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Mentougou District “Direct Tourist Bus” Routes:
Route One: Cuiping Scenic Area Line and Malan Hiking Route
Located in the Cuiping Scenic Area of Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing, the area covers a total of 46.6 square kilometers. The scenic area takes the majestic Qinglongjian Valley as its gateway, highlights the mountain folk culture of Huanglingxi as a stopover, passes through the magical “Stone Village of Western Beijing” — Shuangshitou, and reaches the core of the scenic area — Cuandixia, honored as one of China's first batch of Historical and Cultural Villages. Deep within the scenic area, you can also quietly enjoy the ancient military music — the traditional opera of Baiyu.
Cuandixia was first built during the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty and remains the best-preserved ancient residential complex from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Built against the mountain and centered around Longtoushan Mountain along a north-south central axis, 76 exquisitely designed courtyard homes (approximately 700 rooms) are spread out in a fan shape down the mountain slopes, arranged flexibly on limited land. The overall layout of the village is rigorous and harmonious, with orderly variations, and resembles 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 residents to reflect deeply. In recent years, Mentougou District has transitioned from a coal-based economy to an eco-tourism economy. Zhaitang Town and Zhongkun Group have jointly explored the cultural heritage and valley resources of Zhaitang, integrating resources and breaking village boundaries to form the Cuiping Scenic Area. By leveraging strong villages to uplift weaker ones, they have built Cuiping into a uniquely charming ancient village and town, establishing it as a distinctive valley tourism base.
After completion, the Cuiping Scenic Area became a resort destination representing ancient village culture. It has been successively awarded titles by UNESCO, the Ministry of Construction, the National Cultural Heritage Administration, and the Beijing Municipal Government, including: 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.
Besides the ancient village of Cuandixia, several other villages within the Cuiping Scenic Area each have their unique charm. Huanglingxi Village, known as “Home of the People,” features green mountains, clear waters, and deep pools, laid out in a “Ren” (human) character structure.The hardworking, simple, and hospitable local farmers, mainly engaged in agriculture, preserve many traditional farming tools and daily utensils. The village has developed tourism themed around rural life, opening fossil exhibition halls, agricultural tool museums, household item exhibits, setting up farmer canteens, and forming a red song performance troupe, allowing visitors to enjoy both performances and authentic local cuisine.
“Stone Village of Western Beijing” — Shuangshitou Village. Nestled beside the ancient Western Beijing Road, the village gets its name from a pair of giant rocks in the valley and is shaped like a phoenix spreading its wings. Stone culture permeates the area, as the lyrics go: “Stone mills, stone mortars, stone walls, houses topped with stones, stone gates welcome guests from afar, weddings held in stone houses.” The village features odd rock formations such as Mandarin Duck Stones, Sister Stones, Twin Hanging Rocks, and Lovers’ Rocks, plus traditional homes built atop giant rocks that highlight the local stone culture.
Military Household Ancient Music — Baiyu Village is a typical military household settlement. About one kilometer north of the village lies the “Tianjin Pass” (also called Tianjing Pass), where successive dynasties established fortifications and stationed troops. The Yangge opera of Baiyu Village, often referred to as the “living fossil” of Chinese opera, has a history of over 400 years. Its powerful, ancient melodies with tight and continuous rhythms earned it the reputation of having “nine tones and eighteen modes.” As early as 2005, Baiyu Yangge Opera was listed as a municipal-level intangible cultural heritage for protection.
Hiking Route — Malan
Malan Village is located south of National Highway 109, 5.5 kilometers from 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 heritage. The former headquarters of the Jirecha Advance Column of the Eighth Route Army, now a museum, is the first museum funded entirely by farmers. Opened on July 7, 1997, it was designated as a municipal patriotic education base and youth education base by the Beijing Municipal Government in the same year. In 2000, it became a municipal national defense education base; in 2008, it was among the first group of 33 free museums in Beijing; in 2010, it became a municipal integrity education base; and in June 2011, it became Mentougou District’s first municipal-level red tourism attraction.
In addition to its rich red heritage, Malan Village has abundant coal resources with a long mining history and high-quality coal containing 7,000 kcal with low ash content. Historical records indicate that coal burned by merchant ships traveling to Beijing in ancient times 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 plans are underway to build a coal museum showcasing the history of coal formation and mining in various formats.
Malan Village’s Shuihuxiang is a pristine natural landscape. In 2011, the village used self-raised funds to build over 1,000 meters of tourist trails, with stacked water features like Sun-Moon Lakes and Tongxin Lakes lining the paths. Additionally, the Yuan Dynasty-era Dragon King Guanyin Chanlin Main Hall and ancient theater have been restored, offering creative activities.
Route Three: Tanzhe and Jietai Scenic Area Line
The Tanzhe-Jietai 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 once-plentiful Zhe trees on the mountain, it was built during the Western Jin Dynasty (265–317 AD) and has 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 inside the temple grounds and 11.2 hectares outside, plus over 121 hectares of forest and mountain areas under its management. The halls are built along the mountain contours in a well-spaced 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 embodies 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 altars, among others.
The temple is home to famous ancient trees that have witnessed the historical vicissitudes of Tanzhe Temple, including the millennia-old ginkgo trees known as the "Emperor Tree" and the "Concubine Tree," as well as zhe trees, sal trees, Yulan magnolia, common magnolia, and cypress. Outside the temple, there are numerous structures and scenic spots such as the Anle Hall, Upper and Lower Pagoda Courts, East and West Guanyin Caves, and Tiger Listening to Sutras Cave. These are scattered around like stars surrounding the moon, forming a vast tourist attraction spanning several square miles with numerous points of interest. The late Zhao Puchu, former president of the Buddhist Association of China, once wrote a couplet in praise: “Its aura commands half of the Taihang Mountains; its grounds were the first to be consecrated in the Youzhou region.”
Jietai Temple is located at the foot of Ma'anshan in Mentougou District, 35 kilometers from Beijing. Facing east toward the capital city, it sits at an altitude of over 300 meters and covers an area of 4.4 hectares, with a built-up area of 8,392 square meters. The temple’s halls are built along the contours of the mountain, creating a well-arranged and staggered layout. It combines the majestic grandeur of northern temples with the serene elegance of southern gardens, blending profound religious culture with magical and beautiful natural landscapes. It is not only a renowned Buddhist temple in China but also a long-famous tourist destination.
Jietai Temple was first built during the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (581–600 AD) and has a history of over 1,400 years. It is commonly known as Jietan Temple or Jietai Temple because it houses the largest Buddhist ordination platform in China.
Jietai Temple has long been famous for its "ordination platform, peculiar pines, and ancient caves." The ordination platform was first constructed in the fifth year of the Xianyong era of the Liao Dynasty. Along with the ordination platforms of Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian, and Zhaoqing Temple in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, it is known as one of the "Three Great Ordination Platforms of China." Among them, the ordination platform of Beijing’s Jietai Temple is the largest, earning it the title of "The Number One Ordination Platform Under Heaven." It is the highest-grade ordination site in the history of Chinese Buddhism and, despite the passage of time, remains well-preserved.
Jietai Temple boasts a large number of ancient and famous trees, including 88 nationally protected ancient trees, among which the most famous are the ancient pines. These pines, whether shaped by human hands or formed naturally, have endured centuries of wind, frost, snow, and rain, developing various unique forms that are highly appreciated for their beauty. The Activity Pine, Carefree Pine, Nine-Dragon Pine, Tower-Embracing Pine, and Reclining Dragon Pine are collectively known as the "Five Pines of Jietai." When a gentle breeze blows, the rustling of the pines creates the distinctive "Pine Waves of Jietai" spectacle.
The mountains behind Jietai Temple consist 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 a myriad of bizarre and stunning shapes, described as "dragons leaping, fish swimming, lions sitting—formed by the solidified stone milk," leaving behind countless mythical legends and beautiful imaginings. Some of the caves in this area have been artificially modified to become grotto temples, which were once places where eminent monks meditated in seclusion.
In addition, on one side of Jietai Temple lies the newly built Dingdu Pavilion Scenic Area. Dingdu Pavilion is situated on Dingdu Peak in Tanzhe Temple Town, Mentougou District, Beijing, at an altitude of 680 meters. Its main structure was completed in 2012. It covers an area of 550 square meters, with a built-up area of 2,400 square meters, a height of 33.9 meters, and six stories in total—including one underground level and five above ground. Of the above-ground levels, two are hidden, making the visible structure appear to have three floors.
Dingdu Pavilion features an antique design, with multiple hip-and-gable roofs combining to form a composite roof. Each floor is adorned with single-knocked, single-rising five-curved bracket sets under the eaves, tapering layer by layer and complemented by cantilevered balconies. Because it is located on Dingdu Peak at the western end of the western extension of Chang’an Avenue, it is named Dingdu Pavilion.
“An ancient peak hosts the capital city; a new pavilion shines over Chang’an.” Dingdu Pavilion, at the western end of the Chang’an Avenue extension, forms a striking visual counterpoint with the Grand Canal in Tongzhou at the eastern end, creating a new central cultural landmark for Beijing: “The Grand Canal in the east, Dingdu Pavilion in the west.” This landmark has become a new iconic structure for the region and adds a brilliant touch to Mentougou District’s efforts to develop its tourism, cultural, and leisure industries, as well as to build a capital-level international high-end mountain tourism and cultural resort.