Love Never Fails

I’ve got an old friend visiting me last weekend. Since he has been to most of the “famous” places in Beijing, I thought I could take him to Chuandixia village, where I had always wanted to visit. 

Chuandixia Village ( 爨底下), also know as Cuandixia, is a settlement dating from the Ming Dynasty located in Mentougou District in Beijing. It is a popular tourist attraction known for its well preserved courtyard homes. 

We took subway to Pingguanyuan station and from there we took a private car (you can also take bus 929).  Fortunately it was a very sunny day, and I was just happy to be out of town and enjoy the clear blue skies above and the peaceful environment around.  

We arrived after about one and a half hour’s drive. It’s actually a very tiny village with about 70 traditional courtyards. It’s interesting that all these courtyards actually originate from one family about 500 years ago and they’re all inner-connected with each other. You can actually walk through it as all of them are open to the visitors.

Stone paved lanes and steep staircases help define Chuandixia’s architectural identity. It’s a frequent subject of photographers and painters.

The surrounding area of Chuandixia is full of mountains and trails popular with hikers. If you like a very low-key getaway, the village is ideal.