III. Red autumn leaves along the lake

Route: Lingshui village--Yanhecheng village-- Pearl Lake scenic area

Reason: Fallen leaves on river banks and rosy clouds are picturesque.

Major scenic spots: Lingshui village and Pearl Lake scenic area.

Lingshui Village

Lingshui Village (靈水村) is also known as "West Beijing Juren Village" (Note: Juren was an official title for the students hoping to become future officials in the imperial court in ancient China), for 22 Juren came from this village in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

In Lingshui Village there are many ancient houses which appear elegant and simple. Visiting this village is actually a wonderful experience.

In this village apart from 6 Ming Dynasty houses, other houses are mainly Qing Dynasty houses. The courtyards in Lingshui Village are comprised of Zhengfang (正房), Daozuofang (倒座房) and Zuoyouxiangfang (左右?guī)?. In this case a central square courtyard is formed and surrounded by these rooms. The building standards, scales, decorations and other elements of these courtyard houses show a serious class regulation.

Lingshui Village had been very flourishing, and had many famous shops. These shops had special mansion designs and delicate decorations. From their appearances, you will realize that they really had good tastes.

Accommodations: There are self-running farmhouses in the village. If you lodge in the village, you can taste the farmhouse dishes and also think about the ancient stories that might have happened in this place. The beds at each farmhouse are all wooden beds, not earthen beds anymore. If you decide to spend a night in this village, Qutai Villa (渠臺(tái)山莊) is a proper one awaiting you. When the sun sets, you can stand on the castle-like village to watch the lost villages in the valleys far away. The better amenity of the villa than the usual farmhouses is its bath.

Address: Lingshui Village, Zhaitang Town, Mentougou District, Beijing

Transportation: Take the subway to Pinguoyuan Station, transfer to Bus No. 929 to Zhaitang Town in Mentougou, and get on another local bus to this village.