Things to do in Jianping

Niuheliang Archaeological Site

Niuheliang Archaeological Site is located at the junction of Lingyuan City and Jianping County. It is named after the Mangniu River, which originates from the eastern foothills of the mountain ridge, and features a landscape that is half mountainous and half hilly. The entire site is nestled within thousands of acres of pine forests, which remain evergreen throughout the winter and summer, offering fresh air, a serene environment, and a preserved primitive appearance.Niuheliang Archaeological Site is situated on a series of mountain ridges stretching over 10 km in the mountainous region of western Liaoning. Across an area of 50 sq km of rolling hills, altars, the Goddess Temple, and groups of stone-cairn tombs are distributed in an orderly fashion, forming a grand religious sacrificial center. Within the well-arranged stone-cairn tombs, burials are classified into several levels centered around large tombs, with jade artifacts as the only burial goods. The primary types include realistic yet deified animal-shaped jade ornaments such as pig dragons, bear dragons, phoenix birds, and turtles; horseshoe-shaped jade hoops open at both ends; and cloud-shaped jade pendants decorated with patterns that appear and disappear with changing light. These, along with rows of painted pottery cylindrical vessels erected on the stone-cairn tombs, were tools used by the tomb owners to communicate with the divine. The Goddess Temple, stone-cairn tombs, and large earthen platform architectural sites are the representative structures of the Niuheliang Archaeological Site. These three site points are distributed along a north-south axis according to the mountain terrain. The altar, temple, and tomb form a trinity, grand in scale and imposing, serving as a high-level sacrificial center for the Hongshan culture. It provides rich physical evidence for the study of the origins of the 5,000-year-old Chinese civilization, the activities of representative figures such as the Yellow Emperor in the north during ancient times, as well as the history of religion, architecture, and art.

Niuheliang Site Museum

Niuheliang Site MuseumLocated at the border of Lingyuan City and Jianping County in Chaoyang City, Liaoning Province, at 119°30′ E longitude and 41°20′ N latitude. It belongs to the Hongshan Culture of the late Neolithic Age, dating back 5,500–5,000 years.

Niuheliang National Archaeological Site Park

Jianping Museum

Jianping County Museum and Cultural Relics Protection and Management Office was established in 1984 and currently has 41 staff members. The museum has 7 departments: the Office, Archaeology Team, Exploration Team, Custody Department, Market Management Office, Security Section, and Cultural Industry Office.

Tianxiu Mountain Forest Park

Tianxiushan Forest Park is affiliated to Xiaopingfang Village, Wanshou Street, Jianping County. It carefully creates the Unlimited beauty of the scenery based on the original natural flowers, plants and trees; it fully creates the environmental beauty by relying on the famous mountains and rivers; it takes afforestation as an opportunity to carefully create the ecological beauty. It is reported that Tianxiushan Forest Park currently has more than 140 species of trees, shrubs, grasses and other plants, and more than 30 species of wild animals. It was officially approved as Tianxiushan Forest Park by Liaoning Province in December 2008. Approaching Tianxiu Mountain, the blue sky is full of white clouds, birds are playing, the scenery is lush, mist is lingering, and the forest is vast. Standing on the top of Tianxiu Mountain, you can see the mountains in the distance, the horizontal ridges and side peaks, which are of different heights. Some are steep, some are gentle, some are dark green, and some are emerald. The ones near are clearly standing, while the ones far away are floating in the mist. It is a beautiful picture of green mountains and overlapping green. Tianxiu Mountain is full of strange rocks. The legendary Four-door Cave, Fairy Cave, Tianquan Palace, Chaofeng Bird, Stone Man, and Bajie Stone on Yuhuang Peak are unique and distinctive.

Great Wall Site of Yan Dynasty

The Great Wall of Yan was built by the State of Yan during the Warring States Period. The Great Wall runs from east to west. It crosses the Laoha River from Beiliang, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and enters Jianping County, Liaoning Province. and extend to the northeast.

No. 2 of Global Traveller-Picked Attractions in Beijing

Mutianyu Great Wall

The Mutianyu Great Wall is nestled among the Yanshan mountain ranges in Huairou, Beijing. It is one of the best-preserved and most picturesque sections of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, renowned as "the finest segment of the ten-thousand-li Great Wall." Its construction traces back to the Northern Qi Dynasty's wall, with General Xu Da overseeing its reconstruction on the Northern Qi ruins during the early Ming Dynasty. The Mutianyu Pass was established in 1404 (the 2nd year of the Yongle reign), and further renovations were conducted under Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang during the Longqing era. The brick-and-stone walls and watchtowers seen today are largely Ming-era structures. Along the Ming Great Wall defense line, this section connects Juyong Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east, serving as a vital military stronghold guarding the capital since ancient times. This section of the Great Wall has distinctive architectural features: the Zhengguan platform uniquely clusters three watchtowers together, with its gate unusually positioned on the eastern side rather than centrally—a rare design in Great Wall construction. Unlike most sections fortified only on the outer side, its crenellations line both flanks, reflecting strategic considerations for dual-front defense. Between the eastern vantage point at Dajiao Tower and Zhengguan platform, watchtowers stand densely within just a few hundred meters. From Dajiao Tower's summit, the wall snakes along mountain ridges amid verdant peaks, offering panoramic views and prime photography spots—a location featured in the film If You Are the One 2. This area has over 90% forest coverage on its mountains. In spring and summer, lush greenery fills the view; in late fall, red leaves blanket the hills; and in winter, snow drapes the landscape in silver—each season offers unique scenery. You can take a cable car or ropeway uphill, then switch to an open slide through the forest for a fun and effortless descent. Compared to other open sections of the Great Wall in Beijing, this area sees fewer crowds, making it ideal for a half-day visit. Walk leisurely between watchtowers and look back from different vantage points to capture varied perspectives of the wall and surrounding mountains.

2026 Global 50 - Cool Water Escapes

The Mountain Resort Scenic Area

Construction of the resort began in 1703 and took 89 years to complete, spanning the reigns of the Qing emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. This was the second political center apart from Beijing during the Qing dynasty. The mountain resort is divided into four major areas. On the south side are the palace and lake areas, and on the north side are the mountain and grassland areas. The palace and lake areas house the essence of the mountain resort. The lake area contains many examples of architecture from China's Jiangnan region just south of the Yangtze River. These are a result of the love the emperors Kangxi and Qianlong had for the Jiangnan scenery.

No. 1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Hebei

Aranya · Qinhuangdao

Aranya · Qinhuangdao is a seaside community, and its name signifies tranquility and a return to one's true self. The core attractions of this seaside community are its cultural buildings constructed along the coast. It brings together various cultural spaces, including a library, auditorium, art museum, and art center, where the architecture creates a unique dialogue with the ocean, beach, and natural light. Among them, the library facing the sea, the minimalist pure white auditorium, the art museum hidden beneath the sand dunes, and the art center with its circular courtyard each offer unique features, perfect for a leisurely stroll. Beyond the architecture, public spaces like the coastline and beach are also worth exploring. The community's cultural venues host year-round theater, music, and literary performances and exhibitions, weaving an artistic atmosphere into daily seaside life. When the light is soft in the early morning and evening, the silhouettes of the seaside buildings are perfect for photos.

No. 1 of Best Things to Do in Tianjin

National Maritime Museum of China

Located on the coast of the Bohai Sea in Tianjin's Binhai New Area, the National Maritime Museum of China is a comprehensive maritime museum integrating collection, exhibition, research, and education, and is known as the "Forbidden City on the sea." The white, streamlined main building stretches out along the coast, resembling a giant ship docked at the shore when viewed from afar. The sea outside the museum is vast and open, and the building itself is a photo spot worth stopping for. The museum's exhibits revolve around the theme of "oceans and humanity," with six major zones and more than a dozen exhibition halls, each with its own highlights. In the "Oceans Today" hall, a whale shark specimen over 9 m long is astonishing in scale, a giant squid plastination specimen stretches out its slender tentacles, and together with a rare pregnant shark specimen and thousands of marine life specimens, the diversity of ocean life is presented with striking visual impact; "Ancient Oceans" starts from the birth of the Earth, with trilobite and ichthyosaur fossils linking the evolutionary thread of hundreds of millions of years; "The Age of Dragons" recreates the sea, land, and air scenes of the Mesozoic era, and the ichthyosaur and pterosaur fossils and dinosaur models are especially popular with children; "Chinese Maritime Civilization" and "From Sails to Star Wheels" trace humanity's journey from ancient navigation to modern scientific research. The "Oceans and Astronomy" hall with its starry dome and the experience hall where visitors can intuitively feel the power of marine disasters are also among the museum's most popular exhibits. The museum has a very high content density, and a thorough visit takes more than half a day. It is recommended to arrange your route from the first floor upward, viewing ancient fossils first and then modern marine life, so that those interested in paleontology, marine life, and maritime history can each find what they need.