Great Wall at the Huanghuacheng Section

The slightly less famous Huanghuacheng section of the wall is 65 km from Beijing in Huanghuacheng Town. This 10,800-meter section of the wall is the strongest and most well built, with six forts guarding six passes, twelve beacon towers, and thirty-two watchtowers. Ming Dynasty General Cai Kai supervised its construction.

It takes 2 hours drive to the huanghuacheng great wall, Less renovated Wall where you can have a glimpse of the wild Wall. Less visited and quieter. You can do 1,5 hour hiking along the wall.

The current unrestored condition of the wall here made it quite tricky to climb The wall is quite steep and the surface is very slippery with many loose bricks.It needs more physical demanding since some part of this section is unrenovated and keeps a wild condition. By the end of tour you will walk through the rugged rock pass then down to a lovely village down the hill which give you a vivid impression of rural life with all the farm lands, horse and donkey.

Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu Great Wall

 While this hike will be a bit long, it will easily be the highlight of your time in China. For those of you who feel the need to stretch their legs after being cooped up in an office in Beijing (or wherever you may be from), this is the perfect opportunity to get some exercise and adventure, while also having loads of fun!

First, you have to climb a small village called Xizaizhi at the bottom of Jiankou Great Wall. Then, you find the mountain ridges upon which the wall is built are steep in all directions. It will take you 4 to 5 hours hike all the way from Jiankou section to the Mutianyu section. Along the wall, you can enjoy a breath-taking view without the interruption by other tourists. In order to hike on Jiankou, first we have to climb up a path for about 60 minutes to reach it. Our hike today will take about 4 hours and will cover 10km/ 6 miles. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. As soon as we reach Jiankou we will see a deserted watchtower that gives you a panoramic view of the entire valley. In the early morning the view is priceless with its morning fog. This section of the wall is not well known by tourists, although if you see a picture of the Great Wall from exotic traveling magazines, chances are it is from Jiankou. This is the pinnacle of exotic Great Wall scenery.

 

We'll start from Zhengbeilou (see photo above) where is the best place to take photos. This part of the wall is often empty, so you will have some peace and serenity on your hike today. Another highlight of Jiankou is the enemy observation tower known as, "Ying Fei Dao Yang", so named because this watchtower was erected on the highest peak in the area, and eagles and hawks often perch on it. Although the majestic wall is slowly being conquered by small trees and brambles, but the view from the top is still stunning! However, it is pretty far from Zhengbeilou to see "Ying Fei Dao Yang" clearly.

From Jiankou we will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling. You can choose to take the toboggan down the wall highly recommended, lots of fun!

Hiking from Jingshanling to Simatai Great Wall 

Two hours drive to the Jingshanling, then hike from Jinshanling Great Wall to the west section of Simatai Great wall. The hike is about 12 KM and takes about 4-5 hours. you have to be really physically in good conditions. Through the whole journey, you come across many watch towers and barrier towers. See the difference between the renovated section and wild section. In the end, you can take the zip line above the simatai reservoir downstairs combined with the boat tour. Bring the food and sufficient water with you.

Bring “take-away” lunch with you on the Great Wall

Jinshanling has always been one of my favorite Great Wall locations. It has very interesting features, beautiful scenery, and it’s not exceptionally dangerous. It has a good hotel and restaurant, and while it’s not too touristy, it’s getting more crowded every year. There are many opportunities for taking excellent photos at Jinshanling.

The Simatai Great Wall is one of the most famous and spectacular parts of the Great Wall. The Great Wall its highest part here is built on a knife-edge ridge that reaches nearly 1000 meters elevation. The highest and most exposed portions are very dangerous but are officially closed to tourists. To the west, Simatai joins with the Jinshanling Great Wall and offers excellent hiking opportunities.

Note: Simatai section has closed for renovation since June 17th 2010 and will reopen on 17th June 2012. But you can choose to hike from Jinshanling to Gubeikou section of wall.