Weekend Self-Drive to Changping: Silver Pagoda Forest, Pit BBQ, Hot Springs & Boutique Homestays – Let’s Go!

Rediscovering how beautiful Beijing is. This week, a friend and I drove to Yinshan Talin (Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest) in Beijing’s Changping District, and it felt like I had the entire place to myself. Standing among the staggered ancient pagodas, built over centuries, I admired the exquisite relief carvings on the octagonal pagoda bodies. Dark post-rain clouds drifted above the pagoda forest, making Yinshan Talin even more hauntingly magnificent. Breathing in the moist forest air, I savored the timeless beauty etched by the ages.

I never expected that just over an hour’s drive from central Beijing, Changping would offer so many fun things to do. Here’s my weekend travel guide – take it and set off!

—— Yinshan Talin, a hidden gem near Beijing: a magnificent ancient pagoda cluster once part of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yanping!

Yinshan Talin is a famous scenic area with the largest number of surviving Liao-dynasty pagodas in Beijing. The pagoda cluster has a history of over 600 years, built continuously since the Jin and Yuan dynasties, through the Ming and Qing. Locals have a saying, ‘the treasure pagodas of Silver Mountain are countless.’ Despite their age, they are remarkably well preserved, partly because the remote mountain location with few visitors kept them safe during turbulent times.

Every pagoda deserves close appreciation. The base is a carved brick lotus-shaped Sumeru pedestal. On four sides of the pagoda body are false arched doorways, with brick-carved Buddha statues inside. The other four sides have carved windows, each different – diamond, square – and visible mortise-and-tenon bracket sets that look as if they’re made of wood. At each corner of every tier, a Buddha figure bows gently, a truly exquisite detail.

Some pagodas have seven stories, others thirteen. The seven-story pagoda represents the Seven-Tiered Stupa, with seven symbolizing the seven treasures of Buddhism – gold, silver, lapis lazuli, tridacna shell, agate, pearl, and coral. Thirteen is an auspicious number in Buddhism, signifying the perfection of merit and virtue. The number of tiers in Yinshan Talin’s pagodas was determined by the rank and achievements of the monks they honor.

—— Lunch: Pit-Roasted BBQ – Is This the Deluxe Beggar’s Chicken?

When visiting Yinshan Talin in Changping, you must not miss this BBQ feast – Pit-Roasted Meat! Cooked in a handmade earthen oven over a blazing fire for three hours, the meat is crispy on the outside and juicy inside. Sitting on the second-floor terrace, watching traffic snake through the mountains while tucking into a BBQ extravaganza – pure bliss!

The owner calls it ‘pit-roasted meat’ because he built a homemade earthen oven in his backyard vegetable garden. The ingredients are marinated a day in advance to soak up flavor. He gathers walnut and chestnut wood from the mountains to fuel the fire, then wraps the food carefully in tin foil and places it into the oven. Doesn’t it evoke the image of a deluxe beggar’s chicken from a martial arts novel? Only here, besides the chicken, there’s a whole array of grilled delights.

Three hours later, the food is done! Tearing open the piping-hot foil, the aroma of roast meat hits you instantly – it’s hard not to drool! This BBQ feast features not only classic roast lamb ribs, but also roast pork trotters, roast pork belly, roast chicken feet, roast potatoes and sweet potatoes… If you fancy something else, just let the owner know in advance. He’ll also serve a selection of seasonal hot and cold sides – cold okra salad, perilla salad, steamed corn and purple sweet potatoes… I highly recommend the corn; it tastes like childhood!

To find this pit-roasted BBQ, don’t search for that name. The farmhouse restaurant is actually called ‘Shanli Renjia’ (Mountain Family). It’s on Yinshan Road in Humen Village, Xingshou Town, Changping District, just 290 meters on foot from Humen Village, right by the road. The second floor has a wonderfully spacious terrace with great views. Standing there, you can gaze at the lush green mountains and watch traffic whizz by while enjoying your BBQ – so satisfying!

—— Jingzhi Lake Resort Hotel: Soak in a Private Forest Hot Spring at a Wooden Villa!

With the start of autumn, each rain brings a new chill. In Beijing’s most pleasant season, I always crave finding a romantic private hot spring to slowly savor the soft autumn days. If you’re heading to Yinshan Talin and want a hot spring soak, I recommend the Jingzhi Lake Resort Hotel.

Staying at Jingzhi Lake Resort, you don’t need to meticulously plan your days – there’s so much to explore on the grounds. The resort is colorful year-round. In summer, lose yourself in the 2,000-acre private forest park, where birdsong deepens the mountain quiet. Vast lavender fields and rose gardens make perfect photo spots. If you’re there during lotus season, you can admire the blooms, koi gliding among lotus leaves, and swans drifting across the water.

I especially recommend the wooden villas at Jingzhi Lake Resort. These lakeside villas come with their own enclosed yards. There are various types: romantic couple’s villas, 110-square-meter two-bedroom villas, 140-square-meter three-bedroom family villas, and a 290-square-meter entertaining villa. Done in a European country style, staying here you can smell the wood, and enjoy a private hot spring in your tranquil courtyard with swaying bamboo and lake views.

The wooden villas with outdoor private hot springs are extremely popular and hard to book. If you can’t get one, you can still soak in the resort’s 23 indoor and outdoor public pools. The thermal water comes from underground mineral springs. You’ll find floral baths like violet, green tea, aloe vera, as well as medicinal baths such as sulfur spring, Tibetan herbal, and the Japanese-style ganbanyoku stone spa.

—— Caomu Yuanju: A Boutique Homestay with a Special Chestnut Feast

If you’re looking for a poetic boutique homestay, I recommend Caomu Yuanju near Yinshan Talin. Its name means ‘living in harmony with nature, listening to frogs and cicadas, neighbors to the wild, bonded with the plants.’ With this vision, the owner named it Caomu Yuanju. It’s a collection of standalone courtyard homes spread across Humen Village in Yanshou Town, Changping District.

Each private courtyard features grey bricks, grey tiles, and wooden doors and windows, exuding rustic countryside charm. These were once unused village houses in Humen Village, artfully renovated into lush, green havens with warm, creatively designed rooms. Staying here is full of character – a chance to steal a half-day of peaceful idleness.

The different courtyards at Caomu Yuanju are named after the trees planted there – my favorite is ‘Persimmon Red.’ Walking up a path flanked by greenery, you arrive at the Persimmon Red courtyard. Open the gate, and on the right is a two-bedroom house, on the left a pond with swaying lotus. In the distance, mist-shrouded green mountains roll, while close by you hear the murmur of flowing water – the view is spectacular. Listening to cicadas, in this yard with persimmon trees, you can imagine the branches heavy with fruit in autumn, and wish for everything to go your way.

Nearby, the interior design of ‘Yinxinge (Silver Heart Pavilion)’ is my favorite. Its yellow-and-black color scheme echoes the ancient ginkgo tree in the courtyard. In autumn, imagine the ginkgo’s golden canopy, sitting in the yard sipping wine and chatting with family – so delightful.

Humen Village also offers a distinctive chestnut banquet. Chestnuts are used in dishes – braised free-range chicken, porridge, cold salads – each with a unique flavor.

Before heading home, you can swing by Changping’s most famous distillery – Beijing Huadu Brewing & Food Co., Ltd. Once the base for imperial court wines, today you can even have your own personalized liquor custom-made here!