If you are looking for a change of scenery during the upcoming National Day holiday but don't wish to stray too far from Beijing, follow your compass west out to the Ming Dynasty village of Cuandixia.

Tucked into the curved base of a mountain range, sitting some 90 km west of Beijing, Cuandixia offers a snapshot of history - a romantic vision of China that seems a world away from the skyscrapers, glitzy malls and deadlocked streets.

As the bus trundles out beyond the Sixth Ring Road, the high-rise buildings melt away and the western mountains begin looming into view. The highway snakes around lush and verdant mountains and when Cuandixia village appears, you'll feel like you've tiptoed back in time.

Cuandixia contains around 70 courtyard homes, which gently climb the slopes of a mountain, built by a family who migrated from Shanxi province more than 400 years ago. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, the road that led through the mountains to the provinces of Hebei and Shanxi acted as a trade and passageway.

The residents of Cuandixia would open their doors to travelers and serve the passing trade. Over time, the village became forgotten as expressways and train tracks changed the route to the west.