Huanghuacheng Great Wall Hiking
- Overview
- Itinerary
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Tour Overview
This customizable one day Great Wall Beijing tour to Huanghuacheng is recommended for those who want to witness how the magnificent Great Wall and the unique water scenery coexist in harmony. In the company of our caring guide, enjoy a private transfer to the well-preserved Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty, and then hike past 9 guard towers to admire both the architectural details on them and the surrounding beauties. Standing on it, looking down at the rippling waves of Haoming Lake and the undulating Yanshan Mountains in the distance, it feels as if you are in a breathtaking landscape painting. Besides, the beach, ancient trees, and peninsula at the foot of the Wall may also add some glamor to your journey. At the end of the tour, of course, our comfortable vehicle will send you back to your hotel again. And if you are prone to explore the Huanghuacheng on your own, read on to find out more useful information on public transportation, detailed routes, and meal suggestions we offered below. ... Read more
Trip Highlights
- Personalized private tour tailored to your own schedule and interests.
- English-speaking private guide, air-conditioned private car with experienced driver.
- Appreciate Huanghuacheng, the only ‘Water Great Wall’ in Beijing.
- Venture to hike along 9 of the guard towers on the weedy primitive Great Wall.
One Day Private Huanghuacheng Great Wall Tour
In the morning, our guide and driver will pick you up at an appointed time at the lobby of the hotel you booked yourself in downtown Beijing, and then drive you to Huanghuacheng Great Wall in about 1.5 hours. As soon as we arrive at the entrance of the Huanghuacheng Village, let’s walk along the narrow path on the left for about 100 meters (328 feet) to the famous Reservoir Dam, past which our exhilarating Great Wall hike starts officially. This section retains a relatively original appearance, featuring overgrown paths and dilapidated guard towers along the whole way, and we’ll end at the ninth guard tower, the last one before the wall is submerged in water. Get ready to be awed by the charming scenery and historical atmosphere around the Great Wall. After the tour, you’ll be escorted back to your hotel.
Meals: Not included, but suggestions available.
● There are various man-made entertainment facilities here, such as magnetic slides up and down the wall and a glass bridge. What’s more, the scenic beach, Chestnut Garden, and Peninsula are worth your visit, too. If you feel up to incorporating some of them into your journey, inform our travel consultant in advance to arrange for you. Our mission is to tailor every trip for you to your satisfaction.
Meals: Not included, but suggestions available.
● There are various man-made entertainment facilities here, such as magnetic slides up and down the wall and a glass bridge. What’s more, the scenic beach, Chestnut Garden, and Peninsula are worth your visit, too. If you feel up to incorporating some of them into your journey, inform our travel consultant in advance to arrange for you. Our mission is to tailor every trip for you to your satisfaction.
Huanghuacheng Great Wall Beijing Tour
Huanghuacheng Great Wall and Xishuiyu Reservoir
Information for Independent Travelers to Huanghuacheng
The Huanghuacheng Great Wall, which was first built in 1404 of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and took 188 years to complete, used to be both a defensive fortification for the ancient capital Beijing and an important gateway to guard the imperial Ming Tombs. It is the only section of the Great Wall in Beijing that is connected to water; more specifically, three parts of it are submerged in the well-known Haoming Lake (Xishuiyu Reservoir) at the foot of the mountain, so it is also known as the “Water Great Wall”. In fact, the Great Wall was not originally built in the water, but the water level rose due to a dam constructed later, thus forming the unique landscape of the Great Wall “dancing” with the water body. Moreover, Huanghuacheng in English means Yellow Flower City. It is so called because the village embraced by the Great Wall is full of yellow wild flowers in summer.
● Basic Facts of Huanghuacheng
Ticket Fee:
* Book your ticket at least 2 hours in advance on the official website or WeChat official account of Huanghuacheng Great Wall, both of which are only available in Chinese. It can also be done on-site, but note that there may be long queues during holidays.
Opening Hours:
Public Transportation from Downtown Beijing to Huanghuacheng
● Most Convenient Way:
-Tourist Bus
Depart from the starting station Dongzhimen Transportation Hub at 07:45 and arrive at Huanghuacheng Great Wall in about 2 hours. It will also make a stopover at Shaoyaoju Station at 08:15, so you can choose to board here if it is closer to your hotel. Notice that the time to return to the downtown area will be at 14:50. A round trip will cost CNY 80 and the tourist bus only runs from Fridays to Mondays.
-MUBUS
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, the bus leaves from the Swissotel at 08:00 and reaches Huanghuacheng Great Wall at around 10:00. At 15:30, gather at the visitor center of Huanghuacheng and return to the downtown Hang Seng Bank. It will cost CNY 40 for a single trip and CNY 80 for a round trip.
* Please remember to purchase either of the above two tickets two days ahead of time on the MUBUS official website or Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch.
● Economical Alternative: (available daily)
Take the 916 Express from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub Station to Nanhuayuan Sanqu Station, then walk 300 meters (984 feet) west to Nanhuayuan Siqu Station, where you will transfer to H21 to the terminal Xishuiyu Station. Go 500 meters (1,640 feet) further north and you will get to the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. The whole journey takes about 3 hours and costs CNY 21 one way.
Highlights along Huanghuacheng Hiking Route
Hiking Route: East Gate - Reservoir Dam - No.1 Guard Tower - No.9 Watchtower - No.8 Guard Tower - West Gate
Hiking Duration: 4 - 5 hours
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Scenery: ★★★★☆
What to prepare: sport hiking shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses, another suits of clothes if you want to enjoy water activities
Best Time to Visit: March to October
Entering the Huanghuacheng Village and walking along the main road on the left for about 2 to 3 minutes, you‘’ll see the Great Wall meandering on the mountain ahead. Before the Wall, there is a large reservoir intercepted by a 30-meter-long (98-feet-long) dam, which is the Huanghuacheng Reservoir. Trek along the dam and you will see a little path leading to the No.1 Guard Tower, the lowest of its kind on the Wall, and this is where your excursion will begin. The Wall and the road between the No.1 Guard Tower and the No.2 are in ruins; however, this part may be the best compared to others. When you reach the No.2 Guard Tower, it is not hard to find that its roof and the bounding walls have totally collapsed, and are now covered in weeds and trees. Often, people think that the vegetation growing on towers or the roads makes the Great Wall appear more harmonious and integrated with nature, endowing it with a sense of vicissitude and ancient charm. But what we also need to know is that the continuous growth and expansion of plants deeply rooted in the “cavity” of the Wall are also one of the important reasons for its collapse, and conservators have also been striving to work out the appropriate measures to restore the Wall while maintaining its primitiveness. Then, continue walking through the segment between the No.2 Guard Tower and the No.3 on the ridge of the mountain, which is not very steep but very narrow, making you feel as if you were stepping on a single-plank bridge. After climbing over the No.3 Guard Tower, you’ll find the road in the middle of the walls is full of shrubs and weeds making it difficult but accessible. At the well-preserved No.4 Guard Tower, ascend to the second floor by a wooden ladder between the two floors and overlook the fascinating panoramic view of the Great Wall. The No.5 Guard Tower was built on the outside of the wall and is almost destroyed, leaving only the shape of its foundation.
Keep walking forward to the No.6 Guard Tower, where the local peasants have placed some branches as a path and sometimes you will be charged CNY 1-2 for the passing fee. What comes next will be successive V-shape rolling walls, which descend sharply to the bottom of the valley and then soar up to the mountain peak three times. En route, your eyes may be drawn to an intact stele, on which is engraved what someone did at a certain time and place in the past. Its content is so specific, and even the names of those who mined stones and prepared firewood for brick-making can be seen. This might be a good material left by the ancestors for the villages living along the Wall to study their own family history. As you climb further down, you will discover the No.7 and the No.8 guard towers together with the walls between are hidden in the valley and protected from the elements. Prepare to challenge yourself on the very precipitous and slippery gravel-paved road leading to the No.9 Guard Tower. It’s better to concentrate on hiking as opposed to the scenery in this part. From the totally weathered No.9 Guard Tower, the Great Wall slopes down the valley again and submerges into the water at the end, giving an eerie view of the Wall under water. As the road down the mountain from here is too damaged to hike on, you are advised to return to the No.8 Guard Tower where there is a narrow but well-conditioned path can lead you down. Afterward, strolling along a rural trail for about 1,000 meters (3280 feet), you will come to the side of the reservoir and end today’s hike at the West Gate.
● Other Entertainment Facilities
The Huanghuacheng Great Wall Scenic Area is really like a country park that can bring you multiple travel pleasures at the same time. In addition to hiking the Great Wall, there are also colorful entertainment activities to be enjoyed, such as taking a cruise on the emerald Haoming Lake, camping or picnicking on the picturesque Peninsula, feasting at ancient Chestnut Garden, riding a helicopter to overlooking the fantastic Great Wall winding along rolling mountains, and experiencing exciting Magnetic Slide or Glass Bridge. If time permits and you have a sufficient travel budget, perhaps include some of them that interest you in your itinerary.
* Ticket Price for Your Preference:
1. Cruise on Haoming Lake:
2. Magnetic Slide
Single trip per person: CNY 80
Round trip per person: CNY 120
3. A helicopter can carry 3 people at a time, and its price ranges from CNY 1,000 to 6,000 depending on the flight time and other additional services.
● Memo on Food
It takes a lot of energy to hike the Great Wall, so it is recommended that you have a full breakfast in your hotel and also pack some bread and bottled water before you go. If you plan to visit the Chestnut Garden, you can also find many simple snack stalls there, including those selling roasted sausages and corn. For local specialties, the grilled rainbow trout will satisfy you as well. With abundant water resources and suitable climatic conditions, this area provides an excellent environment for the growth of myriad rainbow trout, making it a must-try delicacy for almost all visitors coming to Huanghuacheng. If you are interested, you can patronize the locally popular restaurant He Shi Villa near the parking lot at the West Gate, which right specializes in it. Western flavors like steak, pizza, and coffee are also on offer. The average cost per person here is about CNY 80 (USD 11).
● Basic Facts of Huanghuacheng
Ticket Fee:
| Aged 18 - 60 | Aged 6 - 18 or over 60 | Children under 1.2 m (3.9 ft.) |
|---|---|---|
| CNY 60 | CNY 30 | Free |
Opening Hours:
| Mar.23 - Oct.15 | Oct.16 - Mar.22 | |
|---|---|---|
| Monday to Friday | 08:30 - 17:00 | 08:30 - 16:30 |
| Saturday & Holidays | 08:00 - 18:00 | |
| Sunday & the last day of holidays | 08:00 - 17:00 |
Huanghuacheng Reservoir Dam
Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Beijing
● Most Convenient Way:
-Tourist Bus
Depart from the starting station Dongzhimen Transportation Hub at 07:45 and arrive at Huanghuacheng Great Wall in about 2 hours. It will also make a stopover at Shaoyaoju Station at 08:15, so you can choose to board here if it is closer to your hotel. Notice that the time to return to the downtown area will be at 14:50. A round trip will cost CNY 80 and the tourist bus only runs from Fridays to Mondays.
-MUBUS
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, the bus leaves from the Swissotel at 08:00 and reaches Huanghuacheng Great Wall at around 10:00. At 15:30, gather at the visitor center of Huanghuacheng and return to the downtown Hang Seng Bank. It will cost CNY 40 for a single trip and CNY 80 for a round trip.
* Please remember to purchase either of the above two tickets two days ahead of time on the MUBUS official website or Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch.
● Economical Alternative: (available daily)
Take the 916 Express from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub Station to Nanhuayuan Sanqu Station, then walk 300 meters (984 feet) west to Nanhuayuan Siqu Station, where you will transfer to H21 to the terminal Xishuiyu Station. Go 500 meters (1,640 feet) further north and you will get to the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. The whole journey takes about 3 hours and costs CNY 21 one way.
| 916 Express | H21 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | Time | ||
| From Dongzhimen | 5:50 - 20:00 | To Xishuiyu | 05:35 - 18:20 |
| To Dongzhimen | 4:30 - 18:50 | From Xishuiyu | 06:10 - 19:05 |
Hiking Path Full of Weeds
No.2 Guard Tower
Hiking Route: East Gate - Reservoir Dam - No.1 Guard Tower - No.9 Watchtower - No.8 Guard Tower - West Gate
Hiking Duration: 4 - 5 hours
Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Scenery: ★★★★☆
What to prepare: sport hiking shoes, sunscreen and sunglasses, another suits of clothes if you want to enjoy water activities
Best Time to Visit: March to October
Entering the Huanghuacheng Village and walking along the main road on the left for about 2 to 3 minutes, you‘’ll see the Great Wall meandering on the mountain ahead. Before the Wall, there is a large reservoir intercepted by a 30-meter-long (98-feet-long) dam, which is the Huanghuacheng Reservoir. Trek along the dam and you will see a little path leading to the No.1 Guard Tower, the lowest of its kind on the Wall, and this is where your excursion will begin. The Wall and the road between the No.1 Guard Tower and the No.2 are in ruins; however, this part may be the best compared to others. When you reach the No.2 Guard Tower, it is not hard to find that its roof and the bounding walls have totally collapsed, and are now covered in weeds and trees. Often, people think that the vegetation growing on towers or the roads makes the Great Wall appear more harmonious and integrated with nature, endowing it with a sense of vicissitude and ancient charm. But what we also need to know is that the continuous growth and expansion of plants deeply rooted in the “cavity” of the Wall are also one of the important reasons for its collapse, and conservators have also been striving to work out the appropriate measures to restore the Wall while maintaining its primitiveness. Then, continue walking through the segment between the No.2 Guard Tower and the No.3 on the ridge of the mountain, which is not very steep but very narrow, making you feel as if you were stepping on a single-plank bridge. After climbing over the No.3 Guard Tower, you’ll find the road in the middle of the walls is full of shrubs and weeds making it difficult but accessible. At the well-preserved No.4 Guard Tower, ascend to the second floor by a wooden ladder between the two floors and overlook the fascinating panoramic view of the Great Wall. The No.5 Guard Tower was built on the outside of the wall and is almost destroyed, leaving only the shape of its foundation.
Keep walking forward to the No.6 Guard Tower, where the local peasants have placed some branches as a path and sometimes you will be charged CNY 1-2 for the passing fee. What comes next will be successive V-shape rolling walls, which descend sharply to the bottom of the valley and then soar up to the mountain peak three times. En route, your eyes may be drawn to an intact stele, on which is engraved what someone did at a certain time and place in the past. Its content is so specific, and even the names of those who mined stones and prepared firewood for brick-making can be seen. This might be a good material left by the ancestors for the villages living along the Wall to study their own family history. As you climb further down, you will discover the No.7 and the No.8 guard towers together with the walls between are hidden in the valley and protected from the elements. Prepare to challenge yourself on the very precipitous and slippery gravel-paved road leading to the No.9 Guard Tower. It’s better to concentrate on hiking as opposed to the scenery in this part. From the totally weathered No.9 Guard Tower, the Great Wall slopes down the valley again and submerges into the water at the end, giving an eerie view of the Wall under water. As the road down the mountain from here is too damaged to hike on, you are advised to return to the No.8 Guard Tower where there is a narrow but well-conditioned path can lead you down. Afterward, strolling along a rural trail for about 1,000 meters (3280 feet), you will come to the side of the reservoir and end today’s hike at the West Gate.
Ruined Walls of Huanghuacheng
Huanghuacheng Great Wall by the Lake
The Huanghuacheng Great Wall Scenic Area is really like a country park that can bring you multiple travel pleasures at the same time. In addition to hiking the Great Wall, there are also colorful entertainment activities to be enjoyed, such as taking a cruise on the emerald Haoming Lake, camping or picnicking on the picturesque Peninsula, feasting at ancient Chestnut Garden, riding a helicopter to overlooking the fantastic Great Wall winding along rolling mountains, and experiencing exciting Magnetic Slide or Glass Bridge. If time permits and you have a sufficient travel budget, perhaps include some of them that interest you in your itinerary.
* Ticket Price for Your Preference:
1. Cruise on Haoming Lake:
| Yacht | Sightseeing Boat | 5-seat Pedalo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Trip | CNY 30 | CNY 25 | CNY 120 per hour |
| Round Trip | CNY 55 | CNY 45 |
2. Magnetic Slide
Single trip per person: CNY 80
Round trip per person: CNY 120
3. A helicopter can carry 3 people at a time, and its price ranges from CNY 1,000 to 6,000 depending on the flight time and other additional services.
● Memo on Food
It takes a lot of energy to hike the Great Wall, so it is recommended that you have a full breakfast in your hotel and also pack some bread and bottled water before you go. If you plan to visit the Chestnut Garden, you can also find many simple snack stalls there, including those selling roasted sausages and corn. For local specialties, the grilled rainbow trout will satisfy you as well. With abundant water resources and suitable climatic conditions, this area provides an excellent environment for the growth of myriad rainbow trout, making it a must-try delicacy for almost all visitors coming to Huanghuacheng. If you are interested, you can patronize the locally popular restaurant He Shi Villa near the parking lot at the West Gate, which right specializes in it. Western flavors like steak, pizza, and coffee are also on offer. The average cost per person here is about CNY 80 (USD 11).
Let Us Help?
If you still find it difficult to take a self-guided tour to Huanghuacheng Great Wall after browsing through the above practical information, such as not being able to understand Chinese to buy the ticket or being confused about how to get to the boarding point of public transportation, then choose our worry-free Huanghuacheng Great Wall hiking tour with private transfers. Of course, we can also arrange some of the recreational activities available in the scenic area and readjust your touring route to your liking. If you have remaining vacation time in Beijing, feel free to contact our travel experts to craft a personalized trip that can extend to other popular sections of the Great Wall like Mutianyu or city attractions like the Forbidden City for you.
This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!
Tour Prices
| 1 traveler | 2-3 travelers | 4-5 travelers |
|---|---|---|
USD299 | USD159 | USD89 |
- Above prices are per person.
Price Includes
- Private English-speaking guide
- Private driver & air-conditioned vehicle
- Entrance fee to tourist sites
Price Excludes
- Accommodation & meals
- Personal expenses
- Gratuities for guide and driver
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