Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Maybe you have been to the Badaling and Juyongguan Pass, but the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is also well worth visiting. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), located at Jiuduhe Town, Huairou District, 65 kilometers (40.39 miles) from Beijing City. This section of the Great Wall at 10,800 meters (about 6711 miles) long is a resort with mountains, lakes and the ancient Great Wall.

When summer comes, the entire village under the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is immersed in a sea of yellow wild flowers ('Yellow flower' is 'huanghua' in Chinese). Consequently, this village got the name Hunghuacheng, and this section of the Great Wall is called Huanghuacheng Great Wall.

The water cuts wall into sections. On a cliff by the Great Wall are two big Chinese characters 'jin tang' which means being very firm and strong. In fact, there is a legend about the origin of these characters. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor ordered a general named Cai Kai to build the Great wall here. But it took many years to accomplish the construction. So the emperor became very angry while at the same time some traitorous ministers scolded that Cai Kai had spent too much money in building it. As a result, Cai Kai was beheaded. Later, the emperor asked ministers to check the construction. They found that the Great Wall was strongly fortified. The emperor realized that he had treated Cai Kai unjustly. Then he ordered craftsman to carve these two Chinese characters. So the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is also called the Jintang Great Wall; the lake under it is Jintang Lake.

Going to Huanghuacheng Great Wall, you have four things to do at least. First, you should take photos. Since the lake breaks this section of the Great Wall into three segments naturally, its uniqueness might surprise you. And the Huanghuacheng Reservoir lies here, shaped like a curved moon. Second, go to visit the chestnut garden under the Great Wall, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The ancient chestnut trees still grow very well. Third, climb up the steepest section of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Shibadeng. It is like a dragon, ready to fly into the blue sky. Fourth, look at Yaoziyu Castle. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, still well-preserved. In the castle, there is an ancient Chinese scholar tree. It is said that touching it could bring you a blessing.

Getting there:
1. Take Bus No.916 at the Dongzhimen Gate and get off at Huairou International Conference Center. Then, take the bus from 'Huairou to Xishuiyu' and get off at its destination.
2. Take the bus from 'Chanping to Jiuduhe' at the Changling Intersection of Changping District and get off at Jiuduhe Gas Station. Then, take the bus, 'Huairou to Xishuiyu,' and get off at its destination. At Xishuiyu, you can find the Huanghuacheng Great Wall.