First Time in Gubei: A Walk Through History

#chinatravel #beijing We arrived at Gubei Water Town at 4 p.m. on a May afternoon. The sun was just right. We stayed at the Gubei Zhiguang Hot Spring Resort Hotel. The environment was peaceful and pleasant. At first, we thought the hot spring was inside the hotel, but later found out it was actually a 5-minute walk outside. Our guide was Xiao Dong. She had a calm and thoughtful way of telling stories that made a deep impression. She mentioned that Gubei is even more beautiful in autumn, around November, when red maple leaves cover the hills and the Great Wall looks like a painting. After hearing that, we quietly thought we might come back again. Although our main plan was to visit the Simatai Great Wall at night, Xiao Dong suggested we go up earlier to experience the difference between day and night—and to catch the sunset. So in the early evening, we took the cable car up. Simatai is the only part of the Great Wall that still keeps its original structure from the Ming Dynasty. In the soft breeze and fading sunlight, the wall looked especially calm and impressive. From the top, we watched the sun slowly set behind the mountains, turning the wall a warm golden color. As night fell, the lights came on, and the Great Wall took on a new look, quietly standing under the stars. This trip gave us a mix of both day and night views, and a peaceful experience of history and nature. The soft summer breeze, the lights of the old town, and the sunset over the Great Wall made it a meaningful memory—especially for my mom’s first visit to Beijing.