Sleepless in Seattle has once climbed onto my brain and I really wanted to have a wonderful experience of a city that never sleeps. Now I am in Beijing and there are no films saying Beijing is such a city. It seems that my dream cannot come true if I stay here all the time. It may not be so. Perhaps Gubei Water Town located in Miyun District is such a place for me.

In one of Beijing’s suburban districts---Miyun, there is a newly built entertainment park named Gubei Water Town, where you cannot have an experience of a traditional entertainment park but you can taste the flavor of an ancient city of China in spite of its short building history. In this town you can see hundreds or even thousands of traditional Chinese buildings, including hotels and stores.

What are the traditional Chinese buildings? One or two storied inverted-”V” shaped buildings huddle together overlooking the river passing by; antique-looking stores stand close to one another on each of the streets welcoming coming tourists; and there are a number of cobwebbed hutongs winding inside every corner of the town, hoping to stun every one visiting this area at the foot of the Great Wall.

Spring is the best time to feel the caress of the gentle breeze; summer poses as the perfect resort for hot air haters; autumn looks extremely gorgeous like a lady in carefully-embroidered robes; and winter can be a season to taste the warmth of Chinese culture at night.

Anyway it is mesmerizing on the outskirts of Beijing. For me, what this town shows its visitors is not only these splendid views but also its location, where you walk to Simatai Great Wall, one of the most important sections of the Great Wall in Beijing. This section of the Great Wall hasn’t been completely repaired and still looks old and wild. Therefore, it is an ideal place to feel of the pulse of the past history of Beijing and the beauty of being not intact.

As daytime beckons us goodbye and twilight arrives, it turns into a place of magic. You may stand on the street seeing the glittering lamps far beyond, walk to a traditional store buying something attractive, stand on a stone bridge overlooking the passing water beneath your feet, watch a wonderful performance shouting out of nature, or jump onto a boat yourself enjoying the serene beauty of the night. It is perfect!

Note: I wrote this article and first published on the following website.