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The Great Wall of China history
The Geat Wall is a symbol of ancient Chinese civilization and a world-renowned fortification. Stretching 6,350 kilometers on the mountains in Northern China , the Great Wall was first built in the 7th century B.C., and completed during the reign of the first Emperor of Qin. is was extended during the Ming Dynasty. Being one of the ‘seven wonders of the world’, it has been listed as a world cultural heritage. The most famous section of the Great Wall is at Badaling in Yanqing County in the northwestern suburbs of Beijing city. in addition, the JInshanling, Mutianyu, and Simatai Sections of the Great Wall are also well-preserved and visit worthy.
Badaling section of the Great Wall
Badaling is the first section of the Great Wall that opened to the public. First constructed in the 18 th year of the Hongzhi reign period of the Ming Dynasty in 1505, it was renovated later in Jiajing and Wanli reign of the same Dynasty. With its strategic position, Badaling Section took tremendous labor and materials. The wall of Badaling is tall and solid built by square rocks, and the beacon towers stand one by one. About 75 km northwest of Beijing downtown, Badaling is the most visited section of the Great Wall in China. With an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level, Badaling Great Wall finds its place at the north edge of “Guangou” Valley. Together with 15-km-away Juyong Pass and Water Pass, Badaling Great Wall makes an understanding defensive system. Now the Badaling Expressway connects the popular destination with Beijing City.
Jinshanling section of the Great Wall
As a matter of fact, Jinshanling Great Wall is located in Luan-ping County under the supervision of Chengde City (91 km) of Hebei Province, not in Beijing territory. It is about 130km northeast of the capital. It is connected with the Simatai section at Watching Beijing Tower in the east, ending at Long-yu-kou with a distance of 10.5 km. Like Simatai Great Wall, it was first built in early Ming Dynasty, and rebuilt many times in the following years.
Jinshanling Great Wall has 5 passes, 67 towers and 2 beacon towers. The initial section of the wall has been restored to original condition, but the condition of the wall deteriorates towards its natural state as it approaches Simatai. The entrance fee is 40 RMB. A cable car has been constructed to take visitors to the highest point along the wall. There is an additional admission charge of 50 RMB to continue on to the Simatai section, and a 5 RMB fee to cross the suspension bridge.
Simatai section of the Great Wall
Starting from Watching Beijing Tower to Hou-chuan-Kou, Simatai Great Wall extends 5.4 km with 35 beacon and watch towers. It is located at northeast of Mi-yun County, 120 km away from Beijing. It is featured with its original Great Wall style and steepness. It gradually became a popular destination for active travelers to trek along all the way to Jinshanling Great Wall.
Simatai Great Wall holds the access to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the Great Wall. It was first built in early Ming Dynasty, and renovated by the Ming General Qi Ji-guang. Ingeniously conceived and uniquely designed, this section of Great Wall, inimitable and diversified, has incorporated the different characteristics of each section of the Great Wall. No wonder the famous specialist of Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhe-wen, says: “The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall.” UNESCO has designated Simatai Great Wall as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites.
Simatai Great Wall is divided by a valley (Simatai Reservoir, or Mandarin Duck Lake) into eastern and western parts. The western part appears gentle with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting along the wall. The eastern part is much steeper, following more rugged terrain that includes cliff edges and kilometer-high peaks. The 15 watchtowers are relatively closely spaced and provide spectacular views. Main attractions in the eastern part include Watching Beijing Tower, Fairy Tower, Heavenly Ladder and Sky Bridge, though they are currently closed to the public for safety reasons.
Watching Beijing Tower: At an elevation of 986 meters, it is regarded as the summit of the Simatai Great Wall as well as the highest cultural relic in Beijing. Its name comes from the fact that at night (with good visibility), one can see the lights of Beijing shimmering in the distance 120 km away. More interesting is that the bricks used to built the walls here even stamped with the date on which they were made and the code numbers of the armies that made them.
Fairy Tower: With a sculpture of twin lotus flowers above the arched doors, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all towers and is known for its exquisite architecture. Legend goes that it was the dwelling place for an antelope reincarnated in the form of an angel who fell in love with a shepherd.
Heavenly Ladder: Climbing the mountainside at a steep 80-degree gradient, the Heavenly Ladder is the way to Watching Beijing Tower and the Fairy Maiden Tower. Stretching upward along the abrupt mountain ridges, the narrowest part is just half a meter wide.
Sky Bridge: As little as 40 centimeters wide in places, this 100-meter long segment of the wall connects the Fairy Tower to Watching Beijing Tower. It is said that only brave man can traverse the Sky Bridge.
Note: If hiking the way from Simatai to Jinshanling, please keep in mind some parts of the wall are in poor conditions or surprisingly steep beyond your imagination, just as we often say it is wild walls, meaning you have to be very careful of yourself on this challenging route. Once someone gets hurt on the way, it takes a long way and time to get medical treatment.
Mutianyu section of the Great Wall
Located at Huai-rou County, 73 km northeast of Beijing, Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the best preserved walls built in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This section of the Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Gateway in the east. Like other sections of the Great Wall nearby, it used to serve as the defensive barrier for the capital and imperial tombs.
First built in the mid-6th century during Southern and Northern Dynasty (420-589), Mutianyu Great Wall was put under heavy reconstruction in the Ming dynasty by the famous Ming General Xu Da. In 1404, a pass was built here. In 1569, another General Qi Ji-guang ordered to reinforce the walls, even until today most parts of it are well preserved.
Built mainly with granite, the wall is 7-8 meters high and the top is 4-5 meters wide. Comparing with other sections of Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics in its construction.
Watchtowers and over-towering pass densely scatter along this section of Great Wall – exactly, 22 watchtowers in the 22500-meter-long wall. Another interesting feature is a moat near the wall designed to ward off the enemy’s war horses.
Both the outer and inner parapets are crenellated with merlons, so that shots could be fired at the enemy on both sides – a feature very rare on other parts of the Great Wall.
Standing on the terrace called Zheng Guan Tai, 3 significant watchtowers, one big in the center and two smaller on both sides, are there creating a rarely seen structure among all sections of the Great Wall: these three watchtowers are connected each other inside with a main gate at the east side.
Besides, this section of Great Wall is surrounded by woodland and streams. The forest-coverage rate is over 95 percent, a lot greener than any other sections of the Great Wall.
Today, a cable car is in operation for the convenience of visitors. Another fun for children is the wheeled toboggan ride down from the wall on a winding metal track.
