日批在线视频_内射毛片内射国产夫妻_亚洲三级小视频_在线观看亚洲大片短视频_女性向h片资源在线观看_亚洲最大网

Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Lifestyle
Home / Lifestyle / People

Beyond the landmarks, Beijing's mountains bring peace and serenity

By Michael Rhys Card | China Daily | Updated: 2026-01-09 06:03
Share
Share - WeChat
A view of Lingyue Temple, Mentougou district, Beijing. [Photo by Michael Rhys Card/China Daily]

Beijing is a treasure trove of imperial history and everyday life, layered across a vast and ever-changing city. For visitors with only a week or two in the capital, the sheer range of sights can feel endless. The Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City reliably top the list, their grand halls and courtyards offering a sweeping introduction to China's imperial past. These landmarks deserve their fame, and most first-time visitors would be remiss to skip them.

But for those who stay longer, a different question eventually arises: What comes after the classics?

The answer, of course, may be to travel elsewhere. Few countries rival China for regional diversity, and a short flight or train ride can bring dramatically different landscapes, cuisines and cultures. Yet there are times when the desire is not to go far, but to simply go deeper. Beijing, for all its scale and modern sprawl, still holds quieter places tucked between hutong alleyways and mountain ridges. One such place is Lingyue Temple.

Located in Beijing's western mountains, Lingyue Temple dates back more than a millennium, first built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and later expanded in subsequent eras. Unlike the carefully restored temples within the city, Lingyue retains a weathered authenticity, shaped as much by time and nature as by human hands. It has never been a major tourist draw, and that is precisely its appeal.

Michael Rhys Card [Photo/China Daily]

A recent visit there with friends felt less like a day trip and more like an expedition. The road wound steadily upward, trading traffic noise for birdsong and herds of goats ambling across the pavement, a scene that felt worlds away from Beijing's ring roads. The mountains closed in, and the city slipped quietly out of mind.

The temple itself immediately felt different from its urban counterparts. The red of its walls had faded into a deep, earthy hue, softened by sun and rain. The wooden beams and eaves bore visible marks of age, their surfaces uneven and textured, a stark contrast to the polished symmetry of city temples that have undergone extensive restoration. Moss crept into corners. Stone steps were worn smooth by generations of footsteps.

Lingyue's layout follows the natural contours of the mountain rather than imposing a rigid axis. Buildings feel organically placed, as though they grew from the landscape rather than replaced it. The effect is subtle but powerful, especially as the sun sets on the mountainside, reinforcing the sense that this is a space meant for retreat rather than spectacle.

Walking through the grounds, the quiet was striking. There were no tour groups, no loudspeakers, no pressure to move on to the next photo spot. The stillness seemed to settle all around. It was easy to understand why films and television often portray mountain temples as places of inner calm. Here, that image felt less like fiction and more like possibility. Even the resident temple dog, wandering lazily around the grounds, appeared to embody a certain philosophical acceptance of the world.

I made the choice to do as little research as possible about Lingyue Temple beforehand, a decision that heightened the sense of discovery. At Beijing's famous sites, the experience is often shaped in advance by guidebooks, documentaries and social media. We arrive already knowing what to expect. There is pleasure in that familiarity, but also limitation.

Places like Lingyue invite a different kind of engagement — slower, quieter and more personal. They remind us that Beijing is not only a city of monuments, but also a place of margins and pauses.

For those willing to look beyond the obvious, the capital still offers moments of surprise. Sometimes, finding them requires nothing more than heading off the beaten track, slowing down and allowing the mountains to speak in their own quiet way.

Most Popular
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1994 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲男人精品 | 国产一级免费在线观看 | 日韩经典一区二区三区 | 日韩毛片网 | 午夜网| 欧美日韩亚洲国产成人 | 日韩一区二区三区四区在线 | 99久久久精品免费观看国产 | 亚洲成人精品一区二区 | 天天插天天狠天天透 | av观看免费| 久久国产成人精品av | 国产精品久久久久久网站 | 国产精品久久久久久69 | 在线亚洲色图 | 精品综合久久久 | 国产精品国产自产拍高清av | 久久综合免费 | 草久久久 | 亚洲精品视频免费观看 | 日韩蜜桃视频 | 中文字幕亚洲视频 | 一区二区视频免费在线观看 | 日本五十路在线 | 在线视频福利 | 日本va欧美va欧美va精品 | 亚洲综合在线视频 | 婷婷在线视频观看 | 日韩中文欧美 | 欧美亚洲国产一区二区三区 | h色网站在线观看 | japanese在线播放 | 在线观看日韩欧美 | 你懂的在线免费观看 | 91精品国产麻豆国产自产在线 | 日本黄色大片网站 | 欧美一级久久久 | 国产不卡网 | 免费的三级网站 | 99re国产| 久久久综合久久久 |