Despite popularity, clubs face difficulties making profit

On a July weekend, Wen Jie went with 19 other people to the Bashang grassland in Hebei province to stay at a camp organized by an outdoor sports club in Beijing.

"It was cheap," said Wen, a 28-year-old woman who works in an office in Beijing. "I spent less than 300 yuan ($47) for the two-day trip."

Wen said she had been intending to drive to the grassland for two years but hesitated to go because she knew little about the place.