Gubei Water Town: A Must-Visit Ancient Water Town

We started our journey from Daxing Airport by taking the express train, then transferred to another train to reach Dongzhimen Station, where we caught a bus to Gubei Town. The first bus departs at 9 AM, and the fare is 50 yuan (cash). Some say it's 48 yuan, but they don't give change 😅. The bus ride takes about 2 hours to reach Gubei Town. If you're not sleepy, I recommend enjoying the scenery along the way; it's quite stunning. Oh, and if you haven't had breakfast, you might want to bring a sandwich, milk, and water with you, and make sure to use the restroom beforehand. Upon arrival, head to the Information Tourism building to check in. We had booked a hotel in advance. The counter is on the far right; present your Chinese booking documents and passport to the staff. You'll get a discount on the entrance fee, reducing it to 80 yuan (which you have to pay). The staff don't speak English but are very helpful in assisting with the check-in process. Once checked in, you'll receive a yellow slip indicating your hotel. Scan your card to enter and wait for the bus, which will drop you off at the nearest point and give directions. This slip allows you to ride the bus for free throughout your stay. We stayed at Wulong Inn, which is similar to a homestay. It exceeded our expectations with its clean rooms, beautiful views, good bathroom facilities, and strong water pressure for a satisfying shower. The staff were lovely, and the Chinese-style breakfast was delicious. At night, my friends and I explored the town. It was beautiful, with drone light shows, fountain displays, and opera performances near the hotel. We also saw the Great Wall illuminated at night. Everything here was much better than we had anticipated. For the return trip, we opted to call a taxi via DIDI, costing around 400 yuan, excluding an additional 59 yuan for the expressway. We later found out that negotiating with a taxi at the front would have been cheaper and included the expressway fee 😅😅😅