Things to do in Beipiao

Dahei Mountain is the first mountain in southern Liaoning. It is 663.1 meters above sea level and the highest peak in the suburbs of Dalian. Standing on the main peak, you can overlook the main urban area of Dalian! You can see two seas (Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea) from one mountain. The rocks of Dahei Mountain are ancient. The rock layers are composed of three parts from top to bottom: the mountain belongs to 800 million to 600 million years ago [quartzite of the Sinian Period], which constitutes the majestic and steep main peak of Dahei Mountain. There is also [marble] in the mountain. Due to the influence of structure, some have developed into "water-absorbing stones" commonly used for bonsai. The lower part of the mountain belongs to the 2.5 billion-year-old [metamorphic rock system of the Archean], which forms [mylonite] under the action of push shear force. What is mylonite? Mylonite is a porridge-like rock, which is the oldest rock and stratum in Dalian. This also makes the stratum age difference between the lower part of the mountain and the surrounding plains hundreds of millions and tens of millions of years.

The Swan Lake in Hongcun, Beipiao, Liaoning Province has clear water and shady trees. With the improvement of the ecological environment, more and more swans are wintering here. The scenic area has special people responsible for their care. The swans wintering here attract photography enthusiasts from all over the world to come and take pictures. The swans here sometimes play in the water and sometimes take off into the air.

In my hometown of Chaoyang, this is my absolute favorite tourist attraction. If I could, I'd like to visit it every year. I grew up looking at these dinosaur fossils, and my love for them has only grown stronger with age. Seeing the park improve so much, with its modern facilities and increasingly exquisite exhibits, truly makes me very happy. This is absolutely a fossil park that I, as a resident of Chaoyang, can be genuinely proud of.

It's definitely worth a visit. The outdoor building, a large green building, is a distinctive and solemn structure combining Baroque and traditional Chinese brick architecture. Inside, it's an exhibition hall showcasing furniture from the Republican era.

The Shenyang Imperial Palace is also very large; by the end, I was completely exhausted. Inside the scenic area, there's Zhang Xueliang's former residence, and a financial museum was included as a bonus. All of these were quite interesting and worth seeing.

There were so many people and tourists that I didn't have time to take in many things. It's like a low-end version of the Forbidden City in Beijing. Many of the artifacts on display were discarded from the Forbidden City. Some rooms were off-limits, so people crowded around the entrances to take photos. There was no lighting inside, so the photos didn't look great. The architecture is still quite distinctive.

Fengguo Temple, first built in the ninth year of the Kaitai era of the Liao Dynasty (1020), is a national treasure praised by Liang Sicheng for its millennium-long history. Free from the hustle and bustle of commercialization, the entire main hall itself is a living museum of Liao Dynasty artifacts. The Mahavira Hall is the largest surviving nine-bay Liao Dynasty hall in China, its 48 massive wooden pillars joined entirely by mortise and tenon joints, without a single iron nail. The ingenious architectural structure of the Liao Dynasty craftsmen has allowed the hall to withstand earthquakes and wars, standing for a thousand years. The attendant bodhisattvas in the hall are the most captivating, their crowns and robes possessing graceful lines. The gold leaf paintings have peeled away with time, revealing the simple clay body; when the sidelight shines obliquely, the statues are half-lit and half-shadowed, their mottled and damaged appearance possessing a beauty refined by time—a testament to the saying "imperishable despite ruin." Forty-two Liao Dynasty flying apsara paintings remain on the beams, their brushwork still retaining Tang Dynasty style, making them extremely precious and rare. Over the course of a thousand years, it has endured numerous calamities. The legendary unexploded shell that landed inside the temple in 1948 adds a layer of historical weight to the ancient temple. Without the bustling crowds, Fengguo Temple stands quietly and desolate. Only by standing beneath the massive trees and ancient Buddha statues can one truly feel the faith and craftsmanship hidden within the painted beams and sculptures of the Khitan artisans.

Most of the buildings in the Mountain Resort are destroyed, leaving only foundations. Most of what we see now is newly built. (Most visitors are retirees; perhaps because we arrived early, there were very few full-price tickets.) ⌚️: A 3-hour intensive tour only visited the core attractions, excluding the back mountain. The route was: Lizheng Gate - Yanbo Zhishuang - Yunshan Shengdi - Ruyi Boat - Yanyu Tower - Yongyou Temple - Rehe Spring - Jinshan Pavilion - Shuixin Pavilion - Dehui Gate Exit 🎫: We bought a combined ticket for the Mountain Resort and two temples (we visited the temples in the afternoon). ♥️Regarding accommodation: There are many accommodations near Lizheng Gate of the Mountain Resort. The Mountain Resort Hotel is very good, with weekend discounts. The buffet breakfast is plentiful, starting at 7 am, and you can explore the gardens immediately afterward. 🧱The Eight Outer Temples are the collective name for 12 royal Tibetan Buddhist temples in the northeastern part of the Mountain Resort; eight of them were directly managed by the Qing Dynasty's Lifan Yuan (Court of Colonial Affairs), hence the name "Eight Outer Temples" (or "Eight Temples Outside the Pass"). A World Cultural Heritage site, they are a model of the fusion of Han, Tibetan, and Mongolian architecture. • Construction Period: 1713-1780 (52nd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign to 45th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign) • Existing Core Sites Open to Visitors: Potala Palace (Little Potala Palace), Xumi Fushou Temple (Panchen Lama's Palace), Puning Temple, Anyuan Temple, and Pule Temple; most others are damaged and closed to the public. ✅ We selected two highlights: the Little Potala Palace and the Panchen Lama's Palace. A combined ticket (200 RMB/person) purchased with the resort is more cost-effective. 🧱 Potala Palace (Little Potala Palace, a must-see) ✅ Highlights: The largest of the Eight Outer Temples, modeled after the Potala Palace in Lhasa; the Great Red Platform + the Gilded Hall of Universal Unity, red walls and white platform, perfect for photos; from the top, you can overlook the entire city and the Summer Palace. Enjoy panoramic views of the magnificent Bangchui Mountain. ✅ Duration: 2-3 hours; Best time for photos: 3-5 pm, when the sunset illuminates the golden summit. No need to go to Lhasa, this place is perfect for taking Tibetan-style photos! 🧱Xumi Fushou Temple (Panchen Lama's Residence) ✅Highlights: Built to welcome the Sixth Panchen Lama, modeled after Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse; the Miaogao Zhuangyan Hall features eight gilded bronze dragons on its roof ridge, and the glazed pagoda on the mountaintop is a landmark. The stone carvings and murals on the four doors and eight sides of the glazed pagoda are brightly colored and exquisite! ✅This temple is not large; a visit takes about an hour. ⚠️The two temples are very close to each other, a 10-minute walk, and there is also a free shuttle bus, which is very convenient.

At Phoenix Mountain in Chaoyang, take an electric cart from the mountain gate to the lower temple (Yanshou Temple), and then visit Yanshou Temple, Tianqing Temple, Yunjie Temple, and Huayan Temple in sequence. The entire tour takes nearly two hours and is perfect for outdoor exercise!

Urumqi Museum Ancient Loulan Beauty, Yingpan Handsome Man Personally, I think that the first stop in Xinjiang must be the Xinjiang Museum in Urumqi. Here you can better understand its history, culture and the human geography here. It is worth recommending!