Zhangjiakou Attractions - Things to Do

Located around 112 miles (180 kilometers) from Beijing, Zhangjiakou played an important military role in ancient China. Endowed with mysterious forests, precipitous mountains, and vast grasslands and deserts, it is often referred to as the natural screen of Beijing. It is also dubbed as the North Gateway of Beijing due to its location.

Zhangjiakou Tourist Map (Click to enlarge)

It has many historical relics, natural landscapes and other tourist spots that provide a wide selection of tourism resources for all travelers. The vibrant forest parks are great places to escape the summer heat, and the snowcapped mountains are a favorite of skiers in winter.
 

Zhangjiakou is nicknamed the Museum of the Great Wall and the Mountain City out of Great Wall. This reputation can be attributed to the relics of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) in the area.
 

Dajingmen Great Wall: Located in the north of the city, Dajingmen is the landmark of the city and a must-see for any traveler. It is famous as the No. 1 Gate of the Great Wall. Tourists can start hiking on the wall from the gate, which is one of the four important gates/passes of the Great Wall. The other three are Shanhaiguan Pass, Juyongguan Pass and Jiayuguan Pass.
 

Chongli County of Zhangjiakou is a paradise for skiing. Great snow resorts in the area attract many visitors to its perfect ski fields and captivating scenery. Among them, the Wanlong Ski Resort, Yunding Skiing Park, and Changchengling Skiing Field are highly recommended.

Wanlong Ski Resort: It is located at Honghualiang, Chongli, around 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Zhangjiakou and 155 miles (249 kilometers) from Beijing. With the highest elevation, 6,923 feet (2,110 meters), and the longest vertical drop, 1,804 feet (550 meters), Wanlong Ski Resort has superb ski conditions. Currently, 22 slideways are in operation, serving beginners and skilled skiers. Advanced snowboards, snowmobiles and other skiing equipment are available there.

Genting Resort Secret Garden: The garden, famous for the Genting Ski Resort, is at Damaqun Mountain between Taihang Mountain and Yanshan Mountain. In the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, the freestyle skiing event will be held there. By then, 87 slideways, extending around 43 miles (70 kilometers), will serve both the athletes and amateurs.

Changchengling Skiing Field: Around 32 miles (52 kilometers) from Zhangjiakou, it is located in the Heping Forest Park, only around 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) from the Great Wall relics of the Ming Dynasty. It has the same ski conditions as the Yabuli Ski Resort in Harbin, but the temperature is more pleasant and comfortable. All ski facilities are well equipped, including perfect slideways, advanced ski tools and clothing, convenient ropeways, restaurants and accommodations. There are also skiing coaches for hire.

Zhangbei Grassland: Located in Zhangbei County, it is the closest grassland from Beijing. The resort has the best-preserved primitive prairie, and is a popular comprehensive scenic area for summer escapes, sightseeing, and holidays. The highlight is the world largest Mongolian yurt, Summer Relieving Palace (Qing Shu Dian), which now functions as a dining hall, meeting room and performance hall. People of all ages are drawn to the resort’s ethnic amusement park, racecourse and glider field. At night, you can also attend the grand campfire party, through which you can experience the hospitality of the locals.

Small Wutai Jinhe Scenic Area: It is nestled in the valley of the north foot of Small Wutai Mountain, Yuxian County, around 87 miles (140 kilometers) from Zhangjiakou, and 118 miles (190 kilometers) from Beijing. This scenic area is popular because of the steep mountains, rolling ridges, strange stones, limpid streams and exuberant trees. Some rare animals and plants can also be found, adding to its the mystery. The must-sees include Frog Ridge, Immortality Sleeping Rock, Black Dragon Pool, Pearl Pool and Colorful Stones Beach.

Tianmo Desert: Literally meaning Heaven Desert, it is located at the Longbao Mountain, southwestern Huailai County. It is around 56 miles (90 kilometers) from Beijing, being the closest desert from the capital city. Hills, gobi, and lakes make the desert a special tourist destination. Two sand ridges stretch 328 yards (300 meters) in the north-south direction and almost 1,094 yards (1,000 meters) in the east-west direction. Thanks to the distinctive surroundings, many films and TV series have been shot there, including Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Moment in Peking and Five Swords of Dragon Gate.
 

Jimingyi Post House: Located at Jimingyi Village, Huailai County, around 42 miles (68 kilometers) from Zhangjiakou, it is the relic of a post house from the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and the largest well-preserved post house in China. The post office in the central area, stables in the northwest and the post warehouse in the northeast are all in good condition. Tourists can even find some ancient shops relics.

Nuanquan Ancient Town: Nuanquan means warm spring in Chinese. The town is so named because of its hot springs. Located in the west of Yuxian County, it is famous for a busy market and ancient architectures, as well as the hot spring. The Nuanquan Academy, West Ancient Fort, Huayan Temple and Laojun Taoist Temple are all recommended tourist sites.

Yuzhou Ancient City: This city was first built during the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557 - 581) and was restored in the Ming Dynasty. It has three gates - Anding Gate in the east, Jingxian Gate in the south, and Qingyuan Gate in the west. A gate tower stands on each gate, respectively called Jingyang Tower, Wanshan Tower and Guangyun Tower. The ancient feudal government office (Yamen), temples, pavilions and ancient residences are still well preserved.
 

Emperor Huangdi City Cultural Scenic Area (Zhuolu Ancient City), Xuanhua Ancient City, Chicheng Hot Spring, Yunquan Temple, Water Goddess Palace (Shui Mu Gong), and Qingyuan Tower, etc.