Jinshanling Great Wall

Admission Fee: CNY 65 (Mar.16 to Nov.15); CNY 55 (Nov.16 to Mar.15)
Cable Car: CNY 40 (single trip)
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
Best Time to Visit: Spring and Autumn especially April, September and October
Location: Located in the Yanshan Mountains which lie on the border of Luanping County, Hebei Province and Miyun County, Beijing. Jinshanling Great Wall is 140 kilometers (87 miles) northeast from Beijing city.

 Introduction: As one of the most well-known sections, it is connected to Simatai the east. It stretches 10.5 kilometers (about 6.5 miles) from Longyukou Tower in the west to Wangjinglou Tower in the east. This section of the wall is strategically situated with an extensive view over the surrounding area. Most of the surrounding mountains have steep cliffs and deep valleys. So, it is quintessential for security among all sections of Great Wall. In 1991, it was selected as one of the top tourist attractions in China.

 History: Originally, there was once a section of wall built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 577). After being ruined by wars, the large project of restoration was built in the Ming Dynasty after Emperor Zhudi moved his capital from Nanjing to Beijing. It later experienced a 16-year reconstruction from 1570 by Qi Jiguang, a Chinese military general and national hero during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). Even after more than 400 years, most of the walls here still remain in the original condition.

Jinshanling Great Wall Map

 Overview: With an altitude of 700 meters (2,296 feet), the wall has 5 passes, 67 watchtowers and 2 beacon towers in total. Watch towers are densely located in various shapes, either one-tiered or double tiered, with flat, arched quadrangular, octagonal roofs. The unique treasures of this section are a barrier wall, a block with characters (ancient Chinese characters), and a horse barrier wall.

 Nearby Attractions: Beside the magnificent view of the wall itself, the natural scenery of this area is charming, especially the misty impregnable passes, an auspicious sunrise, red afterglow and great meteor showers. Emerald green vegetation and variously colored flowers cover the mountains in Spring. Whilst in Winter, it is clad in snow-white. Simatai reservoir in the east and Miyun reservoir in the south reflect the great mountains and the splendid wall in the water. Standing on the Wangjinglou Tower, visitors can view the outline of Beijing City. In addition, recreational activities like go-karting downhill, as well as the specially built Night Great Wall are also attractive. If lucky, visitors may catch some exhibitions, modeling competitions, or even TV shoots held on the wall.

 Transportation: 
A. Take Bus No. 980 at Dongzhimen to Miyun Long-distance Bus Station, and a local bus, taxi or mini bus to the scenic spot.
B. Take a long-distance bus from Beijing Liuliqiao Bus Station to Chengde and get off at Jinshanling Intersection. Then, take a taxi, local bus, or walk to the scenic area.
C. There are tourist buses from Dongzhimen Bus Terminal (No. 45 Outer Dongzhimen Street) to join in the one-day trip. The bus runs at weekends and Chinese public holidays between April 4 and November 1. It departs from the bus terminal at 07:30 and gets back from the attraction at 14:30. The ticket is CNY 100, including the round-trip bus fare, entrance fee, cable car and sight-seeing car of the scenic area.

 Dining: Local food is representative in the imperial style of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), especially for game delicacies from the north of the wall. Jinshanling Restaurant has VIP rooms and a dining hall which can seat 300 people for dinner at the same time. Local products like hawthorn, walnut, day lily, bracken, chestnut, soybean food and mushroom are also provided there.

 Accommodation: Jinshan Hotel can offer accommodation for 200 people. Guest rooms are either apartments of two-bedroom, three-bedroom or four-bedroom or courtyard houses such as Siheyuan and detached houses. The price differs from CNY 298 to CNY 498 per room per night.

 Recommended Travel Itinerary:
A. Beijing → Jinshanling → Chengde Mountain Summer Resort → Mulan Royal hunting Ground (4 days)
B. Beijing → Jinshanling → Chengde Mountain Summer Resort → Qinhuangdao (7 days)
C. Beijing → Jinshanling → Baiyun Ancient Cave → Grassland in North Beijing (3 days)
D. Hiking: Gubeikou → Jinshanling → Simatai (2 days)

 Travel Tips:
a. There is an additional admission charge of CNY 50 if visitors want to continue to the Simatai, and a fee for crossing the suspension bridge is CNY 5.
b. Please take care when walking along the precipitous mountain paths and dangerous sections in the scenic area, hold hands with tour guide or companions if necessary.

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4-Day Beijing Travel: to the most popular attractions in the city 
Essence of Beijing Tour: 5-Day to visit Badaling and more highlight attractions
Essence of China Tour: 8-Day of China Small Group Tour of Beijing - Xian - Shanghai
Best China Resorts: 10-Day of Beijing - Xian - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Shanghai
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