Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Maybe you have been to the Badaling and Juyongguan Pass, but the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is also well worth visiting. It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), located at Jiuduhe Town, Huairou District, 65 kilometers (40.39 miles) from Beijing City. This section of the Wall at 10,800 meters (about 6.7 miles) long is a resort with mountains, lakes and the ancient Great Wall.

When summer comes, the entire village under the Huanghuacheng is immersed in a sea of yellow wild flowers ('Yellow flower' is 'huanghua' in Chinese). Consequently, this village got the name Hunghuacheng, and this section is called Huanghuacheng Great Wall.

On a cliff by the Great Wall are two big Chinese characters 'jin tang' which means being very firm and strong. In fact, there is a legend about the origin of these characters. In the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor ordered a general named Cai Kai to build the Great wall here. But it took many years to accomplish the construction. So the emperor became very angry while at the same time some traitorous ministers scolded that Cai Kai had spent too much money in building it. As a result, Cai Kai was beheaded. Later, the emperor asked ministers to check the construction. They found that the it was strongly fortified. The emperor realized that he had treated Cai Kai unjustly. Then he ordered craftsman to carve these two Chinese characters. So the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is also called the Jintang Great Wall; the lake under it is called Jintang Lake.

Going to Huanghuacheng Great Wall, you have four things to do at least. First, you should take photos. Since the lake breaks this section into three segments naturally, its uniqueness might surprise you. And the Huanghuacheng Reservoir lies here, shaped like a curved moon. Second, go to visit the chestnut garden under the Great Wall, dating back to the Ming Dynasty. The ancient chestnut trees still grow very well. Third, climb up the steepest section of the Huanghuacheng, Shibadeng. It is like a dragon, ready to fly into the blue sky. Fourth, look at Yaoziyu Castle. It was built in the Ming Dynasty, still well-preserved. In the castle, there is an ancient Chinese scholar tree. It is said that touching it could bring you a blessing.

Admission Fee
CNY 34

Opening Hours
08:00-17:00 (on weekdays)
07:30-17:30 (at weekends and Chinese Golden Week)

Transportation
a. Take Bus No.916 at Dongzhimen and get off at Huairou Dishui (Huairou Local Tax Bureau) (The air-conditioned Bus No.916 costs about CNY11, and the regular bus costs CNY 6), go forward about 50 meters (55 yards) and take the bus which runs between Huairou and Shuichangcheng (Xishuiyu) (the bus ticket costs CNY 3).

b. Take the special route bus "Changping - Jiuduhe" at Changping Long-distance bus station or at the crossing of Changling Lu in Changping District, and get off at Jiuduhe gas station (the bus ticket costs CNY 5), and take the bus which runs between Huairou and Shuichangcheng (Xishuiyu) and get off at the terminal station.