new iconic architectural highlight for the region and adds a brilliant touch to Mentougou District's development of tourism, cultural leisure industries, and the construction of an international high-end mountain tourism and cultural resort in the capital.