Ancient Post Reborn, Ideal Spot for Sightseeing

The Guanting Service Area is located in Huailai County, Zhangjiakou City, and is the first service area when entering Hebei Province from Beijing's northwest direction. It is only a half-hour drive from the Badaling Great Wall, a World Cultural Heritage site, boasting an excellent geographical location.చ

Stepping into the North Zone of Guanting Service Area, a cool, cartoon-style sign instantly catches the eye. This is the internet-famous landmark known as the "First Assembly Point in Northwest Beijing," guiding every traveler into a unique journey. The entire service area resembles a giant ship constructed with white metal curtain walls, elegantly docked beside Guanting Lake Wetland Park with a corrugated shape, as if about to set sail for an unknown destination.చ

In the South Zone, a towering 24-meter-high observation tower stands majestically. As a landmark building of the service area, it is not only an excellent spot for panoramic views but also offers a superb perspective to overlook the magnificent Beijing-Zhangjiakou High-Speed Railway Guanting Lake Bridge and the shimmering waters of Guanting Lake. Passing through the back door of the South Zone, just a step away lies the enchanting scenery of Guanting Lake. An ancient viewing pavilion awaits every traveler, accompanied by a free sandpit children's playground, complete with slides, climbing walls, cave exploration, and other recreational facilities.చ

Huailai County is home to China's largest and best-preserved ancient post city still in existence—Jimingyi Ancient City. Guanting Service Area cleverly integrates regional cultural elements into its design. The South Zone has meticulously created a cultural corridor themed "Between Mountains and Waters, Changes in Post Stations," which vividly illustrates the historical evolution of ancient and modern Chinese post stations through a dual experience of static exhibitions and dynamic immersion, allowing travelers to feel the profound cultural heritage during their rest.చ

The Dinghu Service Area on the Jiangmen-Zhaoqing Expressway in Guangdong, after more than ten years of operation, has undergone a profound optimization and upgrade transformation. It aims to comprehensively enhance its service functions and comfort, while subtly integrating the essence of Lingnan (Guangfu) culture, meticulously creating an "immersive" local cultural exploration journey for passing travelers, and injecting more diversified business service models and vitality into the "100 Million Project" (Bai Qian Wan Gong Cheng).

The Dinghu Service Area is located in Dinghu District, Zhaoqing City, adjacent to Mount Dinghu, renowned as a brilliant "green gem" on the Tropic of Cancer. Its unique natural landscape and profound ancient temple cultural heritage are attracting an increasing number of travelers for exploration and blessings. The renovation of Dinghu Service Area takes the Zhaoqing Duan inkstone as its cultural symbol, cleverly blending the exterior wall design with the natural beauty of Mount Dinghu's landscapes. Spaces like the connecting corridors and central courtyards are imbued with unique elements and exquisite patterns of the Duan inkstone. Every detail exudes a rich cultural atmosphere, making one feel as if they are amidst a flowing landscape painting.చ

Dinghu Service Area before renovation

Bao Zheng, a renowned official of the Northern Song Dynasty, left behind a legacy of three years of incorruptible governance in Zhaoqing. The service building of Dinghu Service Area has specially added a cultural wall showcasing Bao Gong's incorruptible deeds, a Duan inkstone boutique exhibition area, and a master calligrapher's display area, jointly creating a themed leisure space with distinct cultural characteristics and profound historical heritage, allowing travelers to appreciate the unique charm and deep heritage of traditional Chinese culture while enjoying their journey.చ

In terms of service functions, Dinghu Service Area has expanded toilet cubicles to alleviate the problem of "long queues" at restrooms. Concurrently, a dedicated sales area for agricultural products from Zhaoqing's three districts, four counties, and one city has been established. In cooperation with the Municipal Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau and other entities, more high-quality agricultural and cultural tourism products have been introduced, which not only enriches travelers' shopping options but also meets their increasingly diversified consumption demands, promoting local economic development and cultural dissemination.చ

Located in Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan, this service area is a transportation hub connecting northern Taiwan with Hualien and Taitung. Weng Tsu-Mo Architects has transformed it into a station for speed transition. Here, straight lines symbolize speed and efficiency, while curves imply slowing down to enjoy the tranquility and beauty of the journey. Surrounding the service area, majestic mountains, a clear blue sea, and gurgling streams—the curvilinear beauty of these natural elements—have become the core inspiration for the architectural design.చ

Within the service area, road planning abandons traditional linear layouts, replaced instead by winding and curving paths, as if leading travelers into a poetic and romantic garden. The architecture itself also discards the rigidity of straight lines, instead adopting undulating and organic forms, like the tension and curvilinear beauty displayed by a dancer in mid-leap. One cannot fully grasp it at a glance; it must be savored carefully to appreciate its unique charm.చ

The outdoor ramp design of the station building is unique, guiding visitors along a gentle slope on the ground, winding upwards to the roof. Here, travelers can overlook the vast sky and gaze at the nearby mountains and rivers, feeling the magnificence and vastness of nature. The design not only provides travelers with a space for leisurely strolls but also gives them the opportunity to shift their mood and immerse themselves in the slow pace of life in the Hualien and Taitung areas.

The restroom design in the service area is also ingenious. The designers cleverly integrated mirror-polished stainless steel with triangular elements, replacing the traditional square mirror of the washbasin, allowing travelers to admire the reflection of the sky, ground, and themselves while washing their hands, adding a unique sense of fun. At night, the mirror surface reflects the light, becoming a dazzling and beautiful landscape in the service area.

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