Dreaming of the Milky Way: Finding My "Mountain Utopia" in Huairou, Beijing
🌿Dreaming of the Milky Way: Finding My "Mountain Utopia" in Huairou, Beijing✨
"Hidden North · Mountain Island Resort"—these three words have become synonymous with my ideal life. As the car rounded the last mountain ridge, the glass house surrounded by ginkgo and maple trees came into view, and I knew that this healing journey to escape the city had begun.
🏡 24 Hours of Living in the Scenery
Pushing open the log-colored courtyard door, the mountain breeze mixed with the fragrance of grass and trees rushed towards me. The 270° floor-to-ceiling windows frame the entire mountain forest into a dynamic picture scroll: in the morning, the sea of clouds wanders on the Liuli River; at noon, the sun shines through the century-old walnut trees and sprinkles light spots; at dusk, the finches skim across the tangerine-colored skyline. The most stunning is the starry sky terrace. Soaking in the constant temperature jacuzzi while counting the Big Dipper, the gurgling sound of mountain spring water becomes natural white noise.
🛏️ Healing Room Details
The "Cloud View" room we stayed in is simply a love letter written to the mountains by the designer! The tatami tea table faces the cliff view, and the handmade pottery tea set contains Huangqin tea picked by the homestay itself. The bedding is 80-count cotton for nude sleeping, and the bath products are even equipped with bath salts, aromatherapy candles, and herbal foot bath bags. It is so thoughtful that even the mosquito repellent lamp is shaped like a pine cone, which completely cures the delicate diseases of urbanites.
⛰️Surrounding Secret Hiking Routes
√ Jiuyanlou Great Wall (15 min drive)
Known as the "Eye of the Great Wall", this Ming Dynasty beacon tower takes half an hour to climb along the wild Great Wall. At the 1,141-meter-high observation deck, you can overlook the junction of Beijing and Hebei. When the sea of clouds is surging, it is like being in a Chinese ink painting. It is recommended to depart at 6 am to enjoy the romance of contracting the entire Great Wall.
√ Gezidong Sinkhole (40min hike)
Following the route map given by the butler, you will encounter karst wonders through the chestnut forest. The natural cave with a diameter of 100 meters hides an underground dark river, which will form a Tyndall light waterfall when the midday sun shines directly. Remember to bring a windbreaker, the constant temperature of 16℃ in the cave is super suitable for summer heat escape.
√ Liyuan Library (8min drive)
One of the 18 most beautiful libraries in the world! Thirty thousand firewood sticks build a maze of light and shadow. Pick a collection of poems and sit on the suspended terrace to watch the sun jump grids on the pages. There is an old Beijing storytelling performance every Saturday afternoon, which is like traveling back to childhood with candied haws.
🍲 Mountain Table Aesthetics
The organic seasonal vegetables freshly picked by the housekeeper at 6 o'clock every day have created the "Mountain Nine Palace Grid Breakfast" that amazes the taste buds: wild mushroom-filled pot stickers, Liuli River silver fish steamed eggs, Chinese pepper sprouts mixed with tofu... Strongly recommend the customized version of chestnut braised pork! The firewood stove is simmered for three hours, and the chestnut aroma penetrates into the amber-colored gravy. With the housekeeper's homemade hawthorn wine, three bowls of rice are not enough.
🌄 Private Collection Experience Easter Eggs
√ Riverside sketching: Easels and paints are rented for free, and across the bank are cliff stone carvings left by Ming Dynasty border guards
√ Starry Sky Cinema: Miyazaki animation is shown on the lawn every Friday, and a hand-cranked popcorn machine is provided
√ Solar term handwork: Make persimmon cakes during the Frost's Descent, sew mugwort pillows during the Light Snow, and we caught up with the Dragon Boat Festival and wrapped super cute mini mountain spring rice dumplings
📍 Transportation TIPS
Address: Shihuyu Village, Jiuduhe Town, Huairou District (search for "Hidden North · Mountain Island Resort" on navigation)
Self-driving: 1.5h from the North Third Ring Road, passing through the Huanghuacheng Great Wall, a super beautiful mountain road along the way
Bus: Take bus H21 from Dongzhimen to Shihuyu Station, and the housekeeper can pick you up
When the city shrinks behind you into the faint light in the mobile phone signal grid, the days in the mountains amplify the five senses infinitely: the crisp sound of morning dew falling, the sour and sweet taste of wild hawthorn, the touch of coarse cloth sheets... If you also yearn for a "restart your body and mind" escape, here lies all the answers about the ideal life.