Begin at Huangsongyu Reservoir
The Huguan Road outing starts in Beijing’s eastern district of Pinggu, where steep wooded slopes rise above reservoir water. Huangsongyu Reservoir, built in 1971, provides the first broad view: rock faces, green banks and reflections that change with the light. Use the designated roadside viewing and parking areas.
Pause beyond the Shilinxia junction
Beyond the junction for Shilinxia, a roadside stopping area offers another angle on the surrounding cliffs. Look for a toilet building on the southern side and a larger parking area to the north. Use the signed spaces available when you arrive and give the hills a few minutes rather than taking photographs from the road.
Farther along, the Tianyunshan gateway and the entrance to Zhonghua Baidi Gong mark the beginning of the climb. The palace is an optional separate visit; the main interest of this drive is the mountain landscape around it.
Climb through the bends, then continue to Bolitai
The stretch known as Jiuqu Shibawan, roughly ‘nine bends and eighteen turns’, follows the folds of the hills. Near the top, a stone marker identifies the viewpoint area. Summer foliage can hide much of the road below, so the appeal is often the layered mountains rather than a complete view of every hairpin.
The route continues through Huangtuliang Tunnel, then descends towards Bolitai. The village entrance is roughly five kilometres down the mountain road. Yixiantian, a narrow rock passage associated with the village, is a separate outing whose access needs checking before you plan time for it.
Choose between the reservoirs beyond the pass
Yangjiatai Reservoir lies about two kilometres beyond Bolitai, near Yangjiatai village in Zhenluoying. Completed in 1982, it gives the route a gentler finish, with water set between green slopes and village buildings.
For a longer outing, continue from Huguan Road onto Pingguan Road towards Xiyu Reservoir, around thirteen kilometres farther on. Use the permitted stopping places for views across the water.
Leave room for the countryside
Peach orchards line parts of the journey between Yangjiatai and Xiyu. When fruit is in season, ask growers whether they are selling fruit or offering picking, and agree the quantity and price. Pinggu peaches make a fitting stop without turning the drive into a shopping itinerary.
From central Beijing, compare the Jingping Expressway approach with Jingmi Road and Shunping Road using current navigation. Xiongnan Road is another return-route possibility. Choose a clear-weather day and check Beijing’s traffic and weather advice before setting out; heavy rain is a reason to postpone a mountain drive. Allow time for lunch around the Shilinxia area and choose only the stops that fit a comfortable return.
Photographs: Fangfei Jiuyue.
How this guide was made
This guide combines structured research and automation with source and duplication review. Dates change; verify time-sensitive details before travelling.