Banchangyu Great Wall

The Banchangyu Great Wall is located at Zhucaoying Town, Haigang District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province. It is precipitous and authentic. You will be deeply amazed by its original beauty.
 

Banchangyu Great Wall Map (Click to enlarge)

 It was constructed during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577) and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), with an accumulative length of 11 miles (18 kilometers)

 The wall, made of stones and blue bricks, is about 5.5 yards (5 meters) wide and 33 feet (10 meters) high.

 There are sixty-one remaining watchtowers, and over thirty of them are well-preserved.

 There are tens of steles along the wall. You can also find barrier walls, shooting holes, horse blocking pits along the wall.
 

It is the most precipitous section of the Banchangyu Great Wall. If you have ever been to the "Eagle Flies Facing Upward" at Jiankou, you can imagine how steep it is. It hangs on the crests of the mountain, with a slope of about 80 degrees. Sometimes, you need to crawl on all fours along the narrow and steep steps, which is quite thrilling.
 The tower was originally called West Tower. It was renamed in memory of the martyr Yang Lai, who was killed by spies at the tower in June, 1947. The Yang Lai Tower is connected with Dongjiakou and Damaoshan sections in the east, and with Yiyuankou section in the west. The two-storey tower has four windows on each side. The first storey was used as a shelter for soldiers on guard, as well as a storehouse for weapons and grain. The second storey functioned as an observation and shooting spot. You can ascend the second storey along the steps. Although it is now dilapidated, the tower still retains its magnificence.
 As the highest spot of the Banchangyu Great Wall, Dajian Tower has an elevation of 2,887 feet (880 meters) above sea level. Standing on the tower, you can have a bird's-eye view of the wall as it appears to fly over the mountain ridges. 
 

A Brick Kiln at Banchangyu

It is the best-preserved and most concentrated brick kilns site along the Great Wall of China. These kilns were used to make bricks of different sizes for building the Great Wall from Yiyuankou to Jiumenkou. The rectangular bricks are 15 inches (38 cm) long, and 7 inches (18 cm) wide. The square bricks have a side length of 12 inches (30cm). Today, you can still see layers of bricks in the kilns.
 The museum lies in a courtyard beside the Brick Kilns Group Site. It covers an area of 240 square yards (200 square meters). You can see some steles and weapons in the courtyard. Entering the exhibition hall, you can see the construction materials of the wall, such as bricks, and iron hoes. Also, you can find some daily necessities used by soldiers on guard, like bowls, knives, and scissors. In addition, you can see some weapons, including fire spears, hooks, and shields.

The site has been developed into a large scenic area. Apart from the Great Wall, you can also see some other interesting scenic spots there, including Immortal Cave, Bodhisattva Temple, Buddha Hand Stone, Tiger Cave, Thin Strip of Sky, Big Dragon Pool, Small Dragon Pool, and the Crater.
 Take a bus to the site from Haiyang Road Bus Station. The buses depart at 6:50, 8:25, 10:35, 11:55, and 15:25. The trip takes about 1.5 hours. The ticket fare is CNY 20.

Admission Fee	CNY 40 Children less than 3.9 feet (1.2 meters) can pay a visit free of charge.
Opening Hours	8:00-16:30

 

 Further Reading: 
Hiking from Banchangyu to Dongjiakou Great Wall