You do not need to wait for Trump to build the Wall, there’s already one in China and it stretches for miles and yet it didn’t keep the aliens outside of China.

Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪長城

The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the best-preserved and best-known Great Wall sections. Located 40 miles (65km) to the north of Beijing city proper, the Great Wall at Mutianyu has breath-taking scenery but less tourists, thus a good destination on hot holidays for a Great Wall tour at ease.

The surrounding natural scenery is breath-taking. Woods cover over ninety-six percent of the total scenic area. Flowers bloom all over the mountains in spring. Grasses dress the hillside green in summer. Trees are laden with sweet fruit in autumn, and especially in October, leaves turn red or yellow, touching the mountain tops with gold. In winter, the wall is covered by snow, making it more magnificent.

While you are there, remember to have a meal at one of the many farm-to-table restaurants along the way up the mountain.

Farm vegetables 農家樂 in Beijing

Rural tourism focuses on actively participating in a rural lifestyle. 农家乐 farm stay has  become quite popular with city dwellers in recent years as the urbanites yearn for the open space, blue sky and a chance to work on the land.

Remember Farm Ville? One becomes a virtual farmer and tends to a virtual plot of land. With the popularity reaching fever pitch, clever businessmen started to buy plots of farmland and converted them to farm stays for people to rent plots to farm. So why play when you can actually farm for real? Of course, it’s all for fun, and when you leave, the professional takes over until the next weekend.

And as a result, you get a lot of restaurants that serve food from these farms along the way.

冠龙山庄渔村

This restaurant is situated along the way to the Mutianyu Great Wall. It is very popular with Great Wall climbers.

野菜拼盘

wild vegetables medley

栗子紅燒肉

chestnuts with stewed pork belly

香椿炒蛋

omelette with scallions

老豆腐燉白菜

tofu and Beijing cabbage stew

羊肉串

grilled lamb kebabs

烤雞翅

grilled chicken wings

蘿蔔燉牛肉

beef and radish casserole stew

I didn’t want more rice but when this last dish was served, I couldn’t help it but to consume another bowl. The beef brisket was folk-tender and the radish had absorbed all the taste of the sauce and brisket. Very yummy.

The food was nothing to shout for, but because of the physical exertion at the Great Wall, they tasted wonderful.

Guanlong Lodge and Fishery 冠龙山庄渔村
渤海镇苇店村（近慕田峪长城）
Tel : 010-61621120

Date Visited : Dec 2019