Mutianyu Great Wall
One Day Hiking from Jiankou to Mutianyu
This part hiking of Great Wall is one of the most favorite parts for hikers around the world, not only because its extraordinary scenery, but also because this part combines the old and the new. We can ensure you a memorable hiking experience here. Jiankou Great Wall, Beijing
Jiankou Great Wall part is one of the most famous wild walls constructed in Ming Dynasty. It lies in the Huairou district, Beijing and more than one hours' driving is needed to reach its foot. For one day's hiking, we suggest you charge a taxi there and the driver can wait for you at the parking lot of Mutianyu Great Wall. While, you can also take the local transportation, but you will spend lots of time in connecting the buses, consequently, taking the tour within one day maybe problematic. Here, we would like to give you some suggestion for local transportation: you may take bus No. 916 from Dongzhimen Station to Huairou district, then change the microbus which goes to Mutianyu direction and you may get off at Xinying stop, and then change another microbus to Zhenzhuquan (the Pearl Spring), finally, you will arrive in the Xizhazi village, which is already the foot of Jiankou Great Wall.
Walking along the mountain path, you need hike about one hour to reach the wall, and this one hour's hike is not that easy. The walking shoes are absolutely necessary and sometimes you also need to use your hands for climbing up. Jiankou Great Wall is built on the ridge of the dangerous peaks and broken cliff, and is famous for its majesty and danger. When you are at one of the watchtowers and overlook the wall, it is just like a great dragon wriggling on the ridge of the mountain, twisting and turning, and stretching as far as you could see. Someone never did any hiking may image that hiking on the Great Wall is just like walk ingalong the cobblestone street, but the truth is always ruthless and may be beyond one's imagination, but it is also one of the reasons that hikers like this part, full of challenge and breathtaking scenery.
Hiking on the wall is not romantic. Some parts are loose and broken and please make sure that you are very careful. When you are at Zhengbei Lou, you may not only feel the scenery is breath taking, but also can imagine how the ancient people built this great project without using the modern machine and only by right of their bodies and simple tools.
Not far from Zhengbei Lou, you can find the Niu Jiao Bian, which is the pass to Mutianyu Great Wall. This part is comparatively easy and full of tourists. This part is also one of the elites and was carefully restored in 1980s with about 96% vegetation, with the scenery changing at the different seasons. Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is also notable for its numerous watchtowers and it is the alternative of the Badaling section. It is only packed with tourists on weekends, so, the atmosphere here is more quiet and peaceful at usual time.
The way down to the foot is really exciting, since you have done the most difficult part of today's hike. Exhausted? Maybe your legs do not listen to your orders at the moment. Don't worry. The cable car is available on the Mutianyu Great Wall part. Make it clear at which parking your driver is waiting for you, and get off at the correct exit to make sure you do not detour and can get back to Beijing before dinner time.
