Get away

Ever wanted to play a Manchu or Mongolian warrior? This long weekend you can - by traveling to the Bashang Grassland, about 280 km north of Beijing. This plain is the nearest grassland to Beijing and the perfect destination for a getaway.

You can dress up like Mongolian people, wearing colorful clothes and trinkets. Or, you can ride horses, shoot with a bow and arrow, take camel rides or simply explore the grasslands.

"This area is magic. We have many Beijingers coming for just the weekend to escape the rush of the city," says hotel manager Xiao Fengyi. The entrance ticket costs just 33 yuan per person.