Mutianyu Great Wall Overview
 
The Mutianyu Great Wall,79 km northeast of Beijing, enjoys a long history and is part of the glorious culture of China. It connects Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. The wall was first built in Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557). In the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), under the supervision of General Xu Da, construction of the presently seen Mutianyu Great Wall began on the foundation of the wall of Northern Qi and the Mutianyu Pass was erected in 1404. It served as the northern protective screen, protecting the capital and imperial tombs for generations.

Mutianyu Great Wall Pictures   Mutianyu Great Wall Map   Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking

 
 

The Mutianyu Great Wall is relatively untouched - it is less commercialized, sees fewer tourists and has undergone less restoration work. Standing on top of the wall allows for a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside , which is planted with fruit and chestnut orchards, and dotted with old pine.
 

The Mutianyu Great Wall winds 22 km through lofty mountains and high ridges, many sections of which were made of granite. The unique structure makes the wall almost indestructible. It measures 7 to 8 meters high and 4 to 5 meters wide. Both of the wall's inner and outer sides have parapets to defend against enemies coming from the two sides. Some parapets are saw, tooth shaped instead of the regular rectangular form. Below the parapets, there are square embrasures,the top of which are designed in an arc structure, different from the traditional round embrasures. Both the inner and outer parapets of the Mutianyu Great Wall are crenellated with merlons, a feature quite rare among sections of the Great Wall.
 

The Mutianyu Great Wall has 22 watch towers distributed at close intervals along the wall. They are located not only in the main wall but also at the distinctive “branch cities”. Branch cities are built on the hill ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall. They measure from several yards to dozens of yards across. On the northwest over 3,281-feet hills, lies a section of the wall called “Ox Horn Edge”. On the steep and lofty peaks, there are two walls named “Flying Eagle Flies Facing Upward” and “Arrow Lock”. What is more rarely seen on the southeast side is a general gateway platform guarded by three watch towers together. In locations of strategic importance, batteries are set up to reinforce the defense capabilities. Mutianyu Great Wall really deserves to be the archetype of the Ten-Thousand-Li Great Wall.

 

Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, the Mutianyu Great Wall is also famous for the breath-takingly beautiful scenery. Woods cover over ninety-six percent of the total scenic area. The wall presents different aspects of beauty in the four seasons. Flowers bloom all over the mountains in spring. Grasses dress the hillside green in summer. Trees are laden with sweet fruits in autumn, and especially in October, leaves are turning red or yellow, touching the mountain tops with gold. In winter, the wall is covered by snow, making it seem more magnificent. The pine trees around the wall are well-known. There are more than 20 pines over 300 years old and about 200 pines over 100 years old. Besides, spring water at the foot of the wall tastes pure and fragrant, much appreciated by visitors.
 

Mutianyu Great Wall was restored between 1983-1986 and opened to public on May Day in 1986, the second Great Wall site opened to tourists after Badaling. Mutianyu Great Wall passes through beautiful forested hills with streams.
 

Entrance Ticket: CNY 40/adult, CNY20/child

Cable Car: CNY 50 (round trip), CNY 35 (one way)

Toboggan: CNY 40

Chairlift-Toboggan Return: CNY 50

Opening Hours: 8 am – 4 pm
 

1. Take No.916 (express bus) or No.936 (regular bus) bus at Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station (东直门长途汽车站) and get off at Mingzhu Square (Huairou International Conference Center怀柔国际会议中心), and take local taxi to Mutianyu Great Wall. You can negotiate the taxi with CNY 40 for one way trip.

 

2. Beijing Hub of Tour Dispatch (北京旅游集散中心) has tourist buses to Mutianyu Great Wall from April to October.

 

Note: Visitors are arranged to have a two hours duration on Mutianyu Great Wall. The tickets are available at No.5 and No.6 window at each visitors dispatch branch center. Tel: 010-83531111/66015622/66070900

For more details, please click here

 

3. A taxi from hotel in Beijing will cost CNY 500-600 and you will finish the journey in 6 hours.

 

There are numerous restaurants aroud the parking lot and it’s easy to find your food. Fish dishes are very popular in this area.

 

Tel: 86- 10-61621633

This restaurant serves local Chinese food, but a little bit of westernized. Recommended dishes are Sweet and Sour Pork, Brocoli with Garlic and BBQ Fish.

There are many local guesthouses as well as some middle-level accommodations. Stay at a local guesthouse, try some local home-made food and join the locals daily life will be a particular experience.

 

Great Wall Villa 长城山庄
Location: 1 km to the right of Mutianyu Huandao, at the foot of Mutianyu Great Wall
Tel: 86- 13701175838
 
Mutianyu Great Wall Pictures   Mutianyu Great Wall Map   Mutianyu Great Wall Hiking