China Travel 2.0

Thanks Jeremy Goldkorn for introducing a cool place for wild Greatwall and organic food around Beijing, Please see it as below.

There is a beautiful valley just over an hour’s drive from Beijing where you can walk on some of the loveliest, unrestored bits of Great Wall anywhere. It’s called Chenjiapu (陈家堡). I’ve been going there for more than three years and have stayed and eaten with the Chens, one of the farmer families who’ve been living there since the Wall was built.

They grow almost everything they cook in their own field and orchard, without any pesticides or artificial fertilizers. From May to October you can eat delicious vegetables plucked straight from the ground, and a variety of good home made country dishes.

The fresh vegetable season has just started, and there are new wild and cultured plants to eat every week, as the weather changes. This week there are dandelion leaves, spring willow shoots, and fresh spring onions. I have also helped the Chen’s to stock up on a selection of South African wines and whiskey.

There is information about how to get there, sample menus and videos etc on the website www.GreatWallFresh.com (currently unavailable in china without VPN, this will be fixed next week). In the meantime, below you can find the necessary basic information.

If you have any questions about the place, feel free to contact me about it (jeremy -at- danwei.org) otherwise just phone Mr Chen on 1361 126 4212
 (Chinese only).

GETTING TO CHENJIAPU
Drive yourself
1. Take the Jingzang Expressway (京藏) and head for Badaling (note: this road recently changed its name from Badaling Expressway 八达岭高速).
About an hour out of the city, pass the Badaling Great Wall and go through the Badaling Tunnel (八达岭隧道).  About 3 kilomters after the start of the Badaling  Tunnel, take Exit 22 (Guichuan Road Exit 妫川路出口).
Drive to the toll booth and pay. About 200 meters after the toll booth, make a U-turn and get on the side road next to the entrance toll booth to the Expressway (there’s a brown sign for “Holiday Snow”).
Carry on straight for a less than kilometer; when you get to a fork in the road just next to a cell phone tower, keep right (straight).
Less than a kilometer after the fork in the road, there is a road to the left, through a white arch (and next to a restaurant with a faux traditional Chinese roof and bamboo exterior). Take this road, and then drive straight up the small road for almost exactly 8 kilometers. About half way up, you’ll pass a military base on the right of the road and there is a fork;  keep straight (i.e. right).
When you get to the sign in the photograph to the left, you’ve arrived. If you notice a fake round  Great Wall tower to the left of the road, you’ve gone a little too far.

Pick up from Deshengmen
Organize a Chen family van to pick you up at the long distance bus station at Deshengmen city gate on the 2nd Ring Road.Their van takes a maximum of 6 people.
Call Mr. Chen to make reservations for dinner and transportation (Chinese only). If you can’t speak Chinese, please email spam@danwei.org.
Mr. Chen home phone: (0313) 684 8161
Cell phone: 1361 126 4212
Prices: 400 RMB 1-way; 800 RMB 2-way

Public bus
Take the 919 bus from Deshengmen to Yanqing. Call the Chen familya day in advance to arrange for them to pick you up from the Yanqing terminus bus station. 160 RMB for pick up and drop off at Yanqing.

Pick up from your residence
Door to door both ways with Driver Huang who knows how to get to the Chen family farm.
Mr Huang cell phone: 1370 128 5768 (Chinese only)

SAMPLE MENU
Most of the food we serve is grown right on the Chen family farm, so specific meals are seasonal, and subject to change, but all are guaranteed to be delicious. Every meal is served with at least three different seasonal dishes, multiple side dishes, rice, and tea. Below is a typical menu.
Set price: 50 yuan.

Country Style Dishes 农家特色菜

HOME-GROWN POTATO AND PORK STEW 猪肉炖土豆
Hearty potatoes, tender pork, and garden green beans stir-fried in the Chen family’s signature sauce.
自家菜园出产土豆，芸豆搭配新鲜猪肉，佐以 陈家祖传秘制豆酱，

Tags: beijing travel, greatwall, jeremy goldkorn, organic farm, organic food, 妫川路