Jinshanling Great Wall 金山岭长城

About Jinshanling Great Wall

Its closely spaced towers, barrier walls and changes in masonry give a walk here a strong military-architecture focus as well as broad mountain views. The central route from Zhuanduokou towards Shalingkou is a useful way to read those features without committing to the whole ridge. Route openings can change after heavy rain, so choose an authorised return point before climbing and avoid assuming an onward crossing to neighbouring Great Wall sections.

Built during the Ming dynasty beginning in 1570, this stretch of the Great Wall runs 10.5 kilometers from Gubeikou (古北口) in the west to Wangjinglou (望京楼) in the east, with five passes, 67 watchtowers and three beacon towers. It is connected to the Simatai section to the east, while the Mutianyu section lies some distance to the west.

Jinshanling was listed in the third group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in January 1988, and again included in the fourth group of Hebei provincial cultural relic sites in 2001. It is also designated a national-level scenic area (国家级风景名胜区) and a national 5A tourist attraction (国家5A级旅游景区).

What to look for

• The towers and defensive barrier walls around Zhuanduokou and Shalingkou.
• The ridge-top sequence of walls stepping across the mountain terrain.

The surrounding area

Northern provincial base for the Mountain Resort and outlying temples; an imperial-landscape itinerary.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jinshanling Great Wall

Use 金山岭长城景区 at Hualougou Village, Bakeshiying Town, Luanping County.

• Enter through the current visitor centre and confirm which access points are operating. Old road exits, shuttle schedules and through-hiking descriptions may no longer apply.