Shunyi Hikers: Badger’s Pass
Hike a hill trail through trees and valleys, crossing a ridge on the way to the end. Plenty of greenery, and views of life in Beijing's countryside. Shunyi Pinnacle Plaza pickup.
This hike is not currently scheduled
Shunyi Hikers: We’ll be picking up people from the Starbucks at Pinnacle Plaza in Shunyi for this hike. If you’re not based in Shunyi but fancy a hike down Badger’s Pass, we can still make it work – write us a note when you make your booking.
Note: sections of this trail may be very brushy – we recommend you wear trousers and a long-sleeved shirt.
We first hiked around this area in 2003, and it is still a nice natural place to visit, relatively untouched by urban sprawl.
The starting place for the hike is a small village at the foot of Badger’s Pass. Not many people live in the village now, and soon it will be altogether empty.
From the village, an ancient path made of granite flagstones leads up into a thick forest where badgers and wild boar roam. The villagers use snares and traps to catch them, and we may spot some of these traps on the way up – hopefully empty!
We’ll follow the path up through the forest, over the ridge, and then down into the ruins of another small village. Long ago, this village was named Pig Village (Zhu Hu), and most of the people living there were also named Zhu. At that time, there were still leopards to be found in the hills, and because the villagers were worried that the leopards might be drawn by all the reference to pigs they changed the name of the village to Sheep Village.
Sheep Village is now abandoned, and of the houses only foundations and walls remain. Walking down to the village, we’ll see the terraces and grinding stones once used to grow and process the crops grown.
From Sheep Village we continue walking through the hills, finishing up at a village that was famous in times gone by for its tasty tea, and is now a good example of the improvements to the standard of living of people living in Beijing’s rural areas.
After a late lunch and drinks at a countryside restaurant we’ll get on the bus and head back to Beijing.
Shunyi Hikers: We’ll be picking up people from the Starbucks at Pinnacle Plaza in Shunyi for this hike. If you’re not based in Shunyi but fancy a hike down Badger’s Pass, we can still make it work – write us a note when you make your booking.
What to bring on this hike
- Snacks.
- Warm clothes, in case it gets chilly.
- Trousers and long-sleeved shirt. Highly recommended
- Strong and comfortable hiking boots
- (Click here to read our full What to Bring on a Hike list)
Reasons you might not enjoy this hike
- This trail is not commonly walked, and sections may be a little overgrown.
- It’s quite a long drive out there and back.
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions