Jiankou Great Wall is located in Badaohe, northwest of Huairou District, Beijing. It is 1141 meters above sea level. The terrain of the mountains is very complicated with both dangerous ridges and cliffs and magnificent scenery at the same time. Jiankou Great Wall, literally translated as "Arrow Nock", was named because its winding W-shaped shape is just like the bow of an arrow. It is one of the most famous dangerous sections of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). However, it attracts lots of photographers here in recent years. It has always been a one of the most popular spots for photography among all the Great Walls. At present, Jiankou Great Wall is expected to get restored by 2022. After its completion, the whole length of Jiankou Great Wall will reach 2772 meters.
Situated in the northeast of the suburb of Beijing, Jiankou Great Wall is right next to Mutianyu Great Wall, about 72km to Tiananmen Square, 30km away from Huairou District.
• To Forbidden City: about 72km, 2 hours' drive
• To the Summer Palace: about 75km, 2 hours' drive
• To the Temple of Heaven: about 73km, 2 hours' drive
• To Beijing Hutongs: about 72km, 2 hours' drive
• To Beijing Capital International Airport: about 56km, 1.5 hours' drive
• To Beijing South Railway Station: about 86km, 2.5 hours' drive
• To Beijing West Railway Station: about 84km, 2.5 hours' drive
Jiankou Great Wall Location Map
The Great Wall stretches straightly from the mountainside to the top of the mountain. After reaching a watchtower on the top of the mountain, it suddenly falls, and drops down to the mountainside. The shape of ridges resembles the horn of an Ox. It is vigorous and challenging. Therefore, people start to call it the Ox-Horn Edge. Though it's hard to hike atop the Ox-horn Edge, taking a picture of it from a distance can be really breathtaking.
There are two cliffs on both sides of the mountain, and each one is about 2 meters high and 5 meters wide. Seen from a distance, they are like two generals, standing at an important position upon the Great Wall. The two vivid cliffs were found in the Qing Dynasty and recorded in the local "Chen's genealogy", and the ancient people even have written poems about the cliffs.
Nine-Eye Tower is located at the top of Flame Mountain at the junction of Huairou County and Yanqing County. Because the tower has nine arrow windows on each side, the tower was named after it. It is one of the important crossings of the Great Wall with an elevation of 1141 meters. The tower was well designed, including a kitchen and bedrooms inside, and even some horse stables.
The lower part of Nine-Eye Tower is made of stone strips and the upper part of this tower is made of white lime and bricks. The structure is very magnificent.
Ox-Horn Edge
Nine-Eye Tower
The hike from Jiankou to Mutianyu is about 10km, and it takes about 5 hours for medium-level hikers. However, you are not recommended to hike independently for safety reasons, especially if you are not experienced. Travelling with a guide, your guide will give you many helpful advice on the right and safe routes to hike. As you may know, some wild sections of the Great Wall are very dangerous to hike, and hard to rescue as well if an accident occurs. To protect the great wall, Jiankou Great Wall will have a temporary shut-down sporadically for environmental conservation. Sometimes, it is unpredictable and lasts for months. Please do not hesitate to contact us to get the updated Jiankou information!
However, to connect the both of the great walls, China Discovery offers professional travel guidance which ensures your security and helps you get rid of all the worries. The advised starting point is Xizhazi (西栅子) Village, which is right at the foot of Jiankou Great Wall. Hike along the trails for about an hour and reach atop the North Tower (Pinyin: Zhengbeilou 正北楼), which is the highest point of Jiankou section. From this tower, you can enjoy the most breathtaking views of Jiankou Great Wall. Hiking on the ruined walls for about 3 hours, you will get to Mutianyu section, and the tickets should be purchased twice when you enter Jiankou section and exit Mutianyu section. If you are already tired after reaching Mutianyu Great Wall, you can always choose to take a cable car or toboggan downhill.
Jiankou Great Wall Hiking
Jiankou Great Wall Hiking
❶ Items to Pack: Hiking boots, sticks or trekking sticks, backpack, sun-glasses, sunscreen, snacks, camera.
❷ Risky Hikers: people who suffer from arthritis, heart disease, hypertension, asthma, and the traveler who are drunk are not recommended to take the hike.
❸ Age Ranges: Don't take a baby less than 3 years old for this hike, and the traveler who are more than 80 years old are not recommended to hike.
❹ Sanitation Facilities: Please go to the toilet at the entrance of the wall before the hiking, there is no toilet on the Wall. Please carry toilet paper by yourself always.
❺ Unavailable Hiking Conditions: You are not recommended to go, under the following weather condition: Rain, Snow, Strong Wind, etc.
❻ Dressing Advice: Please do not wear shorts, since you will go through bushes and jungle areas, even in summertime.
❼ Safety Advice: Please use your trekking sticks and watch out the loose bricks and steep slopes.
It is hard to find the bus stop in the suburban area, and you may encounter traffic jams and language barriers and complicate transfers. China Discovery also offers private car service for every customer visiting Beijing. Our skilled driver and experienced guide will pick you up from Beijing to Jiankou section. It's time-saving (about 2 hours) and much more safe and you will be escorted all the way to Mutianyu Great Wall with comfortable travelling experience and professional travelling guidance.>>Contact Us Now
Taking a bus is the only public transportation method to Jiankou from Beijing downtown. You can take a city bus 916 or 916 express (快916) at Dongzhimen Wai Bus Station (东直门外站) and get off at Huairou North Rd (Pinyin: Huairou Beidajie 怀柔北大街), then you may need walk around 10min and find another bus stop, the first area of Yujiayuan (Pinyin: Yujiayuan Yiqu 于家园一区) where is the departure stop for Bus H25. To get to Jiankou Great Wall from Huairou, the only accessible way is taking bus H25 and get off at West Xizhazi Stop (Pinyin: Xizhazi Xi 西栅子西).
Jiankou Great Wall Transportation Map
Walk to Mutianyu Roundabout Stop (Pinyin: Mutianyuhuandao 慕田峪环岛) near the entrance and take bus H35, H24, H23, or H36 there to Huairou North Rd (Pinyin: Huairou Beidajie 怀柔北大街), and then take Bus H25 to Jiankou (Xizhazi Stop).
>>How to Get from Jiankou to Mutianyu
Spring and autumn is the best time to visit Jiankou Great Wall, for the weather is fine and the scenery is more stunning with spring flowers or autumn leaves. Summer time is often hot, and winter can be treacherous. If you would like to hike more, the early summer is also a good time for the longer daytime. Though Jiankou Great Wall is not as crowded as other popular sections such as Mutianyu Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall, please avoid going there on public holidays, especially the National Holiday (Oct. 1-7).>>Best Time to Visit the Great Wall
Jiankou Great Wall in different Season
10km away from Jiankou Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), built in 5400m long, is regarded as the "Essence of Great Wall in Ming Dynasty". As the top 1 recommended Great Wall section on TripAdvisor, Mutianyu Great Wall is quite popular recently among foreign hikers and much less crowded than Badaling Great Wall, with both stunning scerenry and hiking facilities. This great wall, linking Gubeikou (古北口) in the east and Juyongguan (居庸关) in the west, was served as the vital military strategic point from the ancient time. Moreover, Mutianyu section is the "longest great wall in China" so far and since protection work is well done here, tourists can now see its original appearance and enjoy the real ancient culture of great wall. Also, spectacular natural scenery in Mutianyu Great Wall always impresses visitors here for its abundant vegetation.
Densely Placed Watchtowers in Mutianyu Great Wall
Jiankou Great Wall, is primitive and wild, with steep terrains and leafy vegetation. One or two days are enough to fully explore Jiankou Great Wall, and the neighboring Mutianyu Great Wall, It is recommended to start your trip early to avoid the traffic jam and crowds.
Besides Jiankou Great Wall, there are many other great walls offering you the same marvellous views, including Simatai Great Wall, Badaling Great Wall and Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Exploring the neighboring Jinshanling Great Wall, trekking on steep mountain ridge of Simatai Great Wall and the near section of the better preserved Mutianyu Great Wall, admiring the famous and renovated Badaling Great Wall, you can encounter different sparking sides of each section and commemorate the man-made wonder of the ancient Chinese people. China Discovery offers you tailor-made tour service, and you can fully experience all the famous great walls in 2 days. If you have more time, it's also recommended to explore other attractions in Beijing, such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, and More!
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