6 Unique Great Wall Sections to Explore

When one envisions the Great Wall, images of Badaling’s grandeur and Mutianyu’s scenic charm often come to mind. However, few are aware that the Great Wall has many other unique aspects. Here are 6 distinctive views of the Great Wall that offer you a different kind of tour experience.
 

While most sections of the Great Wall fall silent as the sun sets, the Simatai Great Wall gradually awakens in the night, being the only section that offers night tours throughout the year. Unlike its imposing daytime demeanor, Simatai is bathed in the soft glow of warm yellow lights after sunset. Its walls carve an undulating silhouette against the darkness, resembling a slumbering golden dragon.
 

Simatai Great Wall

Huanghuacheng Great Wall is the only section of the Great Wall that is underwater, seamlessly blending the structure’s grandeur with the lake’s gentle elegance. Built around the lake, parts of the wall are submerged, creating the rare “Great Wall diving into water” spectacle. Visitors here can not only hike along the wall but also take a boat tour to admire the Great Wall from diverse vantage points.
 

Huanghuacheng Great Wall

As the easternmost point of the Great Wall, Laolongtou breaks the stereotype that the Great Wall only winds through mountains. It descends from the hills and plunges into the vast ocean, earning its title as “the only Great Wall section connected to the sea.” Standing at the highest point of Laolongtou and looking out at the sea, the Great Wall looks like a giant dragon coiled up along the shore. Whenever the tide rises and falls, the waves crash against the ancient stone walls, a scene that is extremely rare not only in China but also in the world. 
 

Laolongtou Great Wall

As the western starting point of the Great Wall, the Jiayuguan Great Wall stands in the vast desert, hailed as “The First and Greatest Pass under Heaven”. The climate here is dry with frequent sandstorms, surrounded by endless Gobi deserts and distant snow-capped Qilian Mountains. The Jiayuguan Great Wall rises up in such a desolate environment. Standing atop the pass and looking far afield, the desert’s vastness contrasts sharply with the Great Wall’s majesty. At sunset, golden light washes over the walls, turning them a warm crimson that merges with distant sand dunes, like a magnificent frontier masterpiece.
 

Jiayuguan Great Wall

Unlike other fully restored sections, the Jiankou Great Wall is famed for its “peril, uniqueness, and wildness.” It is the wildest segment and a mecca for hiking enthusiasts. Hiking Jiankou requires climbing steep walls with hands and feet, treading carefully along narrow ridges, and even using ropes at cliff edges. Yet it is this very wildness that gives Jiankou its unique allure - the experience of “conquering the wild Great Wall” is unparalleled by any other section.

Jinshanling Great Wall’s uniqueness lies in its “refinement.” It boasts the most diverse architectural forms and complex structures of any Great Wall section, earning it the title “the most exquisite section of the Great Wall.” At Jinshanling, visitors can spot a variety of architectural elements: watchtowers in square, round, and flat shapes; arrow windows in single-hole, double-hole, and triple-hole designs; and walls made of brick, stone, and rammed earth, each serving different functions. Wandering along Jinshanling is like stepping into a “Great Wall Architecture Museum.”