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Great Wall in Tianjin

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 Tianjin Great Wall:        Huangyaguan          Taipingzhai

About 150 km (93.2 miles) away from Tianjin, Great Wall in Tianjin is entirely located in the northern mountainous areas of Jixian County. It starts from the Zuantian Peak at the border between Jixian County of Tianjin and Zunhua County of Hebei Province, spreads towards southwest to Guqiang Valley, then turns to northwest, via Qingshanling Village, again turns to north by west and crosses through Beidalou Mountain, Beijingyu Valley and the 941-meter-high (3,087.3 feet) Danan Mountain, continues winding to northwest for some distance, and then change to south by west to Huangyaguan Pass. Crossing Huangyaguan Pass, the wall goes on towards southwest first, then turns to northwest and crosses through a 791-meter-high (2,595.1 feet) mountain, changes to west and then south until gets to Qinglongbei. Thereafter, it turns to west by south, goes out of Jixian County, and enters Pinggu County of Beijing.

This section of wall totals around 60 km (37.3 miles), built with 85 watch towers, 10 castles, 11 water cellars, 42 residence sites, one pass city as well as many other ancillary facilities. Almost all of the walls in the city were built with stones except for those city walls of Huangyaguan Pass that were built with bricks. One characteristic feature of this section wall is that all of the stone-built watch towers were built without any steps, so it’s still a question how the ancient soldiers climbed up to them? 

 History: It is said that the wall in Tianjin was originally built in the early Sui Dynasty (581 - 618) or under the reign of Emperor Tianbao in the Northern Qi (550 - 559). Thereafter, no large scale construction was made on this section until the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1688), during which continuous renovation and reconstruction were done. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, a set of complete construction had been built on the walls, including Duntai (terrace-like military tower), beacon and watch towers, castles and Huangyaguan Pass City. However, this section was deserted and destroyed since the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). As a result, most walls and towers have collapsed. 

 Current Status: Being out of repair for long, the walls have been seriously destroyed. The walls east of the Guqiang Valley have been in ruins. The wall from Guqiang Valley towards northwest to Qingshanling Village is on and off from section to section because of the simple construction but complex terrain. The wall from Qingshanling to Beijingyu Valley is generally kept well with small partial collapses. The wall from Beijingyu Valley to the round Duntai (terrace-like military tower) in the east of the Huangyaguan Pass is also primarily preserved well, but most of the bricks used for building the Duntai have been removed. The middle section brick-built wall from the Duntai to Huangyaguan has been destroyed, but the stone-built walls on both sides still remain in good condition. Huangyaguan Pass City had also been knocked down, only left the northern city walls. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Huangyaguan Pass and the nearby Taipingzhai Castle have been renovated for several times, welcoming visitors with a entirely new look. 

 Attractions 
 Huangyaguan Pass: Also named small Yanmenguan, Huangyaguan Pass is the only pass on the Great Wall in Tianjin. It meets with the Malanyu Great Wall in Zunhua County of Hebei Province in the east and joins up the Jiangjunguan Pass in Pinggu County of Beijing in the west. The north-to-south pass city was built at strategic position with high mountains on its east and west sides, which makes it always points of battle in the Chinese history.

 Taipingzhai: An indispensable part of Huangyaguan Pass, Taipingzhai made up of six arch-structure watch towers in the shape of the Chinese character '井', one Duntai and one wicket for climbing up the wall.

 Tianjin Great Wall Mountain Products Festival: Jianxian County produces a great variety of mountain products, including apple, persimmon, walnut, chestnut, pear, grape, apricot, kiwi fruit, herbal medicine, purple clay and maifan stone known as health stone in Ameria. The festival is held at the foot of Huangyaguan Pass and in Jixian County around the China National Day Holiday, blending great wall culture, sightseeing and business together.

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