Yanqing's Hidden Gem Park: Enjoy Cycling Fun and Rice Field Scenery

After autumn arrives, Beijing enters its most beautiful phase, with almost every day offering clear skies, gentle breezes, and perfectly comfortable temperatures—ideal for heading out! Last weekend, my friend and I drove to Yanqing. Besides the popular Badaling Great Wall, Yanqing has plenty of other fun spots. This time, let me take you to a newly opened park—Yanqing Banquan Sports Park. My friend is a big cycling enthusiast, and he told me this new park is perfect for biking and taking photos, with great scenery. He even got me, in my flowing dress, to experience the joy of cycling!

The day we arrived at Banquan Sports Park, a cycling race happened to be taking place. We found out it was the 10th Beijing International Cycling Convention, drawing top cyclists from all over Beijing, so the entrance was lined with many professional riders. It was a gloriously sunny day, and everyone seemed in high spirits.

This was the starting line of the race! Wishing everyone great results—we hurried off to explore first!

Since we were there, my friend and I, both amateurs, each rented a bike to give it a try. While we couldn’t race like the pros, leisurely riding and taking in the scenery was just as delightful. The cycling paths and tracks at Banquan Sports Park are excellently built, with clear signs along the way marking the distance covered—truly professional-grade cycling track standards, so it’s no wonder they host city-wide cycling competitions. We checked: the west section of the park where we were features professional road cycling circuits of 5 km and 10 km per lap, plus a 33 km hiking and jogging greenway, more than enough to meet the needs of most pro and amateur riders.

Here come the pros! That one carrying a huge flag is really impressive—if I were carrying such a big banner, I doubt I could even pedal. Everyone was so friendly, waving at us as we took photos.

We rode along, stopping here and there, enjoying the breeze and sunshine. Looking up, we could see the rolling peaks; on both sides were lush woods and reed beds. The September weather was just perfect, making cycling incredibly comfortable.

Along the way, we sometimes saw a mountain looming over the winding road. We asked a staff member and learned it was the famous Haituo Mountain of Yanqing, a popular outdoor destination for Beijing hikers and cyclists alike. The mountain even has a ski resort, built in preparation for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The serpentine road paired with Haituo Mountain gives the illusion of being on a high plateau.

The light in a nearby grove was gorgeous, with rows of neatly lined poplar trees—it felt like the perfect spot for wedding photos. So, I, in my white dress, decided to do a test shoot!

Serious one second, then I broke into a smile the next!

Riding further along the track, suddenly the view opened up to reveal a scenic rice field. The rice was at its golden prime, spreading out in a sea of gold into the distance—absolutely stunning. Rice paddies are rare in the north, so as someone from the south, I felt a surge of nostalgia seeing them. The field had already been drained, and the park had built narrow ridges you could walk between, allowing you to be photographed surrounded by the golden expanse.

Capturing the golden autumn atmosphere in the rice field.

Lining up our bikes along the ridge gave the scene a special sense of ceremony!

The park thoughtfully built a boardwalk above the rice field, allowing visitors to take in the scenery from above and also serving as a great prop for photos with the rice below. In the distance, there are also windmills and waterwheels. With all these elements combined, the golden rice swaying gently beneath Haituo Mountain is incredibly photogenic.

Next to the rice field stands a wooden rest pavilion designed like a picture frame—an ideal photo spot for social media. With the rice field and distant mountains behind it, it frames the beautiful landscape perfectly. I’m sure this will become a popular Instagram-worthy location!

Beyond the rice fields, there are several boardwalks leading deep into the reed beds, perfect for a leisurely stroll. Right now the reeds are still green, but in a while they’ll turn golden and produce fluffy seed heads, creating another stunning sight.

A small pavilion and a secret reed-lined path with Haituo Mountain as the backdrop can give your photos incredible depth.

Throughout Banquan Park, we frequently spotted families cycling together—the kids even had professional bikes and full gear, which made me so envious! So the park is truly a great place for a family outing and quality time. I even saw balance bikes and skateboards; everyone was showing off their skills.

There are also these vibrant purplish-pink flowers whose name I don’t know, planted in a large swath, creating a spectacular burst of color.

That wraps up our day of cycling. All in all, Banquan Park feels perfect for a picnic or tent camping—sitting on a picnic mat overlooking the golden rice fields must be even more delightful. My friends said next time we’ll drive straight here for a picnic, bring our skateboards and balance bikes, and challenge the kids in the park. Even though I was a half-hearted cyclist but serious photo-taker, I was thoroughly happy and satisfied. For those who really want to cycle seriously, I recommend wearing athletic gear, unlike me who was just playing dress-up. If taking photos is your main goal, I suggest heading straight to the rice field area—that’s guaranteed to yield a bunch of gorgeous pictures.

Here are some photo tips: to get that epic cycling-on-the-road shot, frame a winding road with the cyclist and Haituo Mountain in the background for great depth. When you reach the rice field, you can use the rice as a backdrop for photos of you and your bike. For portraits, use a telephoto lens or a wide aperture in the small grove to create layered depth. For rice-field portraits, walk onto the ridges and have your photographer include both the rice and the mountain—that’s a picture-perfect scene. Practical tips: 🌟 Banquan Sports Park: drive and navigate to the West Gate parking lot of Beijing Yanqing Banquan Sports Park. 🌟 Right next to Banquan Park is the World Grape Expo Park, which is in the middle of grape harvest season. You can hit both in one day—sports, photos, and grape-eating, all taken care of! Sounds great, right? 🌟 Currently, there aren’t many food vendors in the park, so it’s best to bring your own water and snacks to fully enjoy the day.