Ancient town escapes city's pace of life

With Beijing now fully enveloped in autumn, the weather is cooling off and the TV is going on. For some people though, the prospect of four months of hibernation does little to excite, which is where Yanchi town strikes a note.

The air is clean, the sky is crystal blue and visitors will feel like they have left the concrete jungle thousands of kilometers behind, when in fact they are only 70 km west of central Beijing.

The town, situated in Mentougou district, is a tourist resort in the making. Although the end goal is to bring in the crowds, as of yet, this destination is largely unknown.

After alighting from the bus, visitors will immediately notice the lush-green mountains that surround them. An untainted azure sky drifts overhead and everywhere hangs the rich smells of nature.

Nature is certainly the dominant force here, though clusters of farmyards that date back hundreds of years do something to prove man's strong will to cohabit.

One of the villages nearby, Weizishui, is a must-see. Nestled among mountains, the community is a postcard picture.

According to officials, Weizishui is home to a large number of ancient buildings, many of which remain intact.

"These village houses are living history," said Wang Guogang, director of the organization and publicity department in Yanchi town.

He said most ancient houses are still inhabited, largely as a result of restoration work that adopts authentic reconstruction techniques.

"The buildings are precious cultural relics," Wang said. "When we repair or renovate them, we make sure their basic architectural features are preserved."

The tiled roofs might give an impression of ancient China, but the solar panels resting on them quickly bring visitors back to present day.

But modern technology only leaves a small mark on the area, a passing moment when set against the area's chief landmark - an ancient pagoda tree.

The trunk is so large that hugging it will require at least five people to join hands. Though inside it is naturally hollow, locals have stuffed the tree to bolster the community's protector.

The village also distinguishes itself by having 72 ancient wells. In ancient times, each household had its own. While modernity has now replaced them with indoor plumbing, they are nonetheless preserved and honored as forms of cultural heritage.

After walking across the landscape, visitors might start to feel the bite of hunger. To appease their cravings, there is an abundance of countryside hotels, located in farmyards.

Chefs serve up local cuisine using a range of vegetables that include the leaves and shoots of a tree called the Chinese toon. Yanchi prides itself on growing red-tipped toon, rather than the regular green species, which was once served exclusively at the dinner tables of Chinese emperors.

Prices are reasonable, with an average meal costing between 20 and 30 yuan per person. One reason for this is that the local government supports farmers on the edge of Beijing to earn more by keeping these hotels free of tax.

The cheap rates also extend to accommodation - staying the night costs about 20 yuan per person.

So, for anyone longing to get closer to nature after a stressful week in the concrete jungle, Yanchi is a solid choice while the weather holds. Crowds are small and so too is the expense, but the area is steeped in rich and abundant history.

China Daily

(China Daily 11/10/2010)