Trekking through hills and water in Shuiquan Canyon

Along the way, visitors will see broken sections of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall stretching from steep ridges. Photo by Li Xin

In recent years, the village has developed folk dishes using wild vegetables and herbs from the mountain. These are catered to tourists, and ordering them helps the village’s economy, which relies primarily on tourism to sustain itself.

Getting there: Drive along North Third Ring Roa and into Badaling Expressway from Madianqiao. After reaching Changping Lukou, turn to 108 Highway and drive straight to Shuiquangou.

Notes:

1. Bring sunglasses and sunscreen, extra sandals (you’ll be crossing lots of rivers) and enough drinking water.

2. From luye.info:
Renting a round-trip long-distance bus (two hours): 50 yuan
Huanghuacheng Waterside Great Wall: 10-30 yuan (depending on your bargaining skills)
Crossing the bridge: 1 yuan
Renting a boat: 3-5 yuan

3. Litter remains a persistent problem. There are no refuse bins in the mountain, so bring extra bags for trash and be sure to properly dispose your garbage.