Amidst the May Day Crowds and Traffic Jams, Escape to the Wild Secluded Beauty of Baili Sky Road
When it comes to the Grassland Sky Road, everyone wants to see the beautiful scenery. But every time friends who have been there always feel that the beautiful scenery is right in front of them, yet they can't fully enjoy it because the traffic jams are just too long. In the adult world, there's no need to choose—if you want both stunning scenery and a pleasant experience, come to Baili Sky Road (formerly Jingbei First Sky Road) in Fengning Bashang, and it will fulfill all your wishes at once.
The beautiful scenery you desire can all be satisfied here. And my reasons for recommending it are simple:
1. The road conditions are good and transportation is convenient. Whether traveling with kids or gathering with friends, you want the journey to be smooth. The road conditions of Baili Sky Road are excellent, fully paved, and you don't need to walk much along the way. The entire scenic area is drivable, so you can stop anytime to enjoy the views.
2. Baili Sky Road is located in Fengning Bashang, Hebei Province, 230 kilometers from Beijing, with an average altitude of 1,982 meters. The summer is very cool, making it a summer resort for tourists from Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei. The sky is like a dome, wind turbines sway, and flowers bloom across the mountains—a lush green beauty.
3. Travel through the forest sea and cross the snowfield; the beauty of the primitive forest in Qiansongba is unmatched by other grasslands. The Cloudy Grassland (formerly Liushugou Forest Park) is like a fairyland paradise, isolated from the world, as if stepping into the story of Tao Yuanming.
These reasons are not empty talk. Follow me for a tour, and I guarantee it's worth your visit.
First, let's talk about Baili Sky Road. You can see a large sign by the roadside. When you see that sign, congratulations, you have entered the area of Baili Sky Road. Drive along the mountain road, and the scenery on both sides is very stunning. Look at the sheep in the distance—sometimes they run together, sometimes they just lazily stroll. To us, this is all an exciting and beautiful sight.
Wind turbines are a standard feature of the grassland. Although I see them every time I come to the grassland, I always take photos—never tired of them, like visiting an old friend. Under the blue sky and white clouds, with this endless green grassland, a magnificent landscape painting appears before my eyes. The excitement and joy are beyond words. For girls who love beauty, it's a must to leave behind some photos. Even though I'm already a mother, so what? There's always a princess living in our hearts.
The forest sea and snowfield are not to be missed, and the Qiansongba primitive forest needs more time. Qiansongba Primitive Forest Park is located at the intersection of the Inner Mongolia Plateau and the Yanshan Mountains. It is a national forest park and the first landscape when entering the first grassland north of Beijing. The average altitude is 1,680 meters, covering an area of 1 million square kilometers. Such a large area—just hearing the number is impressive. The average summer temperature is only 17.4°C, with negative oxygen ions as high as 30,000 per cubic centimeter, earning it the reputation of a natural oxygen bar. Besides these, it also has the largest area of natural spruce forest in North China, over 280 years old, a true testament to history.
The colorful wetland flower seas on the grassland, along with various wild animals, give the place a vibrant scene. This time we saw pheasants, hares, and squirrels. One by one, these wild animals seemed to know we were coming and came out to greet us. But they are shy and appear only for a short time. If you see them, seize the opportunity to see if you can capture them on camera.
The ancient and mysterious primitive forest and the magnificent plateau sky road form a fairyland of "Three Rings, Two Lakes, and Twelve Scenes," telling the love legend of the Spruce Prince and the Birch Princess, inspiring the soul, purifying the spirit, and intoxicating the body and mind.
Legend has it that a long, long time ago on the Inner Mongolia grassland, there was a beautiful and kind Mongolian tribe princess who often picked flowers and played in the lush Jinlianchuan. One day, as the tribe migrated to Hailiutu on the upper reaches of the Luan River, she looked around and saw the winding Yangchang River with lush grass, fragrant flowers, groups of squirrels, and hundreds of birds singing. The princess felt refreshed and delighted, deeply attracted by the endless green grass and blooming flowers... Birds played joyfully above her head, and squirrels leaped at her feet. Unknowingly, she arrived at the rarely visited Qiansongba. Here, peaks were layered with green, grass was like a carpet, streams gurgled, and clouds and mist swirled. The primitive forest stood tall and quiet, wild animals appeared and disappeared, like a fairyland on earth, a paradise. The princess was enchanted! She forgot time, forgot worries, walked along the Baihua Slope, climbed Camel Peak, passed Nine Turns, crossed Red Leaf Valley, and came to a clear, rippling stream. She bent down and drank the sweet spring water with abandon.
At that moment, she had no idea that a disaster was approaching. Not far away, a hungry wolf with blue eyes, as big as a calf, was slowly approaching her. Just as the wolf leaped and ferociously pounced on the princess, at the critical moment, a whoosh sound was heard—an arrow pierced the wolf's eyes. The wolf howled in pain and fell dead. The princess turned around in shock, as if waking from a dream, stunned. She looked at the handsome young man who had saved her with grateful eyes! When she learned that the young man was a prince of another Mongol tribe who was out hunting and had risked his life to save her, the princess was deeply moved and fell in love at first sight with the handsome prince. The prince was also captivated by the princess's beauty. They fell in love at first sight, confessed their feelings, and swore under the spruce tree to be united forever! This tree is called the Lianli Tree, and this valley is called Lovers' Valley. From then on, the prince abandoned his luxurious palace life.
Together with the princess in Qiansongba, he farmed and herded sheep, playing with squirrels in the forest, foxes in the mountains, and hares on the grassland, often talking to flowers and trees. They used their bows and arrows to drive away fierce beasts, fed young animals with wild fruits, built nests for birds, and used their own blood to save injured deer.
This place became a kingdom of plants and a paradise for wildlife. The couple lived a happy, immortal-like life. Years later, a group of bandits broke the peace. They occupied a village called Zeigou on the grassland, robbing homes, bullying villagers, and hunting wild animals. To uphold justice and protect the simple villagers and the animals, the prince stepped forward, bid farewell to the princess, and went alone to Zeigou by Jinlian Lake. He fought fiercely with the bandits. With the help of the villagers, they finally wiped out the bandits, but the prince was severely wounded. He refused the villagers' pleas to stay and, accompanied by squirrels and birds, struggled back to Qiansongba... When he reached Squirrel Hollow, he died of severe injuries and exhaustion. Before dying, he whispered the princess's name, and tears of longing flowed from his eyes. His tears gathered into a lake, later called Prince Lake. Beside him grew large, upright, towering spruce trees—the largest and oldest primitive spruce forest in North China.
It is said that the spruce is the incarnation of the prince. The Spruce Prince is regarded by later generations as a symbol of justice, punishing evil and promoting good, dispelling disasters and bringing blessings, and ensuring eternal peace. As for the princess waiting at home, she longed for the prince's return every day. When the prince closed his eyes, the earth trembled, a hundred birds mourned, and the princess sensed it. Tears streamed down her face. In an instant, all the birch trees shed tears. From then on, the princess stood on Lovers' Cliff, gazing into the distance every day, her face wet with tears. Her tears turned into Princess Lake, her body turned into the Birch Fairy, and around her grew graceful, slender birch trees. Later generations called the sap of the birch tree "lover's tears," and the knot on the trunk that resembles an eye "lover's eye."
It is said that if a couple wants to grow old together, you should make a wish under the birch tree. If you want your lover to love only you forever, cover one eye of the birch tree with a red cloth, and then your lover's eyes will only see you. The Birch Princess is also regarded as a symbol of beauty and kindness. She can make couples stay together through life and death, grow old together, have a happy family, and prosper. The beautiful yet poignant love story of the Spruce Prince and the Birch Princess—their faithful love, life-and-death dependence—has been passed down to this day. This beautiful legend, along with the vast forests, fields of flowers, and the sky road in the clouds, attracts a large number of tourists and couples every year, whether in groups or self-driving, for leisure, vacation, exploration, and unique experiences.
The main attractions of Baili Sky Road include Baihua Slope, Camel Peak, Heaven and Earth T-Stage, Yellow Flower Top, Flowing Cloud Ridge, Windmill with Birches, Farmland Flower Sea, Baihua Ridge, Tea Salt Fort, Qiansongba Afforestation Project Observation Point, Guangming Peak, Five-Color Flower Field, End of the Sky, and Zhenshu Ridge.
With so many fun places, there's no need to worry about a lack of beautiful scenery. When we arrived, it was drizzling in the morning, and I worried that the blue sky from the previous day wouldn't appear. But after traveling for so many years, I've long known the principle: take things as they come, and everything is for the best. We stopped the car at every spot; many were not introduced scenic spots, but everywhere is beautiful.
