Longqing Gorge, Scenic area in Beijing, China

Longqing Gorge is a reservoir in a canyon at Gucheng Village, Yanqing District, northwest of Beijing. The Longqing Dam flooded the canyon, and its dark green water lies between steep rock walls. The narrow peaks and rock faces have earned it the names "Little Three Gorges" and "mini Li River".

The Yanqing area has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age, and Gucheng Village served as an important military border point. The dam was constructed in recent decades, transforming the gorge into a visitor destination starting in the 1980s.

The gorge's name comes from its shape, said to resemble a dragon. Boats run upstream and back down the flooded canyon, and signs along the route are in Chinese and Korean. In winter, when temperatures drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius, the Ice Lantern Festival fills an ice pavilion with around 150 sculptures, a smaller version of Harbin's festival; since 2016 it has carried an Olympics theme.

Buses from Beijing take about two and a half hours, or you can drive via the Beijing-Tibet Expressway to reach the site. Wear comfortable shoes for walking, and dress appropriately for the season, as winters are very cold and summers are very hot.

The escalator up the dam is shaped like a yellow dragon and is 258 metres long, so visitors change between several sections to reach the top. The Ice Lantern Festival has run for more than 30 years and displays around 150 ice sculptures in an ice pavilion; since 2016 it has carried an Olympics theme tied to the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.