Guojiagou Scenic Area is located in Guojia Village, Xiaying Town, Jizhou District, Tianjin. It is the first rural national 4A-level tourist attraction in Tianjin, known as "Water Town in Northern Jizhou, the Unsleeping City in the Mountains". The scenic area is characterized by combining the style of northern mountain villages with water town landscapes. It is surrounded by mountains and water, with lakes and mountains interdependent. The surrounding mountains are covered with lush vegetation, and streams flow through the village, forming a unique landscape where "the village is in the forest, courtyards are in the scenery, and people are in the painting". The buildings in the scenic area are based on traditional northern dwellings, integrated with modern design elements. There are more than 40 characteristic homestays and farmyards, which can accommodate 1,000 people at the same time. Some homestay courtyards cover an area of about 200-500 square meters. The total area of the scenic area is about 1.2 square kilometers, covering various functions such as rural sightseeing, parent-child entertainment, and leisure vacation. It is a well-known rural tourism destination in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
History and Culture
The history of Guojiagou Village can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. It was named because the Guo and Ma families were the first to settle here. In the past, it was a poor mountain village with inconvenient transportation. At the end of the 20th century, the per capita annual income was less than 1,000 yuan, and the per capita cultivated land area was only 0.8 mu. Due to its location in the deep mountainous area in northern Jizhou, villagers mainly made a living by planting fruit trees and traditional farming, with slow economic development.
In 2012, Jizhou District launched the construction of high-quality rural tourism villages. Guojiagou seized the opportunity, relied on its landscape resources, and carried out transformation with the positioning of "Northern Water Town". It uniformly planned residential buildings, roads, and water system landscapes, and standardized the operation of farmyards. Since 2013, the village has successively won honors such as "National Beautiful Village" and "China Habitat Environment Example Award". In 2022, it was officially promoted to a national 4A-level scenic area, completing the transformation from a poor village to a tourism demonstration village.
The scenic area has deeply explored local culture, compiled and published books such as "Stories of Guojiagou" and "Annals of Guojiagou Village Development", and built a village history exhibition hall to show the evolution of the village. At the same time, it has preserved traditional farming techniques, paper-cutting, weaving and other folk cultures. Through scenes such as Guoma Old Street, it restores the life scenes of northern mountain villages, allowing tourists to feel the inheritance and development of rural culture.
Main Attractions
Rainbow Flower Sea
Rainbow Flower Sea is located in the middle of the scenic area, covering an area of about 50 mu. It planted various flowers such as cosmos, zinnia, and sulfur cosmos, forming a colorful flower sea landscape. There is a sightseeing small train track with a length of about 1.2 kilometers in the flower sea. Tourists can take the retro small train to shuttle through it. The flowering period lasts from May to October every year, making it a popular photo spot in spring and summer.
Guoma Old Street
Guoma Old Street is the core cultural block of the scenic area, with a total length of 280 meters and a width of 6 meters. Both sides of the street are buildings imitating northern dwellings of the Qing Dynasty, with a total of 32 shops. The old street focuses on displaying traditional handicrafts, characteristic snacks, and folk culture in Jizhou, such as paper-cutting, straw weaving, and Jizhou clay sculpture. Among them, time-honored shops such as "Guojiagou Old Vinegar" and "Ma Family Pickles" have a history of over 100 years, reproducing the lively scene of the old mountain village market.
Swan Lake and Koi Pond
Swan Lake covers an area of about 8,000 square meters, with an average water depth of 2.5 meters. There are 12 mute swans and various ornamental fish in the lake. Adjacent to Swan Lake, the Koi Pond covers an area of about 2,000 square meters, raising more than 500 koi fish of varieties such as red and white, and Taisho sansei. There are wooden plank roads and viewing pavilions around the two water areas, with a total area of about 1,500 square meters, which is an excellent place for leisure and sightseeing.
Jungle Roller Coaster
The Jungle Roller Coaster is located in the mountainous area in the west of the scenic area, with a total track length of 880 meters, a maximum drop of 30 meters, and a designed speed of 30 km/h. The roller coaster passes through pine forests and oak forests, with 3 sharp bends and 2 diving sections. It adopts an unpowered gravity-driven mode, with high safety factors, suitable for tourists over 1.2 meters. The whole experience takes about 3 minutes.
Forest Light and Shadow Park
Forest Light and Shadow Park is a characteristic night project of the scenic area, located in the eastern forest land, covering an area of about 15,000 square meters. Through technologies such as light projection and interactive devices, it creates 12 theme scenes such as "Firefly Forest", "Star Tunnel", and "Time Gate", combined with a sound system to create an immersive experience. The opening hours are 19:30-22:00 in summer and 18:30-21:00 in winter. A separate experience ticket is required.
Cuisine
Braised Free-range Chicken with Mushrooms
Braised Free-range Chicken with Mushrooms is a signature dish of the farmyards in the scenic area. It is made of locally free-range chickens raised for more than 180 days, braised with wild hazel mushrooms. Each chicken weighs about 1.5-2 kilograms, and the braising time is no less than 90 minutes. Simple seasonings such as ginger slices and Chinese prickly ash are added to maintain the original flavor of the ingredients. The dish has tight meat and rich soup. A serving (about 600 grams) is priced at 68 yuan, and it tastes better when paired with pancakes.
Vegetable Dumplings
Vegetable Dumplings are traditional northern rural pasta. In the scenic area, the outer skin is made of a mixture of corn flour and millet flour, and the filling is wild vegetables (mainly shepherd's purse and purslane) with minced pork belly. Each weighs about 100 grams, steamed in a traditional large iron pot, with a soft and slightly sweet taste, priced at 3 yuan each. It is a local classic way to eat with homemade fermented bean curd.
Jizhou Chestnut Braised Pork
This dish uses local specialty Yanshan chestnuts (2-3 cm in diameter) braised with pork belly. The chestnuts are harvested from September to October every year, with powdery, glutinous and sweet flesh. The ratio of chestnuts to pork belly in the dish is 1:1, braised for 40 minutes, with a bright red color. A serving (about 500 grams) is priced at 58 yuan, which is a seasonal specialty in autumn.
Recommended Surrounding Cuisine
There are characteristic restaurants such as "Shanli Renjia" within 3 kilometers of the scenic area. It is recommended to try "Fried Scorpions" (using local non-toxic scorpions, crispy after frying, 58 yuan per serving) and "Reservoir Braised Fish" (using live fish from Yuqiao Reservoir, weighing about 2.5 kilograms, braised with tofu, 128 yuan per serving). There are many shops selling "Jizhou Walnuts" in Xiaying Town, 10 kilometers away from the scenic area. The average weight of each walnut is 12 grams, priced at about 30 yuan per catty.
Tickets
The ticket price is 60 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "郭家沟景区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The scenic area is open all year round. The daily opening hours are adjusted according to the season: from April to October, it is 8:00-18:00 (admission stops at 17:30); from November to March of the next year, it is 8:30-17:00 (admission stops at 16:30). The opening hours of Forest Light and Shadow Park: from May to September, it is 19:30-22:00 (admission stops at 21:30); from October to April of the next year, it is 18:30-21:00 (admission stops at 20:30). From Lunar New Year's Eve to the second day of the first lunar month, some amusement projects are suspended, and the opening hours of the scenic area are shortened to 9:00-16:00.
Tour Route
Recommended one-day tour route: Arrive at the scenic area at 8:30 am, first visit Guoma Old Street (40 minutes) to feel the folk culture; go to Swan Lake and Koi Pond at 9:10 (30 minutes) for taking photos and enjoying the scenery; experience the Jungle Roller Coaster at 9:40 (about 1 hour including queuing); go to Rainbow Flower Sea to take the small train at 10:40 (40 minutes); go to the farmyard for lunch at 11:20 (1.5 hours). Visit the Petting Zoo at 13:00 pm (40 minutes); go to the Unpowered Climbing Park at 13:40 (1 hour); buy souvenirs at Guoma Old Street at 14:40 (50 minutes); go to Ximu Tent Camp for rest and sightseeing at 15:30 (1 hour); end the tour at 16:30. If you want to experience night projects, you can adjust the itinerary: enter Forest Light and Shadow Park at 18:30 (1.5 hours) and return after 19:30. For a two-day tour, you can add the experience of the Water Park and surrounding orchard picking activities on the next morning.
Transportation
- Self-driving: Starting from the center of Tianjin, drive along Jinji Expressway (S1) for about 100 kilometers, exit from Jizhou Station, and drive 25 kilometers along Beihuan Road, Jinwei North Second Line, and Maying Road to reach the destination. The whole journey takes about 2 hours and 10 minutes. The parking fee at the scenic area is 5 yuan per hour, with a daily maximum of 20 yuan.
- Long-distance bus: Take a bus to Jizhou at the long-distance bus station in the back square of Tianjin Station (one bus every 30 minutes, ticket price 30 yuan). After arriving at Jizhou Passenger Station, transfer to Jizhou Bus Line 29 (towards Guojiagou), get off at Guojiagou Station, and walk 500 meters to reach the destination. The whole journey takes about 3 hours, and the bus fare is 6 yuan.
- Tourist special line: Tianjin Tourism Distribution Center (South Square of Tianjin Station) has a direct tourist line to Guojiagou, departing every Saturday and Sunday at 8:00 and returning at 16:30. The round-trip ticket price is 80 yuan, including the scenic area ticket. Reservation is required one day in advance.
- Taxi: Take a taxi from Jizhou Passenger Station to the scenic area, which takes about 40 minutes, costing about 50 yuan; take a taxi from Jizhou North Station, which takes about 35 minutes, costing about 45 yuan.
Must-visit Attractions
- Jungle Roller Coaster: With a track length of 880 meters and a maximum drop of 30 meters, it is unpowered-driven, shuttling through the mountains and forests, allowing you to experience the excitement of 30 km/h. It is suitable for tourists seeking mild adventure, with an experience time of about 3 minutes.
- Forest Light and Shadow Park: A 15,000-square-meter forest light show with 12 theme scenes, creating an immersive experience combined with sound effects. It is open from 19:30 to 22:00 in summer, and is a landmark night project of the scenic area, requiring a separate ticket.
- Guoma Old Street: A 280-meter-long folk block with 32 characteristic shops, concentrating on displaying century-old brands and traditional handicrafts. You can experience paper-cutting, taste characteristic snacks, and feel the market culture of northern mountain villages.
- Rainbow Flower Sea: A 50-mu flower sea landscape with a 1.2-kilometer sightseeing small train track. The flowering period is from May to October, with gorgeous colors. It is a popular choice for taking photos and parent-child trips, with the small train experience lasting about 20 minutes.
Tour Suggestions
- Recommended tour time: 6-8 hours for a one-day tour; a two-day tour is recommended for in-depth travel, where you can experience night projects and surrounding picking activities.
- Best travel season: April-May (when flowers are in full bloom) and September-October (chestnut harvest season), with cool climate suitable for outdoor activities; summer is suitable for experiencing water projects and night light shows.
- Catering suggestions: The average consumption per person in the farmyards in the scenic area is about 50-60 yuan. It is recommended to make a reservation by phone in advance (e.g., "Guo Family Courtyard" requires 2 hours in advance), and you can ask for a window seat to enjoy the mountain view.
- Accommodation suggestions: The price of homestays in the scenic area is 300-600 yuan per night (including breakfast). Reservations are required 3-5 days in advance for weekends and holidays. "Xiyu Homestay" and "Shanshe Inn" can provide barbecue venues.
- Shopping suggestions: The best time to buy Jizhou chestnuts is from September to October. "Lixiang Garden" in the scenic area can fry them on site, priced at 35 yuan per catty, and vacuum packaging is available (additional 5 yuan per bag).
Matters Needing Attention
- Some roads in the scenic area are stone-paved. It is recommended to wear non-slip sports shoes. There are many mosquitoes in the jungle area, so you can bring mosquito repellent.
- The Jungle Roller Coaster has strict height requirements. Children under 1.2 meters and the elderly over 60 years old are not allowed to ride. Please read the safety instructions carefully before experiencing.
- The light in Forest Light and Shadow Park is dim. Tourists with children should take good care of them and avoid entering unopened forest areas.
- When dining in farmyards, pay attention to food allergy prompts, especially for wild mushroom dishes. You can confirm the types of ingredients with the shopkeeper before eating.
- Pets are not allowed to enter the core tourist area in the scenic area. Pets can be fostered at the temporary pet shelter at the entrance (20 yuan per hour).
- Sudden showers may occur in mountainous areas in summer. It is recommended to bring rain gear with you. There are 6 rain shelters in places such as Guoma Old Street and Swan Lake in the scenic area.