[Photo by baidu.com]

Badaling is best known to us as that requisite rite of passage for every visitor we receive-and most of us inadvertently have gone to that tourist trap more times than necessary. Next time, make an afternoon visit to the lesser known, but equally beautiful and nearby Longqing Gorge (Longqing Xia).

The Badaling section of the Great Wall is ideally scheduled for the morning, as one should see it before the hordes of tourists aggregate and the souvenir hawkers reach critical mass. But after a morning of schlepping around the dips and curves of the wall and fighting back tribes coded by colored mesh caps, the tranquil boat ride through the bottom of Longqing Gorge can be a remarkable tonic.

This scenic area is often considered a microcosm of the Yangtze River's fabled Three Gorges and is also frequently compared to Guilin's craggy waterborne peaks. Its rare combination of natural beauty and accessibility make it one of Beijing's most rewarding excursions. At Longqing Gorge, visitors can ride the world's longest chain of escalators to the top of the largest dam in Northern China. You will be delighted to find the escalators ensconced by a 258-meter-long bright yellow dragon-shaped structure.

Your five-minute ascent through the dragon's bowels leads you to the reservoir behind the dam, where your boat ride departs. The standard boat ride meanders through the river's curves for about half an hour, although longer cruises can be arranged. The pine-forested walls of the gorge frame the sky in dramatic and pleasing patterns that have prompted at least one tourist to break out humming the theme song to the Lord of the Rings.

Beyond sightseeing, the gorge features a range of recreational options for visitors. Several hotels and restaurants are located at the entrance to the gorge. Kayaking, rock-climbing, horseback riding and go-carting are among the diverse activities that can be arranged in the vicinity of the gorge.