Silver Pagoda Loop

For this walk we’ll follow a loop around Holly Mountain and climb to one of its peaks. We start at a village that hosts a 300 year-old performance stage and a temple. The houses in the village are mostly built from granite - likely sourced from a nearby quarry. After walking through the village we’ll follow a slowly ascending path through the countryside, passing an isolated shrine, fields, and concrete water reservoirs as we circle the mountain.

As we enter the “Valley of Mercy” the path starts to get a lot steeper, heading past more quarries and following a hillside trail up to the top of Holly Mountain. Towards the top we’ll find the Silver Pagoda park trail, and climb its steps to the viewing platform at the top. We can look down on the pagodas from there, and will have an unobstructed 360° view of the surrounding mountain peaks and countryside.

From the top we’ll follow the park trail down to the pagodas, passing “North Beijing’s Number One Waterfall” and many other local landmarks. There are two big bells in the park and we will pass by one of them - it’s quite common to hear them toll as we walk.

The Silver Pagodas were built more than 300 years ago. They’re situated at the foot of the mountain on an old temple site. The silver bells of the pagodas used to ring in the breeze, and are the source of the name of this peaceful spot.

What to bring on this hike?
Snacks
Warm clothes with thermal layers, gloves, a scarf, and a hat.
Good hiking boots
(Click here to read our full What To Bring on a Hike list.)

After the hike we’ll get a late lunch at a local restaurant - the cost of the food and drinks is included in the price of the hike.