The Mutianyu Great Wall is one of the best-preserved and best-known Great Wall sections, and the longest section of the Great Wall in China. Located 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the north of Beijing city proper, the Great Wall at Mutianyu has breath-taking scenery but fewer tourists, thus making it a good destination on hot holidays for a Great Wall tour at ease.
 

 Watchtowers are densely distributed along the Great Wall.

 Some of the watchtowers are seldom seen along other sections and are quite rare in the architectural history of the Great Wall. Examples are the Zhengguan Terrace (No. 4 Watchtower) comprised of three hollow watchtowers, and Big Corner Tower (No. 1 Watchtower), named so because only one big corner can be seen from the paths on three sides.

 The surrounding natural scenery is breath-taking. Woods cover over ninety-six percent of the total scenic area. Flowers bloom all over the mountains in spring. Grasses dress the hillside green in summer. Trees are laden with sweet fruit in autumn, and especially in October, leaves turn red or yellow, touching the mountain tops with gold. In winter, the wall is covered by snow, making it more magnificent.

 About 65 kilometers (40 miles) to the north of Beijing city center, it is easy to reach from the downtown area by public transport.

 It has been renovated, making it easier and safer to climb. Moreover, it is equipped with a cable car, possible for children and seniors to visit.
 

Magnificent Mutianyu

 It was first built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang, two famous patriotic generals, rebuilt it in order to strengthen its defensive potential when they guarded the strategic pass. It served as the northern protective screen, guarding the capital and imperial mausoleums for generations.

 It is mainly made of slabs of granite. It measures 7 - 8 meters (23 - 26 feet) in height, and 4 - 5 meters (4.4 - 5.5 yards) in width.

Discarded cannon at Mutianyu

 Both sides of the Great Wall have parapets to defend against enemies. Some parapets are saw-tooth shaped instead of the regular rectangular form. Below the parapets, there are square embrasures, the tops of which are designed in an arc structure, different from the traditional round embrasures.

 There are 23 watchtowers distributed at close intervals along the wall, 20 of which are open to tourists. They are located not only on the main wall but also at the distinctive “branch city”. Branch cities are built on the hill ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall. For example, No. 11 Watchtower can be found on the branch wall.
 

Interior of a Watchtower

Mutianyu Great Wall

See more: Top 8 Things to Do on the Mutianyu Great Wall of China

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How to tour the Mutianyu Great Wall

When you arrive at the Mutianyu Great Wall area, passing through the ticket checkpoint doesn't mean you have already reached the Mutianyu Great Wall. You still need to make your way from the foot of the Great Wall to the top. Usually, there are three ways to get up there: hiking up the wall, taking a cable car, or using a chairlift.
 

We recommend that you take the cable car or the chairlift to ascend the Great Wall. The reason we don't recommend hiking is that the whole journey involves climbing approximately 600 steps to just reach the entrance of the wall, which is equivalent to ascending 40 floors. It takes about 30 to 40 minutes, and the process is quite arduous. Ordinary people will be out of breath and sweating profusely. As a result, after reaching the Great Wall, you will hardly have the energy to explore further along the wall.