If you have already visited most of the attractions in Beijing and have experienced her flourish and bustle as a modern metropolis, it will be a pleasant idea to travel away from the urban area of Beijing and to explore the wild beauty of nature - the Songshan Nature Reserve is just the ideal place for you.

Songshan Nature Reserve, Beijing

Songshan Nature Reserve is located in Zhangshanying Town, Yanqing County in the northwest of Beijing and it is about 90 kilometers away from central Beijing and 25 kilometers away from Yanqing County. The park was established in 1985 and became the National Nature Reserve in 1986 with a total acreage of 4671 hectare. Here you will have a chance to fully immerse yourself into the pure nature by breathing the fresh air, enjoying the green hills and various kinds of plants and listening to the euphonious sounds of the birds. Just exert your imagination about the dulcet scene by walking through the forest.

To allow a relaxed trip to the Songshan Nature Reserve, you are advised to plan a full day. The transportation is convenient by taking the bus. You can take the bus No. 919 at Deshengmen stop at North Second Ring Road and get off at Yanqing Nan Caiyuan stop. Then change to take the bus No. 920 and get off at Zhangshanying stop which is only about 5 kilometers to the Songshan Ticketing Window. You will need to take a taxi to the Ticketing Window. The admission fee of Songshan Nature Reserve is CNY50.00 per ticket for adults and CNY25.00 for students with student ID and senior people with old age cards.

There are two main pathways in the Songshan Nature Reserve. One leads to the main scenic area in the east and the other one leads to Dazhuangke Folk Custom area in the northwest. Dazhuangke is an administrative village in the heart of Songshan Nature Reserve. Generally speaking tourists mainly visit the scenic spots in the east. The straight touring pathway is around 4 kilometers and takes about 1.5 - 2 hours for one-way visit. By entering the reserve and walking along the footpath, you can visit Songshan Rock, Three Stairs Stream, Mandarin Duck Rock, the Echoing Cliff, and the Frog Rock, etc. At the end of the pathway, you will see the Natural Secondary Chinese Pine Forest with eyeful green.

Apart from enjoying the catching natural views around, you can also have a taste of the peasant meal at a local people's farmyard or have a joyful bath at the hot spring for total relaxation. There are also many hotels, guesthouses and restaurants in the scenic area for those who would like to stay longer here.

In the end, we would like to remind you that the Songshan National Nature Reserve opens to the pubic from the middle of April to the end of October every year. The daily opening time is from 08:00 to 18:00. So you can choose a nice day to enjoy this distinctive trip with your families or friends. Hope you will have a great time there.