Mutianyu: Great Wall and More

There are many ways to see the Great Wall – you can brave the crowds at Badaling, hike the ruins at Simatai, or even scuba dive portions of the wall that reside metres under water where dams have replaced wall-side villages. But if it's an aesthetically pleasing experience you are looking for, it's difficult to go past Mutianyu.

Located in Huairou County, 70 kilometres northeast of Beijing, many people claim that the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is the prettiest, and it's difficult to argue as we arrive greeted by sweeping mountain vistas and lung-achingly fresh high-altitude air.

This must be exactly what Jim Spear thought when he first came to Mutianyu back in 1986. Before long he had purchased a country house in the village and after two decades of enjoying the peace of rural life and proximity to one of the wonders of the world to himself, Spear decided to open up the experience to others.

With the agreement of the local village, Spear and his partners started by taking out a long-term lease on an abandoned primary school and turning it into a highly commended restaurant with an art glass workshop and art gallery also on site. They use existing buildings, hire and train local people, support other village businesses and source local ingredients for their restaurants wherever possible. Over time they've added two other restaurants and a lodging business and are also spreading their projects into other nearby villages. Spear has designed and built more than 20 homes in the area, including the guest houses they rent out as part of the Schoolhouse Homes section of their growing eco-tourism empire.

For our family of four, Spear's daughter Lauren (who helps out with the day-to-day management of the family business) recommended we stay at 'Stone Forest' in the nearby village of Bei Gou. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom holiday rental has been converted from an abandoned three-room hut into a modern mountain retreat, complete with stained-glass windows, skylights throughout, a romantic outdoor shower (sheltered by a honeysuckle tree) and an imposing rectangular fireplace forming the centrepiece of the living and dining area.

The exposed slate-grey brick walls and smooth stone floors give the place its name, but it's the outdoor seating area in the backyard, with 360-degree mountain and wall views, that truly makes 'Stone Forest' such a special place. A two-night stay is a must in order to soak up the serenity of the garden and the beautiful surroundings, which are only enhanced by a nice bottle of wine on a sunny afternoon.

Only a couple hundred metres walk from Stone Forest is The Brickyard Inn and Retreat Centre, the new boutique eco-resort from Jim Spear and his team. Originally a tile factory and designed to be green from the ground up, and as well as being sustainable, dinner at The Brickyard is also a delicious experience.

A stay at the Stone Forest house is priced from RMB 3,600 per night for a minimum two-night stay. For more information, visit: www.theschoolhouseatmutianyu.com