Pinggu District 平谷区

History

A Pinggu County was first set up under the Western Han in 195 BC, within Yuyang Commandery (渔阳郡), with its seat south of present-day Xiaobeiguan village (小北关村) in Shandongzhuang town (山东庄镇). The county was later abolished, and under the Jin dynasty in 1187 Dawang town (大王镇) was raised to a county again. Pinggu belonged to Shuntian Prefecture (顺天府) under the Ming and Qing, and on 30 December 2001 it changed from a county to a district of Beijing, together with Huairou (怀柔).

Locals speak Pinggu dialect (平谷话), whose best-known trait is that the first and second tones of standard Mandarin swap places.

What to see

Jinhai Lake (金海湖), in Jinhaihu town, is a national 4A scenic area with 6.5 square kilometres of water ringed by hills on three sides; its named sights include the Huguang Pagoda (湖光塔), the tomb of Princess Jinhua (金花公主墓) and the Wanghai Pavilion (望海亭). Yaji Mountain (丫髻山) in Liujiadian town is a Taoist mountain whose Taoist tradition began in the Tang, peaked under the Yuan, Ming and Qing, and served the Qing court as a place of sacrifice. Its temple fair, held from the first to the eighteenth day of the fourth lunar month, has run for more than 500 years.

The Jingdong Grand Canyon (京东大峡谷) in Shandongzhuang town combines the canyon and Jingtai Mountain (井台山) scenic areas, with five pools strung along the gorge and a glass walkway built on the Wanzhang Cliff (万丈崖). Jingdong Shilinxia (京东石林峡), in Huangsongyu township, is known for its clusters of stone pinnacles and a glass viewing platform shaped like a flying saucer on the summit. Like Jinhai Lake and Yaji Mountain, both are national 4A scenic areas.

Food and local products

Pinggu peaches (平谷大桃) are a Beijing geographical-indication product. Wikipedia, drawing on the World Intellectual Property Organization, reports that in 2009 orchards covered more than 6,000 hectares with over 200 varieties, and that the peach was registered in 2002 as the first agricultural geographical indication in China. Two other fruits carry geographical indications: the Maoshanhou Fojianxi pear (茅山后佛见喜梨), a national product, and the Beizhai red apricot (北寨红杏), a Beijing one.

Highlights

• Jinhai Lake 金海湖: National 4A scenic area with 6.5 square kilometres of water, the Huguang Pagoda and the tomb of Princess Jinhua.
• Yaji Mountain 丫髻山: Taoist mountain used by the Qing court for sacrifices; its spring temple fair has run for more than 500 years.
• Jingdong Grand Canyon 京东大峡谷: Gorge with five pools and a glass walkway on the Wanzhang Cliff.
• Jingdong Shilinxia 京东石林峡: Stone-pinnacle scenery with a flying-saucer-shaped glass platform on the summit.
• Pinggu peaches 平谷大桃: Geographical-indication peaches, grown in more than 200 varieties.