Help yourself
By Li Jin (Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-01-14 11:17

After the success of annual peach-picking festivals in Pinggu District, a new event has been lined up.

The Pinggu Autumn Apple Picking Festival is underway in the Beijing suburb, which lies 70km northeast of downtown. Around a dozen villages are taking part.

The West Fangezhuang Village is the most popular site thanks to its time-honoured folklore culture, local farming dishes and, of course, Its 200 hectares of orchards.

All the apple trees are ripe for harvest.

The apple-picking event will last until November 10.

Pinggu is long famous for peach planting. But West Fangezhuang Village and several others around it boast fine apple plantations. About 10,000 tons of apples hit Beijing's market from here every year.

The local villages are opening certain orchards to visitors. It's possible to pick what you want after paying a 10 yuan (US$1.2) admission fee.

Local farmers also offer farm-style dishes for visitors. They can also arrange for you to stay overnight to sample country life.
A number of other events are also being held during the festival.

Adopt a fruit tree

Want to have a fruit tree you can call your own? Xiyu Valley Village is an ideal resort located by the Xiyu Reservoir.It has hundreds of hectares of apple and peach gardens.

Visitors can try and strike a deal. They can negotiate the price, sign an agreement - with prices ranging from 50 yuan (US$6) to 500 yuan (US$60), according to the type and size of the tree.

Peach, apricot, plum, apple, pear, Chinese jujubes, chestnut, grape, hawthorns, persimmon and walnut are amongst the delights on offer.

Tel: 6194-7239

Relive the past

A tour arranged for the Pinggu revolutionary school graduates aims to help them recall dreams of the past.

There are various travel routes in Pinggu:

Search for Pinggu's past

Pinggu's achievements owe a great deal to those who built it. Local people are inviting former residents to return , look around and find old friends.

Visits will include cut-price trips to Jinhai Lake, Jingdong Great Valley; the Great Limestone Cave and Shilin Gorge. It will also include a free visit to the magic stones in Pinggu, apaintings and photography show and a discount on check- in.

For more information:

Panfeng Hotel: 6996-2182

Jinhai Hotel: 6999-1172

How to get to Pinggu: Take bus 918 at Dongzhimen or drive along Jing-Shun (Beijing-Shunyi) Road and Shun-Ping (Shunyi-Pinggu) Road. It takes about 70 minutes from North Third Ring Road to the town of Pinggu.