Where can one go for a peaceful hike in China without being harassed by salesmen on the trail, people offering horserides, archery, or photographs of your ugly mug in front of some natural scenery? With 1.3 billion people I know this country is short of space – but mountains (and scenery) are a public good and should not cost money to visit. The problem with the new-found-capitalism in this country is that now people are fencing off scenic areas, charging an entrance fee, and turning the places into fairgrounds.
This weekend past I went to ShenTangYu (神堂峪) up in the HuaiRou (怀柔) district: entrance fee was ¥21 per person which included ¥1 RMB insurance. Now don’t get me wrong – this isn’t a lot of money, and if collected for the purpose of preservation of the natural area then i’m all for it. Unfortunately, by effectively marking this on the map as a ‘tourist destination’ it also attracts a certain crowd and makes the area somewhat tacky with the stalls that crop up every few hundred metres.
At the end of the day, ShenTangYu was still very pleasant – and if you head north beyond the ‘scenic area’ you will find un-manned territory. The valley is easy to hike, suitable for families, has a running stream with fresh water… and even a mini-beach. If only one could avoid being heckled by salespeople also… the day could almost be perfect!
