Beijing Gubeikou Great Wall

The wall framed by trees. Located along the Yanshan Mountain range in the northeast of Miyun County, south of the hill country of Panlong Mountain and Wohu Mountain, Gubeikou Great Wall occupies a strategically important location which is difficult to access. Situated between Shanhaiguan Pass and Juyongguan Pass, and about 62 miles to Beijing, it is the bastion protecting the northern gateway to the capital.

The first section of the wall was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 557). Centuries later, General Xuda ordered to rebuild it in the early Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). The defensive capability of the wall was enhanced by adding more stone. When Qi Jiguang was appointed chief commanding officer of Ji Garrison (one of the eleven garrisons in Ming Dynasty), he laid another line of brick wall beside the original one, thus forming the unique Gubeikou double-lined Wall.

Today the famous Gubeikou Great Wall stretches for more than 25 miles. There are 14 beacon towers, 143 watch towers, 16 strategic pass, three citadels and many other military constructions. Many of them are famous cultural relics, such as the Big Flower Beacon Tower of the Northern Qi Dynasty, Fairy Tower, General Tower, and the dominant Wangjing Tower.

The Gubeikou Great Wall construction rates highly as an architectural achievement. The scenic highlights include Wohushan Great Wall and Panlongshan Great Wall.

Wohushan Great Wall: 'Wohu' means 'Crouching Tiger' in English, because the mountain looks like two tigers, one lying on its back while the other lies on its stomach. Located in the western section of the Gubeikou Great Wall, its highest peak measures about 2,181 feet. A watch tower is erected every 492 feet of the wall, overlooking a deep valley or mounted on a strategically important hilltop. A professor from Beijing University compares the Great Wall to a huge cursive script work with the watch towers providing the pausing or transitional strokes. Because this section of the Great Wall is not opened up to tourists, it retains its fascination today as its raw condition is still evident.

Panlongshan Great Wall: West of Wohushan Great Wall, it is located in the middle section of Gubeikou Great Wall, where most of the historical wars took place. In ancient times, both warring parties placed emphasis on securing the Panlongshan Great Wall, because each knew that once the wall was captured, the Gubeikou Great Wall would be readily occupied. The whole wall measures about 3.1 miles. Of its over 40 watch towers, the General Tower is the most famous. It is located at the commanding elevation of Panlongshan Mountain, from where wars were directed. There are four arrow windows on the north and south sides respectively, while each of the east and west sides has three arrow windows. This section of the wall is of unique construction: it is made up of earth walls, stone walls and brick walls. And it is also preserved in its original state.