住所远离市区？没关系，一样有好处！

》》》》》》》》一键领取入口《《《《《《《

When my youngest son, Guillermo, said he was going to move to the outlying Beijing district of Mentougou from the inner urban district of Haidian, I imagined his new home as an attractive but distant area that would make it harder for us to visit.

得知我的小儿子要从海淀区搬到门头沟区，我的反应就是他的新家虽然会很好，但交通会不方便。

A job switch meant he needed to live and work outside of downtown. At first, he considered trying to keep his apartment closer in and commute, perhaps spending a few nights a week in his new district. But with the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, it soon became clear that wasn't practical, and his lease was up, so he went apartment hunting.

他换了工作，需要从市里搬到郊区。一开始，他本想不住那么远，但随着疫情的爆发，房租的提高，他只能重新找住处。

It turned out that his westward move was a blessing in several ways. Besides getting a break on his expenses, he found a nice place in a development of apartment towers built above a mall in the Hetan (Riverside) area.

不过他最终的选择不错，住在河滩那里的居民楼。

He is mere steps from restaurants, shops and other amenities. While Beijing increased its emergency response level from level three to level two after a new outbreak of the novel coronavirus, temporarily closing many of the neighborhood businesses, most of them have reopened as the outbreak has been brought under greater control.

他家附近就有饭馆、商店和其它周边设施。之前北京疫情升级，关停了很多小生意。现在随着疫情被控制，很多商家又营业了。

I went to visit a few weeks back and found that the subway trip from my home in Chaoyang district to Jin'anqiao station on Line 6 took only an hour, including a line switch. The total trip took about 90 minutes. That would be a long commute to work, but it wasn't bad for a visit.

几周前我去了一趟他的新家。从朝阳区到金安桥地铁站耗时一小时，包括一次换乘，整个路程大约90分钟。对于通勤而言时间较长，对于串门而言还能接受。

Mentougou is really beautiful, with towns and urban areas nestled up against mountains and crossed by rivers and streams. It's greener than some other parts of the capital, and roadside stands offering fruit such as persimmons and pears are common.

门头沟很漂亮，依山傍水，比城里很多地方都环境好，路边摊卖柿子和梨很常见。

The Yongding River, Beijing's largest, flows through the district and there are natural areas to explore, such as the Baihua National Natural Reserve, which is home to rare plants and animals, including the golden eagle.

永定河穿流而过，还有百花山国家级自然保护区，那里有罕见的动植物。

There are a number of folk customs villages and traditional homes. There are many famous temples and temple fairs. The Dayun Temple was said to have been built under the imperial order of Wuzetian, empress of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), to extol her achievements, according to TravelChinaguide.com.

门头沟还有很多民俗村、庙宇和庙会。网上记载，门头沟的大云寺建于武则天时期。

There are monuments and exhibition halls for those interested in revolutionary history or the history of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1931-45).

对抗战和革命史感兴趣的人可以参观各种纪念馆。

Guillermo and a friend of his recently visited Tanzhe Temple, one of Beijing's oldest, with a history stretching back 1,700 years to the Jin Dynasty (265-420). On the temple's grounds at the foot of West Mountain are many ancient gingko, cypress and pine trees, some so old that branches have to be supported with metal supports.

我的儿子和一个朋友最近就参观了有1700多年历史的潭柘寺。西山脚下有很多古老的银杏和松柏，一些树枝都需要金属架的支撑。

The Guanyin pavilion is located at the temple's highest point, and has a wonderful view, according to an article posted last year by cgtn.com.

网上记载，观音殿是潭柘寺中所处地势最高的一座建筑，视野开阔。

Among the best things about Mentougou: a pace of life that's a little less hectic than downtown Beijing and also the friendliness of its people. In these times of pandemic, this western district offers a nearby getaway within the borders of Beijing.

门头沟最妙的地方在于，生活节奏比城里慢，居民也友善。疫情期间，这里可以成为北京市的好去处。