Four 4-year-olds' first parent-child team-building trip: picking chestnuts and climbing the Great Wall - Huairou Mutianyu

Number of days: 2 days
Time: September
Average cost: 500 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Tour kinds: self-driving, free travel, weekend tour
The author went to these places： Huairou Mutianyu Great Wall
Updated: 2020.09.16

September is still a great time to take the kids outdoors to enjoy the autumn! Four children had just started kindergarten for the first day, so to ease the separation anxiety between the children and their parents, we decided to take a spontaneous trip.

Early Saturday morning, four families and their children drove to Huairou. The 120-kilometer journey from Daxing to Huairou was very busy, perhaps because the epidemic was over and people were eager to get out and enjoy the ride. Our car reported a problem along the way: the brake lights were stuck on. This serves as a reminder for future long-distance drivers to maintain their vehicles promptly! On the way back, we stopped at the 4S dealership to replace a lightbulb for 5 yuan, which was a close call!

The first stop in Huairou was to stay at a B&B and pick some chestnuts.

The chestnuts were in the B&B's own yard, and picking them up was free! At the time of ripening, the yard and rooftops were littered with golden chestnuts. Dads beat them with bamboo poles while children gathered them below, having a blast!

The B&B is very spacious, and the bathroom has a glass ceiling so you can see the stars.

We're playing mahjong and one of us is missing. The other kid is taking a nap.

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The most serious child picking chestnuts

A woman like the wind

The correct way to open chestnuts

Golden chestnuts everywhere

This place mainly serves fish, especially rainbow trout, which can be grilled or stewed. The iron pot stewed chicken is also very popular.

Originally, we planned to play mahjong, drink beer and eat peanuts in the afternoon. On the way here, we found a good place: there is a holy spring flower sea less than 10 kilometers away from our accommodation. The ticket price is 20 yuan and parking is free. It only took us about ten minutes to get there with our kids.

After dinner, we returned to the B&B. Fully recharged, the kids fell asleep straight away in bed, no need for a story to lull them to sleep!

I set my alarm for an early start and was out picking chestnuts before 6:00 AM—surprisingly, I wasn't the first one! The early bird catches the worm. After a night of wind and shaking trees, chestnuts fell to the ground. Picking chestnuts is what I enjoy most, just like I love farming and picking vegetables. It's the most relaxing experience, and all worries are forgotten. The harvest is not the goal; the journey is what matters!

Our second stop in Huairou: climbing the Mutianyu Great Wall!

The B&B owner helped us book the ticket package, which was cheaper than using China-TravelNote and saved us the time of waiting in line.

Yes, I've never climbed the Great Wall before, even though I'm from Beijing! Thanks to the kids, I've finally climbed the Great Wall! Haha!

Of all the Great Walls, Mutianyu is truly stunning!

Mutianyu was less crowded, much more relaxing than the throngs at Badaling.

We had a mix of young and old, and someone like me who wasn't very athletic, so we took the cable car to Beacon Tower 14. Then, after carrying the kids in a sling through the two towers, we retreated the same way.

Hand in hand, let's walk together

Found the enemy, haha, having a lot of fun

Have a picnic on the Great Wall and clean up after eating. Protecting the Great Wall starts from childhood! After coming down from the Great Wall, we were exhausted and needed to refuel immediately. So, we had another hearty meal. Every weekend, I gain three pounds! After that, we'll talk about losing weight!

Thirty is the age of middle age. Houses, cars, money—so many worries. We can live a simple life, like our children. ✌✌✌! We still have a childlike innocence!

Work has its ups and downs. To make ends meet, we can work overtime, work hard, or take some time off. Work is just one part of life, not everything!

My first trip with my kids and our good Chinese neighbors was a complete success. I look forward to the next one!