What is It - Millions of people visit the Great Wall every year and marvel at the 2,500-mile barrier that stretches from Manchuria on China’s eastern coast to Mongolia in the west. Most tourists and most tours visit the restored Badaling and Mutianyu sections of the wall which are located about 45 miles north of Beijing. At those locations, you can walk up or ride a cable car to the top of the wall and then ride a cart back down to the parking lot. To capture the true majesty and spirit of the wall, however, one should get a guide and drive an extra hour from Beijing early in the morning to the more remote Jinshanling section.

Located about 85 miles north of the city, Jinshanling is widely regarded as a great place for hiking and taking pictures of the wall and the mountains during different seasons of the year.  Most of the wall here is well preserved although there are several long staircases which are quite steep and do not have any railings. In some places, those steep sections can be avoided by briefly leaving the wall and walking a short distance around them on the mountain trails.  However, access to the wall is prohibited for several miles to the east where the Jinshanling section becomes the Simatai section because of steep staircases and occasional injuries suffered by hikers there.

Guide services are highly recommended for hiking there. While the area is considered safe, some days there are only a smattering of hikers in the area and the experience is more complete if you can learn about your surroundings along the way.  “Great Wall Hiking” is a service based in Beijing which provides a driver and a guide for small groups or private walks at a reasonable price. There are a couple places along the route where you may run into villagers selling food, drinks, and souvenirs, but it is best to bring along some snacks and water

The main section of the Jinshanling wall is almost 5 miles long and generally takes about four hours to hike.  But first you must climb up the mountain along a series of steps and trails before you get to the wall itself. Once there, however, you can walk for miles on an unrestored section of the wall across the tops of the nearby mountains and see for miles in all directions. Constructed of rectangular slabs of stone on top of compressed earth, the 33-foot-high and 25-foot-wide wall is topped by a brick-paved walkway.  In some places the brickwork is smooth like a paved road, while in others it is choppy or non-existent.  Every quarter mile or so, there are towers and guard posts which were used to store supplies and weapons, and to house soldiers. The Jinshanling section crosses five mountain passes and has 67 watchtowers and 2 beacon towers. Archers were regularly stationed on the wall to watch for intruders and signal other guard posts in the event of an attack.

Interesting facts - The Jinshanling section is noteworthy since it was at this location that the Ming Dynasty defended its territory and kept the Mongol hordes at bay in 1554.

When to go - The weather at Jinshanling is pleasant during most of the year except from November to early March when fog, wind or cold can spoil the experience and increase the risk of injury.  Temperatures range from 60 to 85 during the rest of the year and rain is infrequent except in July and August.

How to get here - Jinshanling can be reached by taking the S11 and G45 limited access highways that run north of Beijing through the mountains to the site.

Where to stay - There are no modern hotels in the area for overnight stays, but guide services can make arrangements in nearby towns for simple lodging at several locations if you plan an extended hike along the wall. If a trip to the wall is combined with an overnight at Chengde, the nearby city which hosted the emperor’s beautiful mountain resort, there are more quality inns and larger hotels available. 

Cost -  A full day private tour to Jinshanling from the Beijing area will cost about $135 to $200 per person depending upon the guide service selected and the number of people participating in the tour.