Nestled in western Beijing, Mentougou District offers travelers a unique blend of rugged natural beauty and centuries-old cultural treasures. From cinematic landscapes to living history, this lesser-known region invites visitors to step beyond the capital's iconic landmarks and into China's ecological and artistic soul.
A Cinematic Wilderness
The Nanshiyang Grand Canyon, immortalized in Jean-Jacques Annaud's Wolf Totem, stretches across Mentougou with dramatic limestone cliffs and untouched forest ecosystems. Conservation efforts since 2020 have preserved its role as both a biodiversity hotspot and an open-air museum of Jurassic-era geology, attracting filmmakers and documentarians seeking Earth's primordial beauty.
Kilns of the Yuan Dynasty
In Liuliqu Village, the National Treasure TV series showcased Ming-era glaze-making techniques still practiced today. Artisans here maintain six Yuan Dynasty kilns, passing down methods that produced the revered 'peacock blue' ceramics for Beijing's Forbidden City. Visitors can shape clay using 14th-century tools or try the intricate seven-step glazing process under master craftspeople's guidance.
