Great Wall at Jinshanling

Located in the mountainous area in Luanping County, Great Wall at Jinshanling is 125 km northeast of Beijing. It stretches about 10 kilometers, starting from Longyukou Pass in the west and ending at Wujianglou Tower in the east. First built in 1368 in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it is the best preserved part of the Ming Great Wall with many original features, called the essence of Ming Great Wall by experts.

Great Wall at Jinshanling is popular among hikers because it is situated on the mountains strategically located and difficult to access. The steps of the Wall are very steep and rocky with loose stones at times. So you’d better climb carefully or use the one-to-one tour guide services offered by local people.

History

The wall was initially built in 1368 by General Xu Da in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In 1567, it was expanded and rebuilt by the famous Ming Dynasty General Qi Jiguang. The wall was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Until now, the wall has not been restored so it preserves many original features of the Great Wall in Ming Dynasty.

Features

The 10.5-km-long wall has complicated structure with 5 passes, 67 towers and 2 beacon towers. Compared with other sections of the Great Wall, it is the best preserved many original features of Ming Dynasty which are different with other sections of the Great Wall.

Watchtowers are densely placed in various forms such as flat, arched, quadrangular or octagonal. Generally, there is a 5 to 8 meters high watchtower every 50 to 100 meters.

The military defense system is extremely strong. It is built with barrier walls, parapets, batteries, watchtowers, embrasures and walls to keep off horses.

The bricks n the wall are carved with poems and tablet writings indicating the history of the wall.

There is almost no repair and the wall keeps its original look 400 years ago.

Nature Scenery

Great Wall at Jinshanling has a beautiful mountainous surrounding with picturesque landscape and seasonal beauty. In spring, it is covered with flowers is in full blossom while in summer, visitors can have a remarkable view known as a 'cloud sea' in the morning. The wall also has unique beauty in golden spring and snowy winter.

Wangjinglou Watchtower

Wangjinglou means over looking the capital in Chinese. Located at the eastern peak of the wall, it is the tallest and most cliffy one among all the watchtowers in Jinshanling. Looking from far distance, it is daunting like a vertical cone straight into the sky. The great view at here worth the effort you made to climb as you can even see Beijing from here as well as the overall view of the area.

The Big Jinshan Watchtower

The Big Jinshan Watchtower has two tiers connected by stone stairs. It is featured for the room on the top of the tower. This room is made from polished bricks and used as soldiers’ retiring room. People will think the room is made from wood if they don’t watch carefully.

The Small Jinshan Watchtower

Constructed by soldiers from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces, the Small Jinshan Watchtower got its name from Jianshan Island in Jiangsu. This watchtower is featured with the design of the door which is hard to find. Visitors have to watch carefully to avoid lose the road.

Other must-sees

Besides, this section also feature the only dwelling among the whole Great Wall. The brick and wooden building looks like the residential houses in northern China. Some people think it is the residential house for frontier commander while others take it as the storehouse to house military supply. Besides, the wall to keep off horses and barrier walls are also must-sees for a trip to Great Wall at Jinshanling.