Greetings, my dear friends!
After a long time, I am going to share one of my old cycling sessions in the northern area of Beijing and further north of the Huairou district of the Beijing Municipal. It is already November, and the temperature has already touched 0 degrees at midnight in my living area, while the daytime maximum temperature is around 10/12 degrees centigrade. So, it will be very difficult for me to have more new cycling sessions in the coming several months! Maybe one or two sessions can be done this month, but it will be impossible in December as the bitter cold is coming in Beijing. My destination was very far that day, which area is known as YouGu Shentan scenic area. there are several parks and scenic areas, but I had explored from the main road during my cycling session.
Whatever the weather here, cycling through the northern mountains of Huairou is always fascinating and can heal you eternally. As a nature lover, I went on a cycling trip through the beautiful northern mountains of Huairou, which is far north of Beijing, around 70-80 km, at the end of September. The weather was great for cycling that day as it was just cool enough to ride more, and the sun was out just long enough to keep things warm without being too hot to make you very tired. I left in the mid-day time, and I ended the journey very late, around 7 pm in the evening.
The route is also very well known to me as I have lived in the Yanqihu Campus for more than a year. My route is just by the Yanqihu campus of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the university I belong to. This is an area that quickly changes from being in the city of Huairou to having mountains, lakes, trees, and fresh air. As I rode my bike farther away from the city, I could feel the peace and quiet of nature surrounding me. It was a nice break from the normal chaos of life in Beijing.
I have written a lot about Huairou City, which is known for its beautiful nature, and riding my bicycle there lets me really enjoy the natural view of beauty like paradise. A few small mountain towns caught my eye as I went along the path. The homes in each town seemed to fit right in with their surroundings, with mountains in the background and lots of grass all around them. The locals were nice, and they often waved at me as I rode by on my bike though I have seen a few on the streets. It was quiet, like a secret gem that not many people get to see as it is very far north from Beijing City and even from Huairou City.
The different types of land in the Huairou area are some of the things I love most about it. I can see the agricultural lands, mountains, lakes, and many smaller rivers, and I love to spend time with all of them. I often go for a ride to explore them on my way. There are both big and small mountains here, which changed the scenery all the time and kept my ride interesting. As I rode my bike, I saw places where buildings were going on, and big chunks of the mountain were being cut out. In China, it is normal for building projects to change the natural scenery to make room for roads, tourist spots, or other buildings. Some people might find this annoying, but I was amazed by how big these projects are and how skilled people have to be to build in such a tough place.
It takes about 25 kilometers to get here from the center of Huairou City and another 25 kilometers to get to my living area. A lot of people haven't made it out this far, which I think adds to the beauty of the area more unique as it makes it more quiet to deep dive into nature. This part of Beijing Municipal felt like fewer people had explored it, and the rate of pollution is much lower than in the other spots. It is a place where nature's beauty is the main attraction, and there weren’t many people like me in the city. It was fun to ride my bike along the side of the road, and the views made every kilometer worth it.
I rode through the northern mountains of Huairou, which was hard but good for my mental and physical health. The ride was hard because the scenery was hilly, and there were steep hills that took a lot of energy and physical effort to ride. Often, I got down from the cycle and pushed the cycle to climb up the road. The beautiful views and sense of success at the top of a hill never let me feel tired. What is the best thing to ride here?
The downhills were exciting and gave me a break from the tough hills, and I could enjoy the paddle-free riding at top speed and the heavenly view surrounding me. The wind and the sound of the air made me calm down, and I could think about other things or focus on the beautiful surrounding scenarios. Getting involved in nature helped me to forget about my worries and enjoy the present moment.
I also learned that life doesn't have to be as hard as it can seem just like climbing towards the high hills. The mountains have been there for thousands of years and don't seem to care about time. The beauty of everything around them made them forget about their problems.
One of the best things about the ride was how it made me feel connected to nature, their bodies, and their surroundings. After riding my bike for about 30 kilometers, I was both tired and excited. The ride was hard on my body, and the view was beautiful. It was a memorable experience. You don't often find such beautiful nature so close to a big city. I can't wait to go back to this area and discover more of its secret gems.
I hope you like my photos of the beauty of these attractive roads with mountains and the green forestry area with blue sky. It was an amazing experience to have such a fantastic place like this, with the discovery of natural beauty, to enjoy my Beijing life! If you have any questions, please feel free to let me know in the comments, and I will try my best to answer them.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention. I will catch up with you at the next one.
I wish you a great day!
