Jinshanling Great Wall

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Located about eight kilometers (five miles) southeast of the Bakeshiying Township in Luanping County in Hebei Province, the Jinshanling Great Wall is the best preserved, having many original features. It starts from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and ends at Longyukou in the west and stretches about 10 kilometers (six miles).

The wall is situated on the Big and Small Jinshanling, hence its name. Based on huge stone bars, the Wall was then made by huge bricks, each of which weighed about 12 kilograms (26 pounds). It has five main passes and 67 watchtowers. Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an enemy tower each of which is about ten meters (33 feet) high. Featuring various structures and having various functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. On the first floor there are some windows for shooting arrows. The roofs of the towers are many and varied, flat, arched, quadrangular or octagonal. Some are used to store weapons and hay. Others are used as soldiers' bedrooms. Among them, the most celebrated are the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers.

Jinshanling Great Wall, Beijing

The big Jinshan Watchtower has two tiers which are connected by stone stairs. On the top of the tower is a small room used as the soldiers' retiring room. This small room has a unique structure. The rafters and eaves of the room are all made from polished bricks. The Small Jinshan Watchtower was constructed by soldiers from Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces led by Qi Jiguang, a famous general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). To remind themselves of their hometowns, the tower was named Jinshan which was a pavilion's name in the Jiangxin Island in Zhanjiang.

The Wangjinglou Tower, the General Tower, the Black Tower and the Taochun Tower are also must-sees. Each tower has its legend. Legend has it that the stone bars used to build the Wangjinglou Tower were carried to the mountain top by Er Lang Shen, the nephew of the Jade Emperor. The general tower was named to commemorate Wu Guihua, a heroine who sacrificed herself to resist northern invader's invasion in the Ming Dynasty. The Black Tower and the Taochun Tower were christened to commemorate two girls, Heigu and Taochun, who made great contributions to the construction of the Great Wall.

The Wall for Preventing the Horses, the Retaining Wall, the Bricks with Words Written on and the Kylin Screen are also renowned and worth a visit. Meanwhile, there is a three-kilometer (two miles) Night Great Wall and an eight hundred meters (0.5 miles) cable way. Anyone who comes here should not miss them.

Admission Fee:	CNY 65 (Mar. 16 - Nov. 15); CNY 55 (Nov. 16- the next Mar.15)
Cable Way:	CNY 40 (one-way)

Related Tours:
Jinshanling Hiking Tour Hiking from Jinshanling to Simatai

Transportation

By Bus
1. Take the special tourist bus at Dongzhimen bus terminus in Beijing. Visitors can take bus 974, 975 or 942 to Dongzhimen bus terminus to take the tourist bus. The special tourist bus leaves from Beijing at 07:30 and back to Beijing at 14:40. It operates on weekends and statutory holidays during the peak season (April 3rd to November 1st ). It is worth mentioning that visitors who take this tourist bus to Jinshanling for one day trip can enjoy the 'One day Travel Package', which costs CNY120 in total for the round-trip bus ticket, admission fee, cable way, and the tourist car at the scenic spot.

2. Take a bus to Miyun County at Beijing Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station, and take the local tourist bus to there in Miyun County.

3. Take a bus to Chengde at Liuliqiao Long Distance Bus Station, the bus leaves at about every one hour between 08:00 and 18:00, and get off at Jinshanling Intersection, and take a taxi or walk to the wall.

Drive Travel – Drive along the "Beijing – Miyun Expressway" and "Beijing – Chengde Expressway", pass Gu Bei Kou Town, go down 10 km (6.2 miles) and arrive at the wall.

Dining & Accommodation

Jinshan Hotel
Located 800 meters (875 yards) to the Jinshanling Great Wall, Jinshan Hotel is a two star hotel, the only foreign-related hotel in the scenic area. It is only a twenty-minute walk from the hotel to the wall. The hotel features the architecture of Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. It has 62 rooms to accommodate about 130 guests. Both the domestic and international long-distance calls can be placed in the rooms. The meeting room in the hotel is equipped with broad-band access. Jinshan Restaurant in the hotel serves Chinese and Western styles of cuisine. It can receive over 300 people at the same time. There is an open square outside the restaurant. Equipped with professional stage lights and acoustic equipment, it is an ideal place to hold bonfire party and barbecues.

Other Lodgings
Besides, visitors can stay in the hostels at the foot of the wall. A room to hold four persons often costs CNY 15 each night. For visitors who prefer to live in the farmhouse, Hua Lou Gou Village is recommended. To sleep on the adobe kang in a villager's home is indeed an unforgettable experience. It costs about CNY 15 per person.

What to eat
Try "Peasant Dish" in Hua Lou Gou Village at the foot of the wall.
Recommended Dish: Baked Small Corn Cake and Stewed Beancurd with Chinese cabbage

Local Speciality: Walnut, Hawthorn, Mushroom, Bracken, Day lily, Chestnut, Apple, Soybean food and Free range eggs.