Beijing/Northern Suburbs

The Beijing Northern Suburbs consists of the suburbs and rural areas of Changping District (昌平区; Chāngpíngqū) and Shunyi District (顺义区; Shùnyìqū).

Understand
Changping and Shunyi are the northern outer suburbs of Beijing. Many of the communities in the districts would be satellite cities of Beijing but given the city's system of multiple ring roads, the communities are seen as incorporated as part of a mega city.

The communities of Shunyi between the 5th and 6th ring include rich suburbs favored by families who want larger homes, green space, golf courses, and distance from the hustle of Beijing's urban center. There is a large community of expat families in Shunyi and several international schools are located in the area. Pinnacle Plaza, a low rise shopping center resembling suburban California, is a gathering point for the Shunyi expat community.

Beyond the 6th ring both districts are a mix of urban and rural areas. The outer part of Changping is notable for Chinese historical sites including the Ming Tombs and the Juyongguan section of the Great Wall. Beyond the 6th ring, Shunyi has pleasant nature reserves, particularly for bird watching. Beijing is one of the best bird watching cities among world cities.

Get in
The suburban parts of Shunyi between the 5th and 6th ring can be accessed by Line 15 of the Beijing Subway.

Changping is served by the Changping Line of the Beijing Subway which stretches 32 km with stops including the Ming Tombs (The subway station is a bit far from the actual Ming Tombs, so it's usually faster to get off at Changping station and take a bus to the Tombs). Line S2 of the Beijing Suburban Railway is connected to the Beijing Subway. It begins in Changping and travels north to Yanqing District. Unfortunately Line S2 has very few trains running.

Galleries
There are some interesting galleries in Shunyi District including:



Do

 * Hot springs - There are lots of hotsprings especially in the town of Xiaotangshan in Changping a byword for hot spring resorts. Shunyi also has options for going to hot springs.

Drink
This is not the part of Beijing to go drinking. The closest to a bar street are the few bars located at Pinnacle Plaza in Shunyi.