Jizhou: Mount Panshan & Huangyaguan
A weekend mountain escape from Beijing and Tianjin: Mount Panshan, the "No. 1 Mountain East of Beijing," the Huangyaguan Great Wall and the Liao-dynasty Dule Temple. Stay in a Guojiagou farmstay, with the Eastern Qing Tombs next door.
Jizhou District (formerly Ji County) lies at the northernmost tip of Tianjin, at the southern foot of the Yan Mountains. It borders Xinglong in Hebei to the north, Zunhua to the east and Beijing's Pinggu to the west, about 110 km from downtown Tianjin and about 90 km from Beijing, making it the closest mountain "back garden" for both cities. Jizhou was anciently called Yuyang and was an important northern town in the Liao dynasty; its old city preserves the original Liao-era Dule Temple and a white pagoda.
The area divides into three parts: (1) Jizhou's urban area: Dule Temple, the White Pagoda of Guanyin Temple, the Drum Tower and Yuyang Ancient Street, plus the stone village of Xijingyu north of town; (2) Mount Panshan to the northwest, a 5A-rated scenic area that the Qianlong Emperor climbed 32 times, best for autumn foliage; (3) the mountains of Xiaying Town in the north: Huangyaguan, Tianjin's only section of the Great Wall, Jiushanding, Tianjin's highest peak, Limutai Gorge and the Baxianshan Reserve. Farmstays in places like Guojiagou are the most convenient base. About 30 km to the east is the Eastern Qing Tombs in Zunhua, Hebei, a World Heritage Site often added to the trip; Luozhuangzi Town also has the Jizhou karst caves.
The best seasons are Apr–May for mountain wildflowers and Oct–Nov for autumn foliage. Summers are cooler than in the cities, making it a good place to escape the heat and play in the water. Winters are cold, and skiing is possible. Getting there: high-speed or intercity trains run from both Beijing and Tianjin to Jizhou Station (about 1 hour); reaching mountain sights from town requires a car, a private driver or a tourist bus line. We suggest 2–3 days: one day for the town and Mount Panshan, one for Huangyaguan and Limutai, staying overnight in Guojiagou, and one for the Eastern Qing Tombs. Farmstays and scenic areas are crowded on holidays, so book ahead.
Top sights
- Mount Pan (Panshan) – A national 5A-level scenic area in Jizhou District. Known for Emperor Qianlong's praise, “Had I known of Panshan, I would not have gone sou…
- Huangyaguan Great Wall – The only section of the Great Wall within Tianjin. Ming dynasty walls follow the contours of the mountains, and the 'Eight Trigrams Street'…
- Dule Temple – An ancient temple in Jizhou's urban area dating from the Liao dynasty. Its gate and Guanyin Pavilion are original 984 structures, and the 1…
- Guanyin Temple White Pagoda – A Liao-dynasty white pagoda on the same central axis as Dule Temple, blending multi-eaved and bowl-shaped styles, and a landmark of Jizhou…
- Jizhou Drum Tower & Yuyang Old Street – The Ming-dynasty drum tower at the heart of old Jizhou town and the replica-style Yuyang Old Street, linking Dule Temple, the Confucius Tem…
- Guojiagou Village – A mountain-valley village in Xiaying Town with a stream running through it, stone walls and grey tiles, and the first choice for Beijing an…
- Limutai Scenic Area – A canyon and stream scenic area in Xiaying Town, where a boardwalk leads past strange rocks, emerald pools and small waterfalls, and summer…
- Baxianshan Nature Reserve – A national nature reserve with dense old-growth secondary forest and a main peak, Juxian Peak, at about 1,050 metres, a rare wild mountain…
- Jiushanding (Tianjin's Highest Peak) – Tianjin's highest peak at about 1,078 metres, with views of the Great Wall and seas of clouds from the summit, and bright autumn foliage ac…
- Xijingyu Stone Village – A “stone village” close to Jizhou town, where houses, courtyard walls and paths are built from layered rock over a billion years old, and i…
- Jizhou Karst Cave – A limestone cave below Lingqi Mountain in Luozhuangzi Town, about 1,500 metres long with a constant year-round temperature, and a glass sus…
- Jiulongshan National Forest Park (Jizhou) – A national forest park about 20 km east of Jizhou town, dense with trees, with hiking trails and Jiulongtou Peak, cool in summer and red in…
- Fujun Mountain – A hiking park just north of Jizhou town, with steps leading straight to the summit and views over the old town and toward Yuqiao Reservoir.
Where to eat
- Sangzi Doupian Breakfast Shop (Baitasi Branch) – A time-honored breakfast shop beside Baitasi, where bean sheets rolled around fried dough with soft tofu pudding are a…
- Fuji Mantang Iron Pot Stewed Fish (Jizhou Branch) – A popular iron-pot stew restaurant in urban Jizhou; wood-fired iron pots stew reservoir carp and goose, with cornmeal c…
- Taidelou Eight Bowls – A century-old time-honored restaurant that preserves the steamed-dish craft of Jizhou's Eight Bowls, an ideal place to…
Itineraries
- Jizhou Route: Mount Pan, Great Wall & Mountain Villages – Drive north from the ancient temples of Mount Pan to the Huangyaguan Great Wall, stay in Guojiagou village, and hike th…
- Hebei Great Wall: From the Sea to the Frontier – Travel west from Laolongtou, passing through the eastern Great Wall passes, Chengde, and ending at Zhangjiakou's Dajing…