Zhangjiakou, a city in Hebei Province some 200 kilometers northwest of Beijing, has emerged as a distinctive destination in northern China, boosted by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In the third season of Village Voyage, CGTN host Julian Waghann from the United States and Mexican traveler Juan Carlos Cheang Guzmán journey across the region to explore how its land and people are creating new possibilities for rural life. The series takes viewers beyond famous landmarks and into the countryside, where international travelers get their hands in the soil, learn traditional crafts and share everyday meals with local residents.
The mountains of Chongli are more than the backdrop for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Once best known for their snow-covered slopes, they are increasingly becoming a year-round destination for outdoor activities. "Winter is for skiing, but summer opens up a whole new world," said a local outdoor guide. Since the Winter Olympics, residents have been steadily unlocking the hills' year-round potential: from mountain biking and trail running to hiking and camping. Julian and Juan pedal along forest trails and stand at the starting line of the Chongli 168 Ultra-Trail Race, where thousands of runners surge forward. For Juan, the scene strikes a familiar chord. "Mountains don't have borders," he said. "The urge to run and challenge yourself in the wild is something we share, whether in Latin America or here."
Surrounded by farmland and an open sky, Yugouliang Village sits on a high plateau in northern Zhangjiakou. The village has gained attention for a distinctive form of outdoor yoga practiced among its fields. Unlike the wellness trends often associated with urban gyms and resorts, yoga here has grown naturally out of village life. "Our yoga comes from farm work," one villager explained. "It is part of how we live." Julian and Juan first experienced another part of village life by making youmian, a local staple made from oats. They kneaded the dough and shaped it by hand, then headed into the fields, where they spread their mats on the earth and practiced yoga alongside local residents. "This feels familiar," Juan reflected. "No matter where we are, people want the same things – health, peace, security and a life that feels full."
Located in the southern part of Zhangjiakou, Yuxian is known for its historic settlements, traditional architecture and folk arts. Its ancient buildings have also reached new audiences through popular culture. Some of its architecture has inspired locations in Black Myth: Wukong, the hit Chinese action role-playing game. Yuxian paper-cutting is one of its best-known folk traditions. "Paper-cutting came from everyday people," said a master of the craft. "It used to decorate farmhouse windows. Now it reaches the wider world." With that spirit in mind, Julian and Juan tried their hand at paper-cutting, fumbling with scissors to produce something far from perfect – but they feel, briefly, what it means to make art out of ordinary life.
If Yuxian's ancient villages preserve the memories of the past, Desheng Village shows how rural communities are looking toward the future. Located in the highland farming region of northern Zhangjiakou, Desheng has embraced modern agriculture and solar power as part of its rural development. Rows of solar panels stretch across the land, capturing sunlight that once only fed crops. Beneath them, modern greenhouses hum with temperature-controlled precision. "We used to depend heavily on the weather," one villager said. "Now technology and sunlight give us new hope." Julian and Juan stepped into the greenhouses, picking ripe tomatoes and crisp cucumbers, tasting the sweetness of a harvest that no longer depends on luck. They saw how clean energy revenue flows back into the community – funding schools, roads and public spaces. As night fell, they joined a bonfire gathering in the village square, where music, laughter and conversation filled the evening air.
For a new generation of travelers, immersive experiences are offering a more complete picture of rural China. In Zhangjiakou, the countryside is not defined by a single landscape or a single way of life. Chongli's mountains pulse with year-round energy; Yugouliang's fields offer a slower rhythm of life; Yuxian's ancient villages keep traditional architecture and folk crafts alive; and Desheng shows how clean energy and modern agriculture can create new opportunities for rural communities. Here, tradition and innovation coexist in the same villages, where ancient skills can find new audiences and modern technology can take root in centuries-old communities. Every village has its own story. From mountain trails and open farmland to historic villages and modern greenhouses, Zhangjiakou reveals a northern Chinese countryside that is more diverse, dynamic and full of possibility than any single image can capture. Visitors may come for the scenery, but by stepping into village life, they leave with a closer understanding of the people who live on this land, the traditions they carry forward and the future they are building together.
