Jinshanling Great Wall
The Great Wall of China is a must-go attraction for anyone traveling to Beijing, and Jinshanling Section of the Wall is known as the most essential site for China Great Wall tours, especially if you're planning a hiking or photography trip. Besides, compare with other sections of the Great Wall, Jinshanling keeps its original appearance better, so while you visit Jinshanling Great Wall, you will have a nice feeling of immemorial pureness. And it is less crowded. What’s more, it is easier to climb, and you can hike from Jinshanling to Simatai west directly, which will take you about 4 hours.
Brief Introduction
Jinshanling Great Wall is one of the typical and well-preserved Great Wall of Ming Dynasty, located on the boundary between Miyun County of Beijing and Luanping County of Hebei Province, about 130 km northeast of Beijing City. It got the name “Jinshanling” because it passes the Big & Small Golden Mountain Ridges.
It stretches from Longyu Pass in the west to Wangjing Tower in the east, 10.5 kilometers total in length with 5 passes, 67 watchtowers and 3 beacon towers.
Jinshanling Section of the Great Wall remains wild, ruined and original. It is famous for its wide vision, dense watchtowers, distinctive landscape, fabulous art of architecture and the sound and well-preserved military defense system.
History of the Jinshanling Great Wall
During the Ming Dynasty, Jinshanling Great Wall was first built by General Xuda in 1368. But the gentle gradient makes it a vulnerable spot, which means the Jinshanling section, is easy to attack but difficult to defend. Then, it was renovated and expanded by General Qijiguang and the local governor Tanlun in 1567, the wall become more solid, the watchtowers are taller and more concentrated.
What to See & Do
Shooting Pictures on the Jinshanling Great Wall
Viewing from the highest watchtower, the Jinshanling Great Wall looks like a giant dragon, snaking its way along the mountain ridges. And it is less crowded, more wild and original. The scenery varies from season to season. In spring, wild flowers fully blossoming all over the mountain with full aroma. In summer, numerous green trees are shrouded in clouds and mist. In autumn, mountains of maple trees grow, the leaves turn several brilliant hues of red in the golden sunshine, like burning torches, making the fruitful autumn more colorful. In winter, the wall and mountains are all covered with snow, which become a silver world.
Hiking & Exploring the Popular Scenic Spots on the Jinshanling Great Wall
The best way to visit Jinshanling Great Wall is hiking. The Jinshanling section is a perfect fusion of military defense and architectural art. In this section, there are some popular sites you should not miss, such as Heigu Tower, General Tower, Flower Tower, Eastern Five-window Tower, Zhuanduo Pass, Big Jinshan Tower, Small Jinshan Tower, Corner Tower, Kylin Screen Wall, Text Bricks and so on. While you climbing the Jinshanling Great Wall, you can not only enjoy the stunning views on the wall, but also get an in-depth understanding of the wisdom of military science in ancient China. If you don’t want to climb, cable cars and shuttle buses are available for you to avoid the physically strenuous trek up to the wall.
When to Visit
It is suitable for visiting all the year round. The scenery at the Jinshanling Great Wall changes with seasonal variation, which means you can enjoy different charm of the wall while you traveling here in different seasons. But the best times are spring and autumn, because of the pleasant weather.
Opening Hours
08:00-18:00 (Peak Season: April-October)
06:00-17:00 (Front Door. Off Season: November-March of next year)
08:00-16:30 (East Door. Off Season: November-March of next year)
Cable Car Business Hours
08:30-16:30 (April-October)
Ticket Price (Cable Car Fares Are Not Included)
Peak Season: CNY 65
Off Season: CNY 55
Note:
1. Free admission for children under 6 years old (including 6 years old), children under 3.9 feet (1.2 meters).
2. Free admission for the elderly over 70 years old.
3. Half-price admission for elderly between 60 years old (including 60 years old) to 69 years old.
4. Half-price admission for children between 6 years old (not including 6 years old) to 18 years old (including 18 years old), students with bachelor degree or below (not including postgraduates, those at adult education colleges and spare-time colleges) with valid documentation.
Cable Car Fares:
CNY 40 for a single trip
How to Get There
By Bus
Take Bus No. 980 Express at Dongzhimenwai Station, and get off at Miyun Children’s Palace Station, and then take a local mini bus to Jinshanling.
Note:
There’s a new open shuttle bus that runs from Dongzhimenwai Station to Jinshanling Great Wall directly. This is the easiest way. The one-way drive will take about 2 hours.
Travel Tips
1. I suggest you to wear comfortable shoes that can protect your ankles when climbing some rough parts.
2. Bring some snacks and bottled water to keep your energy.
3. The eastern end of the Jinshanling Great Wall is linked to the Simatai Great Wall, so you can visit both sections together.
4. There’re several characteristic hotels around the scenic area. Besides, you will have a chance to taste some popular local food like roasted whole lamb, harmless goat, magnolia shoots with special characteristics, Jinshanling wild mushrooms, characteristic knife meat, Jinshan restaurant chops corn, etc. in some restaurants nearby.
