Simatai Great Wall is too dangerous! Most of the wall have no handrails, and the deep cliff is just located beside the wall! I don't think a visitor who is afraid of high places should go there! Thanks goodness that I come from there ALIVE!
12.
Jun. 23,2009 03:59
Reply
Mr.Wilfrid(USA) said:
I wore backpack to climb Simatai. It is a wise decision because the mountains are too steep, there are many unexpected ups and downs. Most of the time you should use four limbs to climb the wall, and prepare enough water, a bottle of water sold at CNY 2 at the foot of the mountain, while on the mountain, it is sold at least CNY 3. You'd better bargin with the seller.
13.
Jun. 22,2009 04:32
Reply
Mrs.Smyth(China) said:
I plan to travel to the Great Wall with my daugher, who is 5 years old. Is visiting Simatai recommended?
JS
Jun. 22,2009 20:37 Ms.Hannah(China) replied:
Hi, Mrs.Smyth. If you go to Simatai alone, maybe it is a good choice, but since you will go there with your five years old daughter, I do not recommend Simatai to you. Because Simatai is a wild wall without being repaird. Many bricks on the wall are loosen and there are no handrails to help you go up and down in many parts. Most stairs are quite steep located beside the cliffs. I suggest you visit Badaling or Mutianyu, they are repaired walls which are safer to you and your daughter. Good trip!
14.
Jun. 20,2009 06:14
Reply
Mr.Hammer(USA) said:
Hi,
I wish to go to Simatai Great Wall next week.
Do you know if one is allowed to go to Heaven Bridge and Wangjinglou Tower? If not, do you recommend to go there anyhow? Should I rather go to the western part of Simatai Great Wall?
Moreover, do you know a rather cheap place to stay for a night close to Simatai? Many thanks!
Jun. 21,2009 03:01 Ms.Turdie replied:
The Heaven Bridge and Wangjinglou Tower are forbidden to visit because they are too dangerous. The western section of Simatai is safer and flat than the eastern section, so you can visit the western section. There are many farmhouses near Simatai Great Wall which are cheap and selective. You can lodge in a farmhouse in Huagoulou Village at the foot of the wall. It costs CNY 30 to CNY 40 per person. Good trip!
15.
Jun. 20,2009 21:43
Reply
Mr.Simon said:
I take a bus from Dongzhimen long distance bus station to Miyun County, and I hired a local bus to the wall, the whole trip costs me RMB 250. The wall is steep indeed, espeically in rains the stairs are rather slippery, so don't go there in rains or storms or snows. The most dangerous section is closed. Visitors should take care when visit Simatai.
I wish to do a walk along the sections of the wall from Simatai to Jinshanling. Is this possible to do the complete walk? How long does it take? How far from Beijing and how long does it take to get there? Can one hire someone to drive one to Simatai and pick up from Jinshanling and to return to Beijing?
Jun. 16,2009 04:56 Mr.Lemon replied:
Some visitors finish the trip from Simatai to Jinshanling. They spend four hours for the whole trip. You have to prepare enough water and energy as there are some difficult sections which would take you more time and energy. Simatai is about 75 miles from Beijing. You can take a taxi to Simatai and discuss with the driver to see whether or not he would like to wait you in Jinshanling to take you to Beijing. If he does not agree, it doesn't matter, you will find many minibuses around Jinshanling which can take you back. Good trip!
Jun. 16,2009 22:35 Mr.spiteri(Australia) replied:
hi mr richard8, my name is martin and i am about to do that journey starting tommorow. i look forward too passing that info onto you.
Thank you Mr Lemon, most useful information. Mr Spiteri I look forward to your experiences.
17.
May. 10,2009 20:08
Reply
Ms.Sue(Bel) said:
Thank you Mr Wang,
But I also found this info: There are three long-distance buses that run to nearby cities such as Beijing,Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and Zhangjiakou daily from Chengde. Mini buses run every 30 minutes from 06:00 until 16:00 between Chengde Long-distance Bus Station andBeijing Xizhimen Long-distance Station daily.
--> So there are busses going to Chengde from Beijing, from two stations, Xizhimen and Dongzhimen? --> If yes, which is the nearest busstation to Simatai? --> Does the longdistance bus have a busnumber?
Thank you, Regards
May. 10,2009 21:33 Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
Yes, there are long-distance buses from Dongzhimen or Xizhimen bus station to Chengde. The service hours of the buses at Xizhimen Bus Station is from 04:50 to 24:00. The distance is 233 kilometers and it takes about 4.5 hours to get to Chengde. I'm sorry I cannot find any information about Dongzhimen bus schedule.But actually the runtime of Dongzhimen bus to Chengde is as much as that of Xizhimen.
18.
May. 8,2009 10:44
Reply
Ms.Sue(Bel) said:
Hey,
This summer I would like to visit Simatai with some friends and then travel from Simatai to Chengde. Is there any bus that goes from Simatai to Chengde?
Thanks for your advice. Sue
May. 9,2009 03:40 Mr.Wang replied:
Hi, there is no direct bus from Simatai to Chengde, but there is a bus to Chengde at Beijing Dongzhimen Bus Station. You can return to Beijing Dongzhimen Bus Station after you visit Simatai. It is located at No.45 DongZhiMen WaiXieJie in Chaoyang District. Good trip!
19.
May. 6,2009 02:11
Reply
Mrs.Keren(USA) said:
Does anyone know how long is the drive from Chang Ling ming tombs to Simatai?
May. 7,2009 04:33 Mr.Gu replied:
Less than one hour, not very far.
20.
Apr. 24,2009 00:27
Reply
Mr.Alan(US) said:
Can a person with a height problem go to Simatai? Can you get from the bottom to the wall in a cable car or is part with a T-bar?
Apr. 24,2009 02:20 Mr.BAI replied:
Simatai Great Wall is very dangerous. It is kept in the wild appearance. Should you have a height problem, I suggest you take a cable car to the wall. You can choose some safe sections to climb Simatai, and ask which sections are safe from your guide or local villagers. Remember, safety always comes first!
21.
Mar. 30,2009 06:17
Reply
Mr.Bailey(USA) said:
Hello, i have recently moved to Zigong, china and want to visit the great wall myself. I'm a serious photographer so i would like to see and take pictures of the wall without all the tourists. is that possible? I read all the posting above and it sounds like Simatai is a good place. Any ideas? would love to hear them. thanks.
Apr. 2,2009 21:11 Mr.Adam(US of A) replied:
Well yes it is possible to get a good picture with no tourists because my grandmother had had that happen when she went because the tour guide was nice enough to take them to a restricted part of the wall. Good Luck getting a nice one though. =)
Apr. 3,2009 06:48 Mr.Bailey(USA) replied:
Mr Adam, thanks so much for your reply! I will plan accordingly. thanks again.
I went to Simitai and took some great photo's. It is a long drag from Beijing and very (very) steep so less tourists go there and it is easier to get good photo's with less people. You do need to recognise that you are in China and there are a lot of people so you will never get just yourself
22.
Feb. 3,2009 12:58
Reply
Mrs.Manser(South Africa) said:
My husband and I are visiting China for the first time ever. This will more than likely be the only time we ever visit, so we would really like to know what part of the Great Wall is the best to visit. We will be visiting at the beginning of July 2009. Lilian Manser
Feb. 5,2009 22:16 Mr.Bryan replied:
Consider Jinshanling - http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/jinshanling/5-jinshanling-photos.html - if you want a less crowded place than the commonly visited spots like Badaling, Juyongguan, and Mutianyu.
23.
Jan. 6,2009 07:48
Reply
Mr.Bryan Feldman(USA) said:
It should be noted that the area of Simatai including Heavenly Ladder, Fairy Tower, Sky Bridge, and Wangjinglou are all officially closed, and there are usually security guards to prevent you from going there.
You can read at http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/simatai/13-accessing-closed-sections-simatai.html about ways that you can get there if you wish to.
Simatai is interesting, but I have been to dozens of Great Wall locations and I would not rank Simatai in the top ten, especially if you only consider the parts that are open.
Recommend you join http://www.GreatWallForum.com and post a question about what you want out of a Great Wall visit. You will get answers from knowledgeable and experienced members that have nothing to sell you and are just Great Wall enthusiasts.
Feb. 3,2009 01:34 Mr.phil(Canada) replied:
I just went there Jan 31, 2009... it wasn't closed, and it was beautiful.
Feb. 5,2009 22:14 Mr.Bryan replied:
The bottom part is open, of course. It's closed beginning at tower 12.
24.
Jan. 15,2009 20:12
Reply
Mr.James Dawson(USA) said:
Nevermind the touts very, very aggressively trying to get you to pay 10x the going rate for bottled water and t-shirts. They ruined most of my photos, wouldn't leave me alone, and generally destroyed my experience. Great wall; terrible touts living on it and badgering the tourists. A blight on the lot of 'em.
25.
Dec. 15,2008 22:38
Reply
Mr.willy ong(philippines) said:
i`ve been to simatai, the place is great, nothing compares! the best!
Jan. 5,2009 16:33 Mrs.Brooke(Perna) replied:
Have you been to other parts of the Great Wall?? If so how do they compare.
26.
Dec. 27,2008 16:56
Reply
Mr.Srinivas Sampath(India) said:
My wife and I went to Simatai with a Chinese friend in June 2002, and were awestruck by the Wall. Being on the Simatai still remains one of the significant moments of our lives.
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Travelers' Voices on Simatai Great Wall (26)
11.
Jun. 23,2009 04:08 Reply
Mr.survivor(Australia) said:
Simatai Great Wall is too dangerous! Most of the wall have no handrails, and the deep cliff is just located beside the wall! I don't think a visitor who is afraid of high places should go there! Thanks goodness that I come from there ALIVE!
12.
Jun. 23,2009 03:59 Reply
Mr.Wilfrid(USA) said:
I wore backpack to climb Simatai. It is a wise decision because the mountains are too steep, there are many unexpected ups and downs. Most of the time you should use four limbs to climb the wall, and prepare enough water, a bottle of water sold at CNY 2 at the foot of the mountain, while on the mountain, it is sold at least CNY 3. You'd better bargin with the seller.
13.
Jun. 22,2009 04:32 Reply
Mrs.Smyth(China) said:
I plan to travel to the Great Wall with my daugher, who is 5 years old. Is visiting Simatai recommended?
JS
Jun. 22,2009 20:37
Ms.Hannah(China) replied:
Hi, Mrs.Smyth. If you go to Simatai alone, maybe it is a good choice, but since you will go there with your five years old daughter, I do not recommend Simatai to you. Because Simatai is a wild wall without being repaird. Many bricks on the wall are loosen and there are no handrails to help you go up and down in many parts. Most stairs are quite steep located beside the cliffs. I suggest you visit Badaling or Mutianyu, they are repaired walls which are safer to you and your daughter. Good trip!
14.
Jun. 20,2009 06:14 Reply
Mr.Hammer(USA) said:
Hi,
I wish to go to Simatai Great Wall next week.
Do you know if one is allowed to go to Heaven Bridge and Wangjinglou Tower?
If not, do you recommend to go there anyhow? Should I rather go to the western part of Simatai Great Wall?
Moreover, do you know a rather cheap place to stay for a night close to Simatai?
Many thanks!
Jun. 21,2009 03:01
Ms.Turdie replied:
The Heaven Bridge and Wangjinglou Tower are forbidden to visit because they are too dangerous. The western section of Simatai is safer and flat than the eastern section, so you can visit the western section. There are many farmhouses near Simatai Great Wall which are cheap and selective. You can lodge in a farmhouse in Huagoulou Village at the foot of the wall. It costs CNY 30 to CNY 40 per person. Good trip!
15.
Jun. 20,2009 21:43 Reply
Mr.Simon said:
I take a bus from Dongzhimen long distance bus station to Miyun County, and I hired a local bus to the wall, the whole trip costs me RMB 250. The wall is steep indeed, espeically in rains the stairs are rather slippery, so don't go there in rains or storms or snows. The most dangerous section is closed. Visitors should take care when visit Simatai.
16.
Jun. 16,2009 02:04 Reply
Mr.RICHARD8(Australia) said:
I wish to do a walk along the sections of the wall from Simatai to Jinshanling. Is this possible to do the complete walk? How long does it take? How far from Beijing and how long does it take to get there? Can one hire someone to drive one to Simatai and pick up from Jinshanling and to return to Beijing?
Jun. 16,2009 04:56
Mr.Lemon replied:
Some visitors finish the trip from Simatai to Jinshanling. They spend four hours for the whole trip. You have to prepare enough water and energy as there are some difficult sections which would take you more time and energy. Simatai is about 75 miles from Beijing. You can take a taxi to Simatai and discuss with the driver to see whether or not he would like to wait you in Jinshanling to take you to Beijing. If he does not agree, it doesn't matter, you will find many minibuses around Jinshanling which can take you back. Good trip!
Jun. 16,2009 22:35
Mr.spiteri(Australia) replied:
hi mr richard8,
my name is martin and i am about to do that journey starting tommorow. i look forward too passing that info onto you.
Jun. 17,2009 22:37
Mr.Richard8(Australia) replied:
Thank you Mr Lemon, most useful information. Mr Spiteri I look forward to your experiences.
17.
May. 10,2009 20:08 Reply
Ms.Sue(Bel) said:
Thank you Mr Wang,
But I also found this info:
There are three long-distance buses that run to nearby cities such as Beijing,Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, and Zhangjiakou daily from Chengde.
Mini buses run every 30 minutes from 06:00 until 16:00 between Chengde Long-distance Bus Station andBeijing Xizhimen Long-distance Station daily.
--> So there are busses going to Chengde from Beijing, from two stations, Xizhimen and Dongzhimen?
--> If yes, which is the nearest busstation to Simatai?
--> Does the longdistance bus have a busnumber?
Thank you,
Regards
May. 10,2009 21:33
Ms.Evelyn(China) replied:
Yes, there are long-distance buses from Dongzhimen or Xizhimen bus station to Chengde. The service hours of the buses at Xizhimen Bus Station is from 04:50 to 24:00. The distance is 233 kilometers and it takes about 4.5 hours to get to Chengde.
I'm sorry I cannot find any information about Dongzhimen bus schedule.But actually the runtime of Dongzhimen bus to Chengde is as much as that of Xizhimen.
18.
May. 8,2009 10:44 Reply
Ms.Sue(Bel) said:
Hey,
This summer I would like to visit Simatai with some friends and then travel from Simatai to Chengde.
Is there any bus that goes from Simatai to Chengde?
Thanks for your advice.
Sue
May. 9,2009 03:40
Mr.Wang replied:
Hi, there is no direct bus from Simatai to Chengde, but there is a bus to Chengde at Beijing Dongzhimen Bus Station. You can return to Beijing Dongzhimen Bus Station after you visit Simatai. It is located at No.45 DongZhiMen WaiXieJie in Chaoyang District.
Good trip!
19.
May. 6,2009 02:11 Reply
Mrs.Keren(USA) said:
Does anyone know how long is the drive from Chang Ling ming tombs to Simatai?
May. 7,2009 04:33
Mr.Gu replied:
Less than one hour, not very far.
20.
Apr. 24,2009 00:27 Reply
Mr.Alan(US) said:
Can a person with a height problem go to Simatai? Can you get from the bottom to the wall in a cable car or is part with a T-bar?
Apr. 24,2009 02:20
Mr.BAI replied:
Simatai Great Wall is very dangerous. It is kept in the wild appearance. Should you have a height problem, I suggest you take a cable car to the wall. You can choose some safe sections to climb Simatai, and ask which sections are safe from your guide or local villagers. Remember, safety always comes first!
21.
Mar. 30,2009 06:17 Reply
Mr.Bailey(USA) said:
Hello, i have recently moved to Zigong, china and want to visit the great wall myself. I'm a serious photographer so i would like to see and take pictures of the wall without all the tourists. is that possible? I read all the posting above and it sounds like Simatai is a good place. Any ideas? would love to hear them. thanks.
Apr. 2,2009 21:11
Mr.Adam(US of A) replied:
Well yes it is possible to get a good picture with no tourists because my grandmother had had that happen when she went because the tour guide was nice enough to take them to a restricted part of the wall.
Good Luck getting a nice one though. =)
Apr. 3,2009 06:48
Mr.Bailey(USA) replied:
Mr Adam, thanks so much for your reply! I will plan accordingly. thanks again.
Apr. 20,2009 21:52
Mr.Williamson(Hong Kong) replied:
I went to Simitai and took some great photo's. It is a long drag from Beijing and very (very) steep so less tourists go there and it is easier to get good photo's with less people. You do need to recognise that you are in China and there are a lot of people so you will never get just yourself
22.
Feb. 3,2009 12:58 Reply
Mrs.Manser(South Africa) said:
My husband and I are visiting China for the first time ever. This will more than likely be the only time we ever visit, so we would really like to know what part of the Great Wall is the best to visit. We will be visiting at the beginning of July 2009.
Lilian Manser
Feb. 5,2009 22:16
Mr.Bryan replied:
Consider Jinshanling - http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/jinshanling/5-jinshanling-photos.html - if you want a less crowded place than the commonly visited spots like Badaling, Juyongguan, and Mutianyu.
23.
Jan. 6,2009 07:48 Reply
Mr.Bryan Feldman(USA) said:
It should be noted that the area of Simatai including Heavenly Ladder, Fairy Tower, Sky Bridge, and Wangjinglou are all officially closed, and there are usually security guards to prevent you from going there. You can read at http://www.greatwallforum.com/forum/simatai/13-accessing-closed-sections-simatai.html about ways that you can get there if you wish to. Simatai is interesting, but I have been to dozens of Great Wall locations and I would not rank Simatai in the top ten, especially if you only consider the parts that are open.
Jan. 18,2009 11:32
Mr.blair marsteller(usa) replied:
what would you recomend?
Jan. 19,2009 21:12
Mr.Bryan Feldman(USA) replied:
Recommend you join http://www.GreatWallForum.com and post a question about what you want out of a Great Wall visit. You will get answers from knowledgeable and experienced members that have nothing to sell you and are just Great Wall enthusiasts.
Feb. 3,2009 01:34
Mr.phil(Canada) replied:
I just went there Jan 31, 2009... it wasn't closed,
and it was beautiful.
Feb. 5,2009 22:14
Mr.Bryan replied:
The bottom part is open, of course. It's closed beginning at tower 12.
24.
Jan. 15,2009 20:12 Reply
Mr.James Dawson(USA) said:
Nevermind the touts very, very aggressively trying to get you to pay 10x the going rate for bottled water and t-shirts. They ruined most of my photos, wouldn't leave me alone, and generally destroyed my experience. Great wall; terrible touts living on it and badgering the tourists. A blight on the lot of 'em.
25.
Dec. 15,2008 22:38 Reply
Mr.willy ong(philippines) said:
i`ve been to simatai, the place is great, nothing compares! the best!
Jan. 5,2009 16:33
Mrs.Brooke(Perna) replied:
Have you been to other parts of the Great Wall?? If so how do they compare.
26.
Dec. 27,2008 16:56 Reply
Mr.Srinivas Sampath(India) said:
My wife and I went to Simatai with a Chinese friend in June 2002, and were awestruck by the Wall. Being on the Simatai still remains one of the significant moments of our lives.