In late autumn, Beijing becomes the Beiping of Mr. Lao She's writing.

At this moment, the Gubei Water Town at the foot of Simatai Great Wall is also gradually changing colors. The streets and alleys are covered with red leaves, and the meandering water reflects the colorful reflections, which is quite like the meaning of "the autumn of Beiping is paradise".

My favorite season, the blue sky and warm sun, I came here to give myself three days of slow life, and autumn to a date that will not see.

The Gubeikou area of the garrison was once an important military garrison, known as the "key to the capital", because of its majestic terrain.

Gubei Water Town was built here according to the situation, backed by the meandering Simatai Great Wall, strewn with ancient buildings imitating the Ming, Qing and Republic of China period, crow-tent boats in the rippling Tanghe River rocking and passing, so that both the northern small town of the hard simplicity, but also the delicate warmth of the Jiangnan water town.

A leaf knows autumn, and the creepers that climb all over the town become the main characters at this time.

Unlike many popular places to enjoy the red leaves, the red leaves in Gubei Water Town are a kind of beauty within reach.

Gray bricks and tiles, small bridges and rivers, inns and ancestral halls, old streets with green stone slabs ...... No matter which corner you go to, there is always a touch of red around you to accompany you, decorating the town with a unique flavor.

Unconsciously away from the bustling center, into a certain narrow alley, enjoying only their own scenery, as if you can hear the sound of falling leaves in the quiet air.

Gubei Water Town is a poetic place.

And poetic places are places with stories.

History and culture are the richest inner soul of Gubei Water Town. Chinese traditional culture is inherited and carried forward here, and the craftsmen are worth savoring.

Sit quietly and draw a sand swallow kite at the Wind House Kite Culture Museum, let it become colorful in your hands, and then gently fly it under the guidance of the master. At that moment, it seems like going back to the most carefree days when I was a child.

The Yongshun Dyeing House, not far away, is a long-established business founded in 1900.

In the deep-walled courtyard, various styles of dyed cloths are drying on bamboo racks, with colorful colors in front of your eyes, and a vague sky and eaves in front of your eyes.

The second floor is an experiential space. Tie-dye a scarf or a piece of clothing that has a one-of-a-kind look for this world.

Shadow puppets are a national intangible cultural heritage, and the shadow puppet theater in the old town puts on shadow puppet shows every day. Experienced artists perform various stories in the sound of gongs and drums and in the light and shadow with great subtlety.

As night falls, the beauty of Gubei Water Town is not yet over.

"The Simatai Great Wall, which is attached to the town, is the only one that retains the original appearance of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty. The wall is built according to the steep mountainous terrain, and is famous for its strangeness, special features and dangers.

Moreover, Simatai Great Wall is the only one that is still open at night.

Climbing up the cable car, the ancient town slowly fades away from the view, and the Great Wall becomes clearer and clearer in the light of the lamps.

The Great Wall has lost some of its majesty during the day, and is now softened by a beautiful halo of light.

When you visit the Great Wall at night, you will see the meandering wall dotted with lights under your feet, overlooking the ancient towns and houses with lights pouring out of the city, and looking up at the jeweled night sky with the moon shining brightly and the stars sparse.

The moon is as cool as water, and history and today collide and then merge at this moment.

Back in the ancient town, a romantic drone lantern show is being staged here.

In the sound of music, nearly one hundred drones seem to be like a released Kongming Lantern, slowly rising in the Sun and Moon Island Plaza, changing different patterns in the night sky, as bright as the stars, dancing like a dream.

The Great Wall Music and Water Dance Show at Wangjing Building is another visual feast presented by Gubei Water Town at night.

The combination of 3D holographic projection and fountain water dance creates a combination of real and imaginary illusion in the air at Wangjing Building. Gazing at the show with bated breath, it seems to be sucked in by a powerful force, and you can see the intersection of time and space and the turning of the stars in the ethereal universe.

Finally, the light and water dance music came to an abrupt end, and the surrounding area was once again plunged into darkness. At that moment, I was in a trance, feeling that everything was real and unreal.

Climbing to the top of the mountain, the Peak Church at night is a little more romantic than during the day.

The outdoor terrace of the Peak Café is the best location in Gubei Water Town. Even though the air was crisp and cold in the fall night, I still insisted on my last stubbornness and hugged a cup of hot coffee by the fence, fond of the lights of this appendage.

The poetry of the Gubei Water Town is in abundance in the alleys and corners of the town, but the various kinds of food that you may come across from time to time also make this place never lack of human life.

Water town food street on both sides of the ancient local snack stores, bridge cake, bean curd corner, snail lion powder, boiled rice, in time to catch up with the meal time to line up.

The Chinese restaurants at Wuzhen Hui Wenchangge and William Edgar Hotel specialize in Huaiyang and Cantonese cuisine, which is great for families and friends.

The barbecue meat restaurant is on the outskirts of the old town, but business is booming, and the signature Miyun barbecue meat is fatty but not greasy.

As the weather turns cooler, hot pot becomes a favorite delicacy. Guguan Hot Pot Restaurant is at the entrance of Water Town Food Street, where the boiling copper pot bubbles up with a happy aroma, warming up the chilly air.

Because I stayed overnight in the ancient town, I unlocked a new way of eating breakfast - breakfast on board.

In the morning light, sitting on a gently swinging boat, enjoying a delicate breakfast while enjoying the ancient town from another angle, the boatman's sculling sound, the sound of the river swings open and the birds chirping in the treetops play a gentle BGM.

A beautiful day starts from this moment.

The quietness of the late night, the sunrise and dew in the morning, do you aspire to this Gubei Water Town as I do? Then staying here is the best way.

There are many different styles of hotels and inns in the town to meet everyone's needs for vacation.

The Thirteen Sisters Women's Hot Spring Hotel, near Wangjing Street, is cozy and elegant with original wood tones, and each room has its own private soup.

Autumn night is getting cooler, a side of the courtyard is covered with yellow light and hot springs, unloading all the fatigue.

Hakodate Mountain Resort Hotel is located in Ranggu District, surrounded by mountains and water in a quiet environment. The appearance of the hotel is very modern, the room is also very stylish.

Sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling windows sprinkled with a room, nestled in the tatami or sofa on the lazy mode, do not want to go out.

Traveling Tips

1.Transportation

Self-driving: Navigate to "Gubei Water Town", exit 24 Simatai on Beijing-Chengdu Expressway, about 2 hours' drive from downtown.

Public transportation: Dongzhimen through train, 2 hours drive, fare 48 RMB.

Train: Take the 9.30 Wai Mi Line train (Beijing North - Gubei Kou), and then transfer to bus No. 69.

2.Tickets

Ticket for Gubei Water Town is 140 RMB, Simatai Great Wall is 40 RMB, and the combined ticket for the two places is 170 RMB (booking hotels/hot springs in the town can be exempted or there are discounted tickets)

Ancient town + Great Wall + double ropeway 280 yuan (single ropeway 220 yuan)

3. Red leaf season limited tips

(1) Try to avoid weekends, there will be much less people.

(2) Walking towards the outskirts of the town, you will find a lot of places with dense foliage but few tourists, such as the alley in front of the Eight Banners Inn, the alley outside the side door of the Yongshun Dyeing Factory and the road in the middle of the Yongshun Dyeing Factory and the Royal Melon Garden, the stone paths and alleyways around the Yang Wouwu Shrine, and the steps, alleyways and stone bridges along the river bank from the main road down to the riverside.

(3) The red leaves are highly saturated, it is recommended to wear plain and simple clothes, rent a set of Chinese clothes and scenic buildings are very compatible. Every fall scenic area will hold some activities, this year's red leaf festival secondary theme, a lot of cosplay and Chinese dress as if to make the ancient town reproduce history.

(4) fall morning and evening temperature difference, pay attention to keep warm.