Yanqing District 延庆区

Setting and landscape

The Gui River (妫水河), part of the Yongding (永定河) river system, runs east to west across the Yanqing basin for 18.5 kilometres before entering the Guanting Reservoir. In the north-west, the main peak of Haituo Mountain (海坨山) reaches 2,241 metres, the second-highest summit in Beijing. The Yanqing Global Geopark (延庆世界地质公园), on UNESCO's list since 2013, has four areas: Longqing Gorge, Guyaju, Qianjiadian (千家店) and Badaling. At Qianjiadian, petrified wood from the Upper Jurassic, 140 to 180 million years old, includes trunks more than 2.5 metres across.

History

Under the Tang the area was Guichuan County (妫川县). The Yuan emperor Renzong (元仁宗) was born here and in 1316 raised the county to Longqing prefecture; in 1567 it was renamed Yanqing to avoid the reign title of the Ming Muzong emperor. Yanqing belonged to Chahar province under the Republic, moved to Hebei (河北) in 1952, joined Beijing in 1958 and became a district in November 2015. Because most of it lies outside the Great Wall, the local speech is closer to Zhangjiakou (张家口) dialect than to Beijing Mandarin.

What to see

Nearly 180 kilometres of Ming Great Wall survive in the district, with 473 watchtowers, and the Badaling (八达岭) section lies here; the Great Wall Museum of China (中国长城博物馆) stands just west of the Badaling pass fort. The Guyaju cave dwellings (古崖居), north-west of Zhangshanying town, are some 137 caves cut into a granite cliff whose date and purpose are still unknown; they are a national key protected site. Longqing Gorge (龙庆峡) is toured by boat along seven kilometres of water, and has held an ice-lantern show each winter since 1987. Yeyahu National Wetland Park (野鸭湖国家湿地公园), within the Guanting Reservoir's waters, records 295 bird species. Yanqing hosted the 2019 Beijing horticultural expo and alpine skiing, bobsleigh and luge at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

Food and local products

Yanqing tofu, once sent to the Qing court, comes mainly from Yongning (永宁) and Liugou (柳沟) and is set with fermented soy whey. Liugou is also known for its brazier pot (火盆锅). Huoshao (火勺), a wheat-flour snack that originated in Yongning, and red-yolk duck eggs from Zhenzhuquan township (珍珠泉乡), a tribute item under the Ming and Qing, are other local foods.

Highlights

• Badaling Great Wall 八达岭长城: Part of nearly 180 kilometres of Ming wall in the district, with the Great Wall Museum of China beside the pass.
• Guyaju cave dwellings 古崖居: Some 137 caves cut into a granite cliff, of unknown date and purpose; a national key protected site.
• Longqing Gorge 龙庆峡: Seven kilometres of water toured by boat; ice-lantern show each winter since 1987.
• Yeyahu National Wetland Park 野鸭湖国家湿地公园: Wetland on the Guanting Reservoir with 295 recorded bird species.
• Liugou brazier pot and tofu 柳沟火盆锅豆腐宴: Liugou is one of the two main tofu-producing places, and its brazier pot is a named local dish.