Lingshui Village：A Hidden Treasury in western Beijing.docVIP

Lingshui Village：A Hidden Treasury in western Beijing 　　Located in Zhaitang Town， Mentougou District of western Beijing， Lingshui Village is a well-hidden village with its three sides surrounded by wooded mountains. 　　It is a place far from the hustle and bustle of the capital where tourists can enjoy some tranquility and get in touch with nature. 　　If tourists stand on a mountaintop and have a bird’s-eye view of the village， they will find that its shape seems like a turtle， one of four guardian animal spirits in Chinese mythol- ogy， which is the source of its name， Lingshui， literally meaning sacred water. 　　The locals say that the shape of the village is basically the same as it has been since the Liao Dynasty when their ancestors built the village according to Chinese traditional geomantic theories. 　　With a history of more than one thousand years， the village stands as a living testament to the rise and fall of many dynasties. 　　Nowadays， the village still maintains old architectural styles with more than 20 dwellings dating back to the Ming Dynasty and over 100 dwellings dating back to the Qing Dynasty. 　　In 2005， the Ministry of Construction and the State Administration of Cultural Heritage rated the village as one of Chinese famous historical and cultural villages due to its wellpreserved historical architectures and unique village culture. 　　It is worth mentioning that the village was used as the shooting site of first two episodes of the hit reality show“Where are we going， dad？” starring celebrities including famous actor Guo Tao， actor-singer Jimmy Lin， and former world diving champion Tian Liang， as well as their lovely kids. 　　Thousands of tourists and fans were attracted to the enchanting village after the reality show was aired on Hunan TV on October 11， 2013. 　　 Juren Village 　　The village got its claim-to-fame during the Ming and Qing dynasties when it was home to no less than 22 scholars who earned the academic degree of Juren by pa