Like office cubicle ad folks, Beijing owes you a weekend like this

Beijing gives off an overly hectic vibe—during rush hours, everyone’s scrambling to get around; during lulls, they’re busy carving out a life. To those who seem impeccably commuting in those exquisitely neat cubicles, I really want to call you all out for some relaxation.

Big Beijing, it owes a lot of people a bit of “small joy”

It must’ve been all the scheming in my past life that’s made me pull all-nighters and be on 7x24 standby in this one, with briefs for company. Beijing’s never short of “purely busy” folks like me, each day as glaring as a overpowered sun.

Suddenly, my workstation was empty—an occurrence rare even in Beijing’s many companies that offer weekends off. Thankfully, after all these years of hustling, when the odd day or two like this comes along, I can still keep my cool.

On a rare, undisturbed weekend, I had to find some fun. After locking up the office windows, I decided to head out solo.

Heading toward the foot of the mountain

Heading north, I drove along the G6 past the Badaling Great Wall, then followed navigation off the highway at Kangzhuang. Probably because Haituo Mountain lies within the Expo area, traffic visibly increased—but it was manageable. After just over two hours, we passed the final stretch of winding mountain road and finally arrived at the valley I’d “heard about.”

The 18-kilometer Haituo Valley International Tourism Resort—whoever planned this location must’ve had serious swagger.

Not to mention the neat rows of Swiss-style wooden villas before your eyes, but just the sight of those white tents in the distance is enough to get the vibe going.

Standing halfway up the mountain, I watched the valley still under construction below, as if God’s hand had chosen this quiet spot to create, painting the earth’s canvas with delicate strokes...

Lost alone in a birch forest

The birch forest behind me struck me first for how perfectly it meshed with the season. It had moved past spring’s excessive delicacy, yet hadn’t yet reached summer’s unruly boldness—instead, it radiated a kind of approachability.

Unlike the heroic idealism in Russian literature, where characters sacrifice themselves for lofty causes, the endless birch forest before me carried, in each sturdy branch, a vitality rarely seen in city life.

The green leaves paired with black-and-white trunks created a world of clarity, as if heaven and earth had opened up on their own—a vast, liberating feeling. I felt like I’d been struck head-on by a burst of soul-soothing wisdom, descending from 1,473 meters above sea level.

Love is a living landmark of the mind

You must’ve heard the line, “Wait for me to come back to that birch forest.” On the way here, I had it on repeat for ages, carrying around a whole vibe of Pu Shu’s energy, almost like trying too hard to act something out. But once I actually arrived, it wasn’t all that complicated.

There’s a church under construction in the woods. Though you couldn’t yet make out its form, just from its location, I felt it would be more suited for sacred vows than even the Light Chapel in Karuizawa.

Karuizawa Birch and Moss Chapel

“Once the church is built, let’s come take wedding photos here, okay?” A young couple caught my eye. Though it was just a casual question, the look in the guy’s eyes told me his hidden courage was enough to let love hit rock bottom—and rise—all at once.

Spending a night on chocolate-colored soil

Convincing an ad person to believe in magic is ridiculous—what’s even more ridiculous is that this time, not only did I believe, I came back to write it all down and tell you about it. At dusk, on the terrace of Haituo CLUB, with the breathtaking sunset atop the mountains, I treated myself to a special gastric check-in.

Back in the birch forest again, with the help of a cool young guy, I finally managed to set up camp smoothly. Oh, and the tents here are free—pretty surprising.

Maybe seeing I had the look of an outdoorsy type, the guy specifically recommended the RV campsite nearby. Apparently, it has Asia’s largest RV hotel. No wonder the boss always says marketing pros are always out there on the front lines—it only took a moment to successfully get me hyped. Alright, next time I’m definitely trying it.

Moonlight spilled over the upright, graceful trunks of the birches, their fine brown textures and knots faintly visible. Compared to the chocolate-colored earth, their stark white stubbornness was especially captivating.

Leaning against a birch tree, I stared blankly at the sky for a long time... It’d been ages since I’d last watched the starry sky blink like that. If only the nights in the cubicle could be cast with such magic, brainstorming sessions would surely soar even farther. 

Taking comfortism to the extreme

Speaking of which, I want to give a nod to that slogan, “Companionship is true love.” They say ad folks are picky—not about everything, just... intense. Yep, that’s right. There aren’t many things that can satisfy complainers like us and still earn praise.

It’s rare to find a place that truly gets the Swiss knack for comfortism and practical spirit. Rather than just talk about how wonderful it all is, I’d rather recommend you come experience it for yourselves.

Time’s stories never wait for anyone.

The boy who once longed to grow up quickly has, in the blink of an eye, become this unfamiliar adult before our eyes—someone who must daily strive to make peace with pressure, caught in an endless cycle of seeking new balance.

Sometimes I wonder, have I ever truly relaxed in Beijing?

Why not cast an unfulfilled soul and the courage to speak of the ordinary into a place with stories over a weekend? At least here there’s a birch forest, a family getaway that quietly watches us grow and understands our resilience all the more.

PS: Special thanks to our friend for the contribution. We also welcome more friends who love us to visit Haituo Valley for travel experiences, share photos, and tell their own stories.