We had hoped to watch sunset at Dujuan Lake, but arrived there as the last rays of light were already fading. Strolling along the shoreline, we mourned the passing of a glorious day as the final embers of light reflecting off the lake’s still surface gave way to the dark shadows of the mountains jutting into the black behind it. Bamboo rafts moored near the shore bespoke of pleasant paddling out into the lake, but we were too late and the rafts’ owners had all gone home.

On our fourth and penultimate day, we headed to Tuofeng Lake after a sprightly 8 a.m. breakfast. We hiked up the slope of a nearby mountain for 20 minutes for a better view and were pleasantly surprised to discover that, rather than resembling a Tuofeng, or camel hump, the lake was most definitely shaped like a person’s left foot. We both felt that this lake in particular would be at its most spectacular when viewed in the fall as the leaves of the trees on its banks flushed into reds and yellows.

Leaving Tuofeng Lake, we drove on to Arxan National Forest Park’s very own “Grand Canyon,” formed like many of the park’s geological features by an erupting volcano. The basaltic lava here has been eroded over the eons to form a north-south W shape with a length of 11 kilometers with a bottom width ranging from 30 to 150 meters and a depth of between 30 and 130 meters. While America’s Grand Canyon may be bigger, Arxan’s own version certainly makes a “deep impression” of its own.

Sadly the time had come for us to leave the park, but we managed to take in a few sights in the Chaihe region before making the long trip back to the capital. Although Chaihe’s lake held little attraction for us after the magnificence of Arxan’s Tianchi and Tuofeng lakes, we were delighted to visit another site of former volcanic destruction. We were yet again amazed at the thriving vitality of life as we observed stubborn tree trunks shouldering their way up through the omnipresent black stone.

Leaving the lava for the bitumen, we passed Chaihe Town and couldn’t help bringing out cameras for the town perched in the high mountains and surrounded by rivers.

Heading south, cows and sheep again greeted us as we skimmed over the wetlands. It was as if we had emerged from a prehistoric parallel universe and nature was slowly introducing us back to the built-up world. After a night’s rest, a long day of driving and reminiscing transported us back to our former lives in Beijing.

We had planned this sojourn as five days of relaxation, but driving 3,300 kilometers and scrambling up multiple mountains meant we were busier than ever. But having taken the time to escape from the hum-drum banality of city routine and gone “back to nature,” we could really say that our minds were calmer than they had been in many, many years.

Tips:

The drive from Beijing to Arxan City is 1,300 kilometers. Some highways charge fees. (National ones are signaled with the letter ‘G’; provincial ones with an ‘S’.)

Peak season is from late May to the end of September. The Arxan Forest Park is a national AAAA tourist destination. The park entrance fee is RMB 180 / per person and 20/ per car. It is a good idea to wear long pants in the park to ward off insects and protect one’s legs from cuts. Sports shoes are a must. Bring an umbrella, as the mountain climate of the region is quite unpredictable.

The mineral springs at Arxan count as some of the best in the world. There are over 100 springs of differing temperature levels that offer varying benefits to the body. Some springs are for bathing while others are for drinking only.