Jinshanling Great Wall

Located about eight kilometers (five miles) southeast of the Bakeshiying Township in Luanping County in Hebei Province, the Jinshanling Great Wall is the best preserved, having many original features. It starts from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and ends at Longyukou in the west and stretches about 10 kilometers (six miles).

The Jinshanling Wall is situated on the Big and Small Jinshanling, hence its name. Based on huge stone bars, the Wall was then made by huge bricks, each of which weighed about 12 kilograms (26 pounds). It has five main passes and 67 watchtowers. Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an enemy tower each of which is about ten meters (33 feet) high. Featuring various structures and having various functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. On the first floor there are some windows for shooting arrows. The roofs of the towers are many and varied, flat, arched, quadrangular or octagonal. Some are used to store weapons and hay. Others are used as soldiers' bedrooms. Among them, the most celebrated are the Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers.

The big Jinshan Watchtower has two tiers which are connected by stone stairs. On the top of the tower is a small room used as the soldiers' retiring room. This small room has a unique structure. The rafters and eaves of the room are all made from polished bricks. The Small Jinshan Watchtower was constructed by soldiers from Zhejiang and Jiangsu Provinces led by Qi Jiguang, a famous general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). To remind themselves of their hometowns, the tower was named Jinshan which was a pavilion's name in the Jiangxin Island in Zhanjiang.

The Wangjinglou Tower, the General Tower, the Black Tower and the Taochun Tower are also must-sees. Each tower has its legend. Legend has it that the stone bars used to build the Wangjinglou Tower were carried to the mountain top by Er Lang Shen, the nephew of the Jade Emperor. The general tower was named to commemorate Wu Guihua, a heroine who sacrificed herself to resist northern invader's invasion in the Ming Dynasty. The Black Tower and the Taochun Tower were christened to commemorate two girls, Heigu and Taochun, who made great contributions to the construction of the Great Wall.

The Wall for Preventing the Horses, the Retaining Wall, the Bricks with Words Written on and the Kylin Screen are also renowned and worth a visit. Meanwhile, there is a three-kilometer (two miles) Night Great Wall and an eight hundred meters (0.5 miles) cable way. Anyone who comes to Jinshanling should not miss them.

Admission Fee: CNY 50 (Mar. 15 - Nov. 15); CNY 40 (Nov. 16- the next Mar.14)
Cable Way: CNY 50 (round-trip) ; CNY 30 (one-way)

Transportation
By Bus
1. Take the special tourist bus directly to Jinshanling Great Wall at Dongzhimen bus terminus in Beijing. Visitors can take bus 974, 975 or 942 to Dongzhimen bus terminus to take the tourist bus. The special tourist bus leaves from Beijing at 07:30 and back to Beijing at 14:40. It operates on weekends and statutory holidays during the peak season (April 3rd to November 1st ). It is worth mentioning that visitors who take this tourist bus to Jinshanling for one day trip can enjoy the 'One day Travel Package', which costs CNY100 in total for the round-trip bus ticket, admission fee, cable way, and the tourist car at the scenic spot.

2. Take a bus to Miyun County at Beijing Dongzhimen Long Distance Bus Station, and take the local tourist bus to Jinshanling in Miyun County.

3. Take a bus to Chengde at Liuliqiao Long Distance Bus Station, the bus leaves at about every one hour between 08:00 and 18:00, and get off at Jinshanling Intersection, and take a taxi or walk to Jinshanling.

Drive Travel
Drive along the "Beijing – Miyun Expressway" and "Beijing – Chengde Expressway", pass Gu Bei Kou Town, go down 10 km (6.2 miles) and arrive at Jinshanling.