Longqing Gorge () is a scenic area in the village of Gucheng at Yanqing District of Beijing. It is one of the most popular day trip getaways for people living in Beijing.

Canyon landscape

It is well known for its scenic canyon landscape. A reservoir flooded the canyon after the building of the nearby

Longqing Dam Longqing () (9 February 1567 – 1 February 1573) was the era name of the Longqing Emperor, the 13th emperor of the Ming dynasty of China. Comparison table Other eras contemporaneous with Longqing * Vietnam ** ''Sùng Khang'' (崇康, 1568–1 ...

. The mountain and river vistas are reminiscent of other famous landscapes in China. It is variously given the names "Little Three Gorges" for resembling a "microcosm of the Yangtze River's fabled Three Gorges" or "mini Li River" for its "narrow peaks and dramatic rock faces" recalling the Li River in Guilin.

Activities

The prime attraction for tourists visiting the scenic area is a 15-minute open top boat cruise along the bottom of the Longqing Gorge. A cable car takes visitors up to a mountain peak. The Jingang Temple (Diamond), built in 1065, and Immortal Taoist Template are tiny structures situated at the top of the mountains. Bungee jumping can be done from the top of one of the mountains. There is a yellow dragon-shaped escalator to bring visitors to the top of the Longqing Dam.

Ice Lantern Festival

The scenic area has been the site of the Ice Lantern Festival for more than 30 years. During the festival there are around 150 ice sculptures are on display inside an ice pavilion. It is a smaller version of the

Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival The Harbin International Ice and Snow festival () is an annual winter festival that takes place with a theme in Harbin, Heilongjiang, China, and now is the largest ice and snow festival in the world. At first participants in the festival were m ...

. Starting in 2016, the ice festival has had an Olympics theme to promote the

2022 Winter Olympics The 2022 Winter Olympics (2022年冬季奥林匹克运动会), officially called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Beijing 2022 (2022), was an international winter multi-sport event held from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beij ...

in Beijing including a cluster of events hosted in Yanqing District.

References

Bibliography

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