Posts Tagged ‘The Great Wall’
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
Jinshanling Great Wall: 140 kilometers at the north-east end of Beijing City, there is a section of The Great Wall, called Jinshanling Great Wall. It is 90 kilometers to the Mountain Resort of Chengde. A tablet with the Chinese inscription of “Jinshanling Great Wall” was set in this section.
On the right is the full view of the Jinshanling Great Wall. Its east end connects to the Simatai Great Wall. Jinshangling Great Wall got its name because it was built on the bigger and the smaller Jinshan Mountains.
The Jinshanling Great Wall was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty, and in 1567 or 1570 rebuilding of the Wall was mainly directed by General Qi Jiguang. Poems and tablet writings can be found on the Jinshanling Great Wall left from the time Qi Jiguang directed building of this section of The Great Wall.
The total length of this section is about eleven kilometers (6.8 miles), and the scenic spot of the Jinshanling Great Wall has an area of 32 square kilometers. The Wall is about seven to eight meters high and five to six meters wide, which is made of brick and stone. The Jinshanling Great Wall has an elevation of 700 meters. Watching Beijing Tower is on the highest position, from which you can see Beijing. The Jinshanling Great Wall is second only to the Badaling Great Wall in its completeness.
There are more than 100 enemy towers along the whole Jinshanling Great Wall. Built stably and elegantly, different towers have different structures and appearances. Please see the right picture - it is one of the enemy towers. Rows of 3-meter-high Barrier Walls were built leading to the enemy towers to protect the towers. Some of the towers are storerooms as well. They were used to store food, hay and weapons.
Two of so many enemy towers are bigger Jinshan and smaller Jinshan. There is a legend about them. It was said that the two towers were built by 3000 soldiers from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces led northward by Qi Jiguang. In order to remind themselves of their hometowns, the names of bigger and smaller Jinshan Islands in Zhenjiang City, which is in Jiangsu Province, were used to name the two enemy towers.
As there are relatively few tourists at Jinshanling Great Wall, it is a good place to explore on foot.
In early mornings of spring and summer you can see a remarkable view - “Cloud Sea” below you from the Wall.
The Jinshanling Great Wall has never been repaired. You are safer when you visit this section of The Great Wall than other parts. It is safer as the service in this section of Great Wall includes that one tour guide is responsible for one tourist, for his/her safety actually. When needed, the tour guides will go hand in hand to protect the tourists.
An 800-meter long cable was built to entertain the tourists. Also a 3-kilometer section of the Wall was rebuilt and is bathed after dark in colored light, making a splendid “Night Great Wall”.
Admission Fee: CNY 30
Opening Hours: 08:00 to 16:50
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours
Posted in Beijing Sights | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, October 16th, 2007
The Simatai section of The Great Wall, not far from the Gubeikou section, is located at Gubeikou Town in the northeast of Miyun County, Beijing, 120 kilometers from the city center. Its construction started in the early Hongwu years (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty. Like most sections of the Ming Dyna.
The Simatai Great Wall is 5.4 km long with all together 35 watchtowers. As the east section of the Gubeikou defense line, this magnificent section features great strategic significance. Built hundreds of years ago, the Simatai Great Wall still retains all its original appearance. It not only incorporates a variety of styles of other parts of the 10, 000-li-long wall, but also displays some unique characteristics. This section of The Great Wall is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, ingenuous, and peculiar.
In the valley, the Simatai Great Wall is separated into two parts by the Simatai Reservoir, over which a chain bridge runs through east to west. Like two huge golden dragons, the two parts of The Great Wall wind down from the east and west mountains into the reservoir, forming a wonderful reflection of the magnificent Great Wall in the clear blue water.
The Simatai Great Wall, with densely-dispersed watchtowers snaking along the mountain ridges, looks spectacular. On the hills with gentle slopes in the west, twenty watchtowers are well preserved. However, the west part of Simatai, where fifteen watchtowers densely cover the mountain peaks almost one thousand meters high, appears to be more breathtaking.
The watchtowers on the Simatai Great Wall exhibit a refined design and various structures, among which the most celebrated are the Wangjinglou(Watching Beijing Tower), where one can enjoy lights of Beijing at night in the distance, and Xiannulou(Angel’s Tower), which is characterized by its exquisite structure,with no reference concerning its name origin.
Along the Simatai Great Wall one can also find a section laid with bricks carrying inscriptions, such as “Made by Qiangzi Camp”,”Made by the left camp of Shandong in the 6th year of the Wanli reign” and “Made by the infantry camp of suppressing enemy troops in the 6th year of the Wanli reign”. These messages not only record their origin, but also the period of time they were written.
With its fantastic scenery and precipitous topography, the Simatai Great Wall is a remarkable place for sightseeing, hiking and exploration. It has been acknowledged by the UNESCO as one of the World Cultural Heritages.
How to Get There: There are two routes: You can take the coach at Beijing Bus Station in Dong Zhi Men to Miyun County where you change to a minibus that goes direct to the sightseeing spot. Alternatively, there is a No. 12 tourist Bus from either the Xuan Wen Men or Dong Si Shi Tiao stops. An economy class ticket costs 60 RMB and the luxury class costs 70 RMB. Departure times are from 06.00 hours to 08.00 hours.
Admission Fee: CNY 45
Opening Hours: 07:30 to 17:20
Recommended Time for a Visit: Two hours
Tourist Bus Route:
Take No. 1 at Front Gate
Take No. 2 at Beijing Railway Station
Take No. 3 at East Bridge
Take No. 4 at Beijing Zoo or Xizhimen Gate
Take No. 5 at Front Gate or West Street
years (1368-1398) of the Ming Dynasty. Like most sections of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall often visited today, this section was also built under the supervision of General Qi Jiguang.
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Monday, October 15th, 2007
The well-preserved sections of The Great Wall in Beijing are China’s most famous tourist site. These sections are mainly the remains from the Ming Dynasty, an era of tremendous construction. The wall runs across the northern part of Beijing for over six hundred kilometers with various passes and towers. The mainly sections include Badaling, Simatai, Jinshanling, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Huanghuacheng and Jiankou.
You really have to see this fantastic, amazing and breath-taking scenery once in your life. But remember to ask yourself what kind of scenery you want to see before you pack, because the scenery varies depending on which section you visit.
Badaling is the section where most tourists go. The wall is famous for its completeness, imposing structures and the famous Juyonguan Pass. Most pictures publicized on guide books, brochures and magazines are taken in this section. But you may find yourself being pushed forward by crowds on top of wall in holidays or peak seasons. The Mutianyu section in Huairou County, seventy kilometers northeast of Beijing is a good alternative.
Not yet resorted to the level of Badaling and Mutianyu, the wall in Jinshanling, Simatai and Gubeikou is a bit smaller and narrower than that in Badaling. Upon hiking on these sections, you can find much more of the genuine bricks, and fortifications left behind from ancient times. Here you can get a real glimpse at the ancient history of China. Group tours arranged by travel agencies often have Badaling, Mutainyu, Simatai and sometimes Jinshanling on their itinerary.
In recent years, The Great Wall in Huanghuacheng and Jiankou (Arrow Nock), about twenty-nine kilometers northwest of Huairou city has become an ideal choice for hiking lovers and adventurers. The section has steep precipices on either side, a reservoir and charming wide flowers. It is a section of The Great Wall off the beaten track. Be sure to pack necessary clothes, sports foot wares, drinking water and a flash light. This section is for adventurers.
No matter which section you visit, this magnificent engineering achievement tells you the history of China.
Posted in Beijing Sights | 2 Comments »
