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.

Quick Jinshanling Great Wall Facts

Brief Introduction of Jinshanling Great Wall

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.

The Jinshanling Great Wall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 and was named one of the world's top 100 sustainable destinations by UN Green in 2014.

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. The Jinshanling Great Wall became the most complex and densely built-up section of the Great Wall system.

And the next few hundred years, although the Qing Dynasty overthrow, the Republic of warlords, the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japan ...... China has undergone a sea change, but because it is in the mountains, Jinshanling has not been subjected to major damage, basically maintaining the original style.

What to See & Do

Admire the Structure of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling Section

The buildings of the Jinshanling Great Wall have a variety of characteristics. Enemy towers have brick and wooden structures as well as masonry structures. The form of the buildings varies from one peak to another, with one building having one style. There are square, round and flat piers, and the roofs of the buildings are in the shape of canopies, domes, quadrangles and octagonal spires. In addition, there are multi-eye watchtower and storehouse building, etc., which are rarely seen in other parts of the Great Wall of China. These buildings and platforms are staggered in height and abruptness, constituting a complete defence system.

The main buildings include: the Fairy Tower, the Treasury Tower, the Big and Little Jinshan Towers, the Hollow Tower, the Big Fox Top Tower and the Wangjing House.

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.

Jinshanling Great Wall Photography Tips:

Best time to take photos: In spring, from 5 to 15 April, apricot blossoms bloom all over the mountain, and the Great Wall and the sea of flowers form an excellent composition. Moreover, the scenic spot holds Hanfu themed activities during this period, so you can take photos of Hanfu and Chinese folklore. Autumn is also an excellent time to photograph the Great Wall.

Best places to shoot:

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.

Recommended Jinshanling Great Wall Hiking Routes:

Looking for more challenging trail, you may consider hike from Jinshanling to Simatai Great Wall, or Gubeikou to Jinshanling. You are suggested to hike with a map, even better, with a local Great Wall tour guide.

>> Recommended Great Wall of China tours:

5-day Beijing Great Wall Hiking Tour
3-day Great Wall Trekking with Camping Tour

Hunt “Treasures” and Learn the Stories about Jinshanling 

Near the Kylin Tower of the Jinshanling Great Wall, look for ancient bricks engraved with the names of craftsmen (it is recommended to bring wet wipes to wipe the brick surface) and listen to your guide tell the story. During the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall was built under a system of responsibility. Each brick was engraved with the name of the craftsman who fired it. If the quality was not up to standard it was directly traced back to the individual.

In addition, you can stand at the Ming Dynasty fortifications of Jinshanling Great Wall to identify the horse barrier (used to protect against cavalry), the thunderstone holes (used to drop bombs), and the walls (anti-climbing) in the field.

Best Time to Visit Jinshanling Great Wall

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. >> Undertstand Best Time to visit the Great Wall of China

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)

Jinshanling Great Wall 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 Jinshanling Great Wall from Beijing

From Downtown Beijing 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.

From Beijing Capital Airport: Take the airport shuttle bus for about 1 hour. It costs ¥30.
From Beijing Daxing Airport: Take the Daxing Airport shuttle bus to Caoqiao Station, then change to Metro Line 10 and get off at Sanyuanqiao Station. It costs ¥35.

>> Recommended Beijing tours to Jinshanling Great Wall:

Jinshanling Great Wall Hotels

There are a wide range of hotels at the foot of Jinshanling, from luxury resort to boutique guesthouses, such as Jinshanling Great Wall Hotel, Yueyuan hotel at Jinshanling, Vangen Spa Hotel, beijingjuxianjuminsu, etc.

Travel Tips

1. We suggest you to wear comfortable shoes that can protect your ankles when climbing some rough parts on your China tours to the Great Wall at Jinshanling section. 

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.

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