I. Red leaves on high mountains

Route: Lingshan and Baihua mountains, Xiaolongmen scenic spot

Reason: mountain tracks and bird's eye view Major scenic spots: Lingshan and Baihua mountains, Xiaolongmen scenic spot

Lingshan Mountain

The mountain sits in the west of Mentougou and is 122 kilometers away from downtown Beijing. Its main peak is 2,303 meters above sea level and the highest in Beijing. It’s even higher than famous mountains such as Lushan and Taishan. It is covered in snow in winter and lush flowers in spring. Wild fruits come in autumn. Lingshan has 3,000-mu (200 hectares) marshy grassland and 5,000-mu forest, offering a green world for visitors. It’s 12 degrees cooler than downtown in summer, so the place is an ideal summer getaway.

Lingshan is also home to more than 700 animals and 800 plants, including squirrel, fox, hare and roe deer. Yaks and rare brown-eared pheasants can also be found here. A 1,548 meter cableway runs between the lowest and highest points. It takes only 25 minutes for visitors to ride to the top.

Baihua Mountain Natural Scenic Area

Beijing’s Baihua Mountain Natural Scenic area is a preserve for temperate zone ecosystems in the stone mountains of northern China. It is among the most biodiverse areas in northern China, due to its unique geography and mountain forest ecosystem. The reserve combines natural protection, research, education, and tourism. Located in Beijing’s Mentougou District, , Baihua Mountain is part of the Taihang Mountain Range. It is 100 kilometers from downtown Beijing and easily accessible. The reserve covers 21,700 hectares with a forest coverage rate of 70.36%. The main peak is 1,991 meters above sea level and Baicaopan, the highest peak, is 2,049 meters above sea level, the third highest peak in Beijing.

Baihua Mountain is rich in animals and plant life. Called “the garden of northern China,” it has four categories of vegetation and ten forest communities. There are 1,100 species of plants, including 400 species of medical herbs, and 170 kinds of animals, some under top-level national protection. There are also over 50 animals under municipal protection.

Baihua Mountain has complicated geological conditions with high value in science and tourism. It has geological sites like the “ancient stone sea,” “ice-edge castle,” the “rock column on ice cliff,” and others, which formed under freezing conditions between late Pleistocene and early Holocene eras.

Baihua Mountain is an excellent place for travel due to its scenery and cool weather. With over 720 mm of annual rainfall, the average temperature is between 6 and 7 centigrade and 22 degrees centigrade in July. Streams flow in every valley and clear fountains can be found between 900 meters and 2,000 meters above sea level.