Alfresco Afternoon Tea at Beijing Manor and Archery Tag in Xiaotangshan: Life Couldn't Be More Relaxing

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of Baijiahao, we went to Huabin Manor in Nankou Town, Beijing, for the “Wilderness Camping Muster” and “City Life Enthusiasts” events, spending two days immersed in nature and freeing ourselves.

At 1 p.m. on October 21, 2021, we took a bus from Zhichun Road subway station to Huabin Manor in Changping District, Beijing. An hour and a half later we arrived. The manor sits at the foot of the Great Wall. We set up camp on the spacious lawn, everyone pitching in to put up tents, set up tables, arrange chairs, and lay out assorted pastries and drinks.

Switching scenes for afternoon tea—doesn’t it taste even better on an open meadow?

You’ve had afternoon tea before, but have you ever had it in the wild?

Compared to a grand five-star hotel, isn’t afternoon tea on a suburban lawn fresher and more fun?

Warm slanting sun, faint scent of grass, horses a hundred meters away, a hint of creaminess... Indescribable little emotions dissolve on the palate, those greedy little thoughts. A small pastry dispels fatigue and heals a downcast mood. Who wouldn’t love such an afternoon tea?

The beautifully arranged table, with savory and sweet tea snacks, makes for Instagram-worthy photos no matter how you shoot. No girl can resist such temptation.

A piece of pastry, a cup of fragrant tea, refreshing to the heart, sketching an elegant and comfortable afternoon.

What’s happening? Even the horses want afternoon tea?

Who could resist such good looks? The horses smelled the aroma and came over, joining our tea party.

Put down your phone, play board games, and enjoy card games like a kid.

You can also hide in a tent and rest—so healing.

There were also couples flaunting their love—sour, so sour.

Remember childhood days, carrying a little stool to sit with the village crowd in front of a screen on the threshing ground, watching open-air movies?

Come on, Huabin Manor lets you relive those wonderful childhood moments~

As night falls, set up a screen in the wild and return to the era of open-air cinema—this is the trendiest leisure activity these days.

Under the starry sky, on the grass, let’s find the emotions between light and shadow~

The films screened included the classic Chinese animated feature ‘Mulan’ and the globally popular ‘Harry Potter.’ Even before the screening began, a crowd had gathered. Once the movie started, everyone was absorbed. Under the vivid high-definition projection, emotions rose and fell with the plot, deep in moments of moving and inspiring spirit, collectively experiencing the charm of classic cinema and uplifting power, moving us all together before the screen.

Who has the best instant-boiled mutton in Beijing? Yangfang Shengli, of course!

In Shahe Town of Changping District, mutton restaurants are everywhere, each with its own secret recipe—some boast authentic lamb, others unique dipping sauces, and some excel in both. Among the many hot-pot mutton places, foodies unanimously recognize Yangfang Shengli.

Yangfang Shengli has three branches in town. The one we visited that evening is the Shahe branch, just 100 meters east of the town government office.

It has two distinctive features: one is boiling lamb in plain water, because as they say, only good lamb dares to be cooked in plain water; the other is serving the lamb rolls on a long wooden plank—oh no, a long board. How long? Over a meter, almost as tall as a person, a completely different style from others using round plates.

The water is Nongfu Spring from the Changbai Mountain area, the lamb is milk-fed grass lamb shipped from Inner Mongolia, and the sauce is ‘Empress Dowager Cixi’s sesame paste.’ The combination of these three elevating each other’s flavors is simply unbeatable—Michelin can’t hold a candle to it!

Just lamb wasn’t enough; we ordered shrimp paste, top-grade fresh tripe, sesame cakes, and a whole lot more. Complimentary vermicelli, cabbage, lotus root, and potatoes were thrown in. As for the taste, it’s beyond words. How good was it? You’ll have to try it yourself.

We checked into the Vienna Hotel that night, right in Tianyue Plaza.

The next morning, we moved to Baiguo Manor in Xiaotangshan Town, where there was thrilling archery tag, a confrontation that perfectly recreates an ancient battlefield.

Everyone once had a dream of being a martial arts hero; shooting an arrow through a willow leaf a hundred paces away was a childhood goal.

The chance to realize that goal has arrived!

Playing archery tag in the Beijing suburbs lets you show your guts. Before starting, the coach gave a detailed explanation of how to use and wear the bows, arrows, goggles, arm guards, etc., and introduced safety knowledge and precautions.

Put on your goggles and arm guard on the left arm, and use primitive cold weapons to display sports passion. The goal is to eliminate all opposing players or knock down all target dots on the opponent's arrow targets within the time limit.

The game began, each player carrying four arrows. Before going on, everyone was scared, but once on the field, everyone showed bravery and tenacity, with cross-cover, echelon rescue, wave attacks, balancing offense and defense. It was exhilarating; all the charm that sports need can be found in this game.

Archery tag is a rapidly growing game in recent years, combining dodgeball-style play with safely designed bows and arrows. Participants feel like they’re on an ancient battlefield, competing with primitive archery skills. Thrilling and addictive, you’ll definitely fall in love with it and never get bored!

The ‘modern-day Mulan’ took the field and hit the opponent with her first arrow.

At that moment, a teammate scrolling on their phone came across a breaking news: our town had a positive COVID case. It scared everyone badly, so we quickly grabbed a few bites of food at the manor and evacuated quickly.

On the morning of the third day, we went to see some properties. At noon, we had lunch at Jindingxuan, chosen simply because it's right at the entrance of Ditan Park. Jindingxuan has a Chinese-style exterior, a decent-sized space, and interior decoration that is antique and very Chinese. It also displays clay figurines by Clay Figure Zhang. Photos on the walls show many celebrities have visited. The cuisine is diverse, covering Shandong, Northeast, and Sichuan dishes.

After lunch, we eagerly entered the park.

[The Emperor Went Once a Year, Shi Tiesheng Went Every Day—Where Did They Go?]

Ditan (Temple of Earth), lacking the imperial grandeur of the Forbidden City and not as magnificent as the Temple of Heaven, is nevertheless a special presence in Beijing.

The square Temple of Earth, opposite the round Temple of Heaven, signifies ‘round heaven, square earth.’ The solemnity of the altar in Ditan Park is no less than the Circular Mound Altar at the Temple of Heaven, and Shi Tiesheng's essay ‘Me and the Temple of Earth’ from high school textbooks adds to its cultural aura.

Over 30 years ago, a thin-faced young man would almost daily wheel himself to what was then a desolate, dilapidated Ditan Park, often staying from morning till sunset.

‘I have been under every tree in Ditan, and almost every meter of its grass bears the tracks of my wheelchair.’

Unfortunate enough to lose the use of his legs, Shi Tiesheng plunged into a low point in life, often losing control of his body and mind. Sometimes he would suddenly smash the glass in front of him, other times hurl things at the wall. From the onset of illness to paraplegia, he attempted suicide three times, only to survive by a fluke due to an electrical short-circuit. God refused to take him.

A young man in his early twenties, suddenly without the use of his legs in his prime years—how was he to live? At that moment of despair, self-pity, loneliness, and confusion, not a moment too soon or too late, just at the right time, he wheeled into Ditan.

Nowadays, Ditan Park tickets are cheap, almost free. Beijing’s attractions are the least willing to make tourists spend money.

Ditan Park has four entrances—south, east, west, north. I entered from the south gate, but the west gate is the main entrance.

The great affairs of the state are sacrifice and warfare. Throughout the year, ancient emperors had the custom of sacrificial rites: spring equinox for the sun, summer solstice for the earth, autumn equinox for the moon, winter solstice for heaven—each full of ritual.

During the Jiajing reign, the emperor split the original Temple of Heaven and Earth apart, built a new altar called Fangze Altar in the northern suburbs of Beiping, which is today’s Ditan. From then on, heaven and earth were worshipped separately.

Ditan is the second largest among the five altars of the ancient capital Beijing and the largest existing altar for earth worship in our country. First built in the ninth year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1530 AD), it echoes the Temple of Heaven in the distance and faces Yonghe Temple, Confucius Temple, and Imperial Academy across the river.

Ditan was where emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties worshipped the god ‘Huang Di Qi’ (Earth God). The entire altar is square, built according to traditional Chinese concepts of ‘round heaven square earth,’ ‘blue heaven yellow earth,’ ‘heaven south, earth north.’ Existing ancient structures include the Fangze Altar, Huangqishi (Imperial Earth God’s Hall), Zaishengting (Slaughter Pavilion), Zhaigong (Abstinence Palace), Shenku (Divine Warehouse), etc.

The park has many centenarian ancient trees. Three must-see ones are: the One-Armed General Cypress, the Grand General Cypress, and the Old General Cypress.

Rows of ancient cypresses stand tall, each like a venerable elder, steeped in history.

Past this row of ancient cypresses, you directly encounter the heart of Ditan Park: Fangze Altar, the sacrificial altar itself. This is the most worthwhile sight, so it’s ticketed separately, but not expensive—only 5 yuan.

In the tenth year of the Xianfeng reign (1860), Anglo-French forces invaded Beijing. The British occupied Ditan, razed the low walls around Fangze Altar, and turned the sacrificial platform into a gun emplacement.

A little girl was reading the introduction very seriously; she’ll definitely get into Peking University’s history department when she grows up.

Huangqishi is the main hall of Ditan, facing north. It houses the Earth God and tablets for the Five Sacred Mountains, Five Zhen Mountains, Four Seas, and Four Great Rivers, arranged by rank.

In the northeast corner of the park, there’s a Traditional Chinese Medicine Health Preservation Cultural Garden built by later generations—China’s first themed garden on TCM health culture.

The garden is divided into zones corresponding to the liver, heart, spleen, lungs, and kidneys, with the five elements, five colors, and five directions incorporated. Water features and paths serve as meridians, connecting the whole garden into a complete living form.

Nearly a hundred types of Chinese medicinal herbs and plants are grown here, along with pavilions, corridors, rockeries, and flower clusters—all elements of a classical Chinese garden, a style completely different from the sacrificial altar.

The Bell Tower is square in plan, with a double-eaved green glazed tile hip-and-gable roof. The bell bears the inscription ‘Made on a certain day of a certain month in the Jiajing reign of the Great Ming,’ and its sound is loud and rich.

The Divine Horse Circle is where the imperial horses were fed when the emperor came for rituals.

The Abstinence Palace is fenced off, not visible due to maintenance. It was where the emperor stayed for purification before the earth ceremony, facing east, consisting of west, south, and north halls. Emperors Shunzhi, Kangxi, Yongzheng, Qianlong, and Jiaqing of the Qing Dynasty all undertook purification here.

The Slaughter Pavilion is akin to a modern meat processing plant, solely responsible for butchering sacrificial livestock, scalding them to remove hair, and performing the work of a master chef.

The Divine Warehouse is a small complex consisting of four five-bay suspended-eave halls and two well pavilions. The main hall, called ‘Shenku,’ stores the Phoenix Palanquin (for carrying the Earth God’s tablet) and Dragon Palanquin (for carrying tablets of attendant deities). The east side hall, ‘Sacrificial Vessel Warehouse,’ stores ritual vessels; the west side hall, ‘Divine Kitchen,’ prepares sacrificial offerings; the south hall, ‘Musical Instrument Warehouse,’ stores instruments used in rites. The east and west well pavilions supply water to the moat and the divine kitchen.

Ginkgo trees are common in the north, nothing special, but planted in Ditan they seem different, as if their status is elevated.

Ditan has a Ginkgo Avenue—over 200 ginkgo trees, all thick and towering, mostly planted in the 1950s. Though called an avenue, the path is not wide nor long.

I came too early; I should have visited at the end of October.

Looking away from the ginkgos, scanning the autumn foliage, I surprisingly found a few persimmon trees already bearing fruit; in a few days they’ll be ripe enough to eat.

A group has its own joy, an individual has his own enjoyment.

Although Ditan was a royal sacrificial site, somehow, today it feels very down-to-earth. It has become a sanctuary for pigeons; you don't have to fly to a Paris square to feed them.

Then I walked to the west gate. Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties entered Ditan through the west gate archway. The Ditan archway is as grand as the east gate archway of the Summer Palace. Originally built in the Ming Dynasty and called ‘Taizhe Street’ archway, it was renamed ‘Guanghou Street’ archway during reconstruction in the Yongzheng reign of the Qing. The current archway was rebuilt in 1990, as the original was demolished in 1953 on the grounds that it was too close to the road and affected traffic—speechless on that, no comment.

Crossing the road from Ditan Park heading west, you reach Qingnianhu (Youth Lake) Park.

[A large lake inside Beijing’s Second Ring Road, nicknamed ‘Little West Lake,’ free entry]

Youth Lake indeed has a lake, they didn’t lie to me.

Is it only for young people to visit this park? Of course not. Look, most of the people strolling aren’t young.

So why is it called Youth Lake Park?

In the 1950s, this area was just a big water pit. In 1958, over 700 students from Beijing No.1 Middle School, No.5 Middle School, No.21 Middle School, etc., answered the call and came here for voluntary labor to dig the lake. Once the lake was formed, it was named Youth Lake.

The youths who sweated to dig the lake back then are now all white-haired and elderly.

Outside Andingmen on the North Second Ring Road, a long bridge lies across the rippling green waters. Youth Lake Park sits like an emerald set in the community. This is a commendable park in the city center, nicknamed ‘Little West Lake,’ and with no entrance fee, it’s extremely generous.

The lake is wide, instantly calming your heart. A lap around it takes about 40 minutes. Having such a large lake in the city is truly rare.

A lake means boating is a must. Rowing a boat here feels like a version of Shichahai, but with far fewer people.

This sculpture is fun; mischievous kids love it, climbing up without a care. Adults are also cheered up. There are many similar sculptures, forming a sculpture garden.

Behind the sculpture is a ginkgo grove; it must be beautiful in autumn.

The park is well-greened, with lush, vibrant trees. Green meets the eye everywhere. Walking along the riverside, you’d never get tired even after ten laps around the lake.

Crossing the bridge, you reach the lake’s central island, surrounded by willows. On the other side of the island, a white stone bridge leads to the opposite shore, resembling the view of double bridges at West Lake from a distance.

In this park, adults can stroll and chat along the lotus pond walkway, elderly people sit quietly on benches, and art lovers sketch with their easels. There’s no sense of time pressing, only contentment. Meanwhile, kids can head to the children’s playground, which has bumper cars and arcade games for delightful fun.

The park features many exquisite pavilions and towers, where you can occasionally see residents playing cards. Built nearly 60 years ago, it’s an irreplaceable presence in the hearts of local people.

The park is quite large, with scenic spots like Shuoyuan, Baochunyu, Lotus Pond, Shenglanxuan, Yiyuan, etc. A rockery stone by the shore bears two big red characters ‘Ru Jing’ (Like Mirror), referring to the lake surface smooth as a mirror.

Don’t just think of the Water Cube for water fun. Youth Lake has a Water World with waterslides, double-dragon slides, and various water activities, plus open-air pools of different sizes that can accommodate 1,200 swimmers at once—a great summer escape. A separate ticket grants you full access.

Foodies surely know Jubaoyuan. A branch just opened at the park’s south gate; compared to other Jubaoyuan locations, this one has no queue—come quickly!

Leaving Youth Lake Park, we took a bus to the Drum Tower. After getting off, I saw a brick tower—that meant the Drum Tower was here, wrapping up a full afternoon.

The Drum Tower isn’t just about drums; it also has bells. The drum was beaten to mark the night watches, and the bell was struck to announce the hour. So ‘morning bell, evening drum’—this was how ancients kept time and managed the city, giving the common people a schedule for work and rest.

Liu Xinwu even wrote a novel called ‘The Bell and Drum Towers.’ One should listen to the morning bell and evening drum here at least once in life.

The Bell Tower and Drum Tower stand south and north of the square, barely a hundred meters apart. The square is very lively.

A combined ticket for both towers is 30 yuan. Inside the Bell Tower is the Yongle Bell. Being frugal, I’m content just looking from outside; but even the rich can’t go in—due to the mask situation, it’s not open to tourists.

There are so many soon-to-be newlyweds here; at the red wall, couples queue up to take wedding photos, not interfering with each other.

Many eating dog food (singles) brave the assault of lovey-dovey couples, daring to come alone to check in.