Gubei Water Town, a
popular scenic spot in the suburban area of China's capital Beijing, is gearing
up for the winter tourism season with holiday decorations and a Christmas
market.
The tourist
attraction, at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall in Beijing's Miyun District,
is now celebrating the holiday season with traditional decorations and various
festive activities.
One of the biggest
attractions in Gubei is its Christmas market, decorated to the nines in the
town's biggest square. Classic Christmas images of Santa and his reindeer are
displayed in the background of the ancient town and on the Great Wall, creating
a mix of Western and Chinese cultures.
For those who can't
make the trip home overseas for Christmas because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the
festive spirit in town offers a cure for their homesickness.
"We're from
Italy, and we came here from Tianjin. And we're here for Christmas," said
an Italian boy at the market.
"We miss the
Christmas atmosphere from Europe. So here is feeling a bit like home," his
father added.
The water town has
also provided a family friendly environment where children can play games with
staff members in costumes and make gingerbread houses with their parents.
The quaint water town
of Gubei is famous for its ancient structures constructed in styles from the
Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The area features
narrow canals and stone bridge-replicas of typical scenes usually found in the
water towns of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River.
Beijing's Gubei Water Town attracts winter tourists with Christmas market
