Reaching out the Wild Badaling Section

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Hiking Distance: 9 kms/5 miles

Hours to Take: 4

Accommodation: Hostel at Jinshanling

Meals: Lunch and dinner

Water: Unlimited bottles

If you elect to spend the night camping, we'll be sure to wake up early to catch the sunrise over the Great Wall, so be sure to have your cameras ready!  
 

The hiking today will cover about 10km/6miles. The Jiankou section is known for its ruggedness and wild beauty, and you will be in awe of the marvelous views it affords. Be sure to see the watchtower known as "Eagle on the peak," this tower is extraordinarily high. It forms the highest reaching point of the Jiankou section. It is the pinnacle of exotic Great Wall scenery.
 

From Jiankou, you will cross over onto Mutianyu, a section of the wall that has been largely restored. Although it has gotten a face-lift, it avoids the army of tourists that plague Badaling.  The Mutianyu Great Wall has undulating hills and lush forests. The hills here are steep and curved, so it is very three-dimensional. The Mutianyu Great Wall has dense enemy buildings. Such a section of the Great Wall with an enemy building at about a hundred meters is rare. In the other sections of the Great Wall, crenellation walls were mostly built on one side, while the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall had crenellation walls on both sides. The crenellation walls were bunkers for the defenders to fight against the enemy. Two crenellation walls mean fighting with the enemy on both sides, which shows how important the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is in history.
 

You can hike down to the parking lot, take a cable car, or take a toboggan ride (highly recommended, and lots of fun!) down to meet our driver, who will drive us to our inn for the night. Tonight, we'll overnight in a village called Huanghuacheng Village. We'll stay in a "farmotel" called "Good Fortune Restaurants & Lodge." 

Hiking Distance: 10km/8miles

Hours to Take: 4.5

Meals: Breakfast and lunch 

Water: Unlimited bottles

After early morning breakfast, we will drive to the Badaling Great Wall. The ruined Badaling Great Wall (now officially named "Ancient Badaling Great Wall") is 10km southwest of the restored Badaling Great Wall. So, as its name hints, this section of the Great Wall is partially restored and more adventurous, while not easy to climb. Its hikers are mainly foreign travelers instead of domestic travelers, who prefer hiking at the restored Badaling Great Wall.
 

After about 2-3 hours of hiking, we'll cross over into Shixiaguan (Stone Gorge) Pass, 5km southwest of the Great Wall's Badaling section. It is one of the most intact parts of the whole Great Wall. Despite severe damage, the winding wall set in the lofty mountains reveals its grandeur. Shixiaguan Pass was initially built in the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli (about 1600 AD), which was then a key pass guarded by a large number of soldiers. There are sites such as official residences, the ancient castle, clay walls, and brick walls.
 

After another 2-3 hours of hiking, we'll walk down the Great Wall to drive back into Beijing at about 5 -6 pm. You will be dropped off at your hotel, ending your tour.