Beijing Vicinity Photography | Gubei Water Town Self-Drive Day Trip

Only have weekends, or a day or two off, don't want to go too far but want to experience a different scenery, Gubei Water Town is really a good choice. Although it's a man-made 'Jiangnan' (a region in the south of the Yangtze River), it's truly beautiful, and it's not an exaggeration to say there's a view at every step, casually taking pictures is enough to produce good shots. 📍Address: Gubei Water Town, Miyun District, Beijing, about an hour and a half drive 🚘Self-drive: Navigate to Gubei Water Town No. 2 Parking Lot, which is the closest parking lot to the scenic area. 👉🏻Itinerary: Depart at 8 am and return at 6 pm, leisurely stroll around ➕ take photos, there's enough time for sightseeing. ⭐If you want to see the night view or climb the Simatai Great Wall, you can stay overnight. Staying within the scenic area, parking and tickets are discounted 🎫Ticket: 140 yuan/person 📸Photography: The scenic area is very suitable for photography, the town has a lot of the charm of Jiangnan, and there are many beautiful alleys and steps. The sunshine these days is incredibly good, the photos taken are very healing, just remember to bring an umbrella and do good sun protection! ✨Just follow the signs for the sightseeing route 🍀Yongshun Dye Workshop, Matchmaker Temple, Sun and Moon Island Square, Dragon and Phoenix Pool Hot Spring... ❶Yongshun Dye Workshop: You can see the flags with red cloth and yellow characters fluttering in the wind from afar. The workshop hangs dyed fabrics all year round for visitors to take photos, which are indeed very photogenic. It's recommended to wear simple and elegant clothes for photos. You can also DIY dyeing on-site and take it home as a souvenir. ❷Matchmaker Temple: Said to be the 'most efficacious' Matchmaker Temple in Beijing, with fiery red marriage plaques hanging all around. Come and get some good luck. ❸Sun and Moon Island Square: There are performances on the square every day, mostly Peking opera and Bangzi. ❹Dragon and Phoenix Pool Hot Spring: The roadside hot spring, if you're tired from walking, you can soak your feet. There's also stewed pear, which you can buy to eat. Next to it is a foot massage parlor, which is very comfortable after soaking your feet. 🍝Food Recommendations ✔Gubei Baked Pear: Hot and sweet, eating it feels very blissful. ✔Bridgehead Cake: An old-fashioned dessert with red bean paste filling, better when eaten hot. ✔Radish Cake: 5 yuan/piece, fried and very fragrant. ✔Tofu Corner: 15 yuan/portion, the soup is great. ✔Dried Vegetable Baked Bun: 5 yuan/piece, freshly baked, might need to queue. ❗Travel Tips: ①For a day trip, you'll be walking a lot, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. ②Clothes can be in new Chinese style, Japanese style, forest style... Lighter colors give a more gentle and healing feeling. ③Be sure to pay attention to sun protection! Heat protection! Walk in the shade of trees, because it's really hot! But the photos taken are beautiful with the sunlight! ④Personally, I think a day trip here is enough, after all, it's not the real Jiangnan. It's more like a trip around Beijing, just stroll around and take photos. The night view is beautiful, if you have enough time, you can enjoy the night view and the light show.