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| I Miss You Very Much In Wtown ! |
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| Autumn Season |
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| Gubei Water Town |
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| Post Office Meet The Future |
Day 12 Monday Oct 21 2024 (Beijing > Gubei Water Town) - a short & sweet (09.00 > 11.00) express bus ride from Dongzhimen to Gubei Water Town direct; after hotel check-in & a lunch, devoted the rest of my afternoon (14.30 > 19.00) roaming & admiring the charm & scenery of Gubei Water Town Tourist Area ! My group's first time visit & well rewarded after this overnight visit (the sense of sight of Gubei water town charm & Simatai Great Wall by Night, the smell & taste of local food, the hearing of running water under the arch bridges & the gentle touch of red & yellow maple leaves, weeping willow trees, a symbol of fertility & new life etc ) !
Gubei Water Town Turist Area, Miyun District, North Beijing - located approx 140km from Beijing centre at the foot of Simatai Great Wall, a themed resort showcases ancient northern architecture by a picturesque lake. Also in the nearby vicinity is the Jinshaling Great Wall. Now a modern retreat & a major tourist attraction for day trippers from Beijing, overseas tourists (package tours or free & easy), chartered buses of local tourists from nearby provinces in China for an overnight stay to visit these three touristy places in one go !
1) Bus ride (07.30) from Xibajianfan bus stop (near our hotel) > Dongzhimen Transit Hub Bus Terminal (4 stops)
2) Arriving (08.00) in Dongzhimen Wai Bus Terminal & queuing for a Special Line Express Bus from Dongzhimen > Gubei Water Town direct (single journey Rmb48, traveling time 2 hrs, departing 09.00, the next bus departs at 12.00)
3) Countryside scenery as viewed from the moving Express bus's windows.
5) Express bus arriving (11.00) in Gubei Water Town Bus Terminal - looking forward to explore this charming water town (my 1st visit) for our overnight stay, the best is yet to come !
6) A short walk (10 mins) from Gubei Water Town Bus Station > Wtown Cloud Dream Resort Reception Room 317, Building No 12, Gubeikou Town City Road, Longhu Great Wall Yuanhu for our hotel / apartment (homestay type) check-in. Our actual hotel accommodation is located 2.5km from their Reception Room hence hotel guests have to contact the property office upon arrival to arrange for a pick-up before checking into their designated hotel room; takes 10 -15 mins for this free pick up call service at any time of the day or night if you are in any spot nearby the Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - an efficient service if you booked for a hotel room stay in Wtown Cloud Dream Resort - a private entity !
7) Vehicle picked up by a Wtown Dream Resort Management official for a short drive (2.5km) to our hotel apartment block for check-in.
7) My 1st glimpse of Simatai Great Wall (after the hotel check-in) as viewed from our hotel apartment's balcony (3rd floor).
8) Small Eat - after the hotel check-in, our group's lunch in a local restaurant near the Gubei Water Town Tourist Service Center, both my wife & myself shared a dish of chili stir fried chicken fillets + Rice (Rmb40 = Rm24 = US$5.50). As this a major tourist resort in North Beijing, prices of food served here is probably 20 to 30% higher !
9) Tourist Service Center, Gubei Water Town - visited the Tourist Service Center to purchase our entrance tickets (Rmb80 = Rm48 = US$11.00) for seniors above 60+ (just present your passports as identity); enjoy a cup of Starbuck coffee if you like to rest your feet before entering the Gubei Water Town Tourist Area !
10) Entrance ticket to Gubei Water Town for Seniors (Rmb80) - commencement of my walking tour with my group members at 14.20 till evening (19.00) !
11) Signboards guiding you to various touristy sites / eateries / washrooms etc in Gubei Water Town; if lost or at the crossroad or looking for a particular place, just ask any of the resort attendant on duty for direction !
12) The start of my group's walkabout & stray walking in this charming water town, Gobei Water Town Tourist Area is simply scenic & picturesque when viewed from any angles ! So just enjoy every moment of your time here ! Snap as many pictures as possible & bring home to admire !
13) Yangui Dock, Gubei Water Town, Beijing
14) Weeping Willow Trees (Classic & Graceful), Gubei Water Town
15) Golden carp fish swimming freely in the Yangui dock.
16) Nan Tien Men, Gubei Water Town
17) In Autumn, the leaves turn red & yellow
18) Yongshun Dyehouse, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - an educational visit, learn about the dyeing process in fabric, clothes etc.
19) Sima Distillery, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - another educational visit on Chinese wine making process !
20) Hanging umbrella, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - loved to see the sight of hanging multi-color umbrellas !
21) Hanging colorful lanterns in a waterfront restaurant, Gubei Water Town
22) Hanging Yellow Lanterns, Gubei Water Town - creating an atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Mooncake festival & Chinese New Year ! Yellow symbolises hope, happiness & sunshine !
23) Hanging Fish Figurines, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - A "fishy" way of attracting customers to the owner's grilled fish stall nearby so that you don't miss it !
24) A big square in the middle of the Gubei Water Town - music entertainment & food stalls nearby !
25) Yuantong Pagoda, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - need some energy to walk up the various steps to the Pagoda top ! I gave up after walking a few minutes !
26) Food Glorious Food, Food Street, Food Sense & Wtown Food Court, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - the right place for foodies & gluttons ! Go for a hot dish of fish head cooked in local gravies or best still Malaysian style curry !
27) An old village in Gubei Water Town - old is gold retaining the old town charm & life !
28) Arch bridges, running water, weeping willows, leaves turning red & yellow & waterfront dwellings, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - a combination of both natural & man-made environment in the Gubei Water Town Tourist Area making the place very picturesque & the scenery stunning !
29) Sun & Moon Island Dock, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - enjoy a boat ride along the waterfront !
30) Setting lanterns on the river in Gubei Water Town - play in the town at night carrying a red lantern, kids could love it if the Mid Autumn Festival mood is still lingering in their mind !
31) Town Dreams Fly Kites, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - buy a CKD pack of Gold Fish kite home for remembrance or decoration at home or find an open ground to fly it in your own backyard !
32) Silk Shop, Gubei Water Town - a little learning on the goodness of using cool silk-made mattress covers !
33) Post Office Meet The Future, Gubei Water Town Tourist Area - conveying the message "Meet the Future" & two catchy local slogans ie There Is A Culture Called Gubei - There Is A Living Called Water Town, well said & meaningful !
34) Stray walking, just walk & walk, how not to fall in love (maple leaves are red my love in Autumn) easily with this place especially during the Spring, Autumn & Winter season or Summer if you do not mind the heat wave ! Perhaps another visit in Spring season or if you could brave the bitter cold winter in Beijing to see Gubei Water Town covered with snow white ....... as for me & my wife, we will cross the bridge if ever we show up again in Gubei & Simatai Great Wall - contentment is the order of the day for me & my wife now that I had done the Gubei visit in this Beijing trip !
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