GW16: Huangyaguan Great Wall Hiking

Huangyaguan Great Wall, located in the southern mountainous area of Jizhou District in Tianjin, is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) from Beijing. Although 1,400 years old, it’s in good conditions after continuous renovations, so even suitable for fresh hikers. 

Today, our guide will wait for you at your hotel lobby on time. After picking you up, accompany you to Huangyaguan Great Wall by eco-friendly public transport. If you prefer a private car, feel free to contact our travel consultants to arrange it for you.

→ From your hotel, take subway line 2 or buses no. 20, 39, 103, 104, Zhuan 2 or others to Beijing Railway Station directly or with transfers. 
→ Take a train to Jizhou. Two trains K7783 and D831 are recommended for this day trip from Beijing to Huangyaguan Great Wall. Both leave from Beijing Railway Station. K7783 sets off at 07:22 and arrives at Jizhou North Railway Station at 08:31. D831 departs at 10:02 and gets to Jizhou Railway Station at 10:49. You may choose the one based on your preference.
→ Getting down from the train, the guide will hail a cab or hire a car on the car-hailing apps to the scenic area directly, taking 50-60 minutes on the way. 

The whole scenic area consists of the Great Wall, Huangyaguan Pass which divides the Great Wall into east section to Taipingzhai and west section to Wangmaoding Peak, and some scenic spots outside Huangyaguan Pass. 

There are two entrances to climb the Great Wall: one main entrance at the Huangyaguan Pass and the other at the Taipingzhai Village at the east end. The guide will lead you to start from Taipingzhai, in which way you climb along the east section downward most of the time, helping save your energy. 

Taipingzhai Village – Taipingzhai Great Wall – Huangyaguan Pass

At the Taipingzhai entrance, you will see a statue of General Qi Jiguang, under whose charge this section of Great Wall was built. Follow the guide to climb up onto the wall, you will first come across a round watchtower. From here you can overlook Taipingzhai Village at the foot of the mountain. 

Turn left and continue hiking. After passing two or three more towers, you will see a section of single-sided wall, with a parapet only on one side. Here you will find a watchtower protruding out of the wall, which is the mysterious Widow Watchtower. It is said that this tower was constructed with the help of twelve wives whose husbands had died defending the wall. A handrail is available for protection as you continue.

After, you will see another unique tower, a round building with a square pavilion on top, the Phoenix Watchtower. Continue for a while, you will reach the Huangyaguan Pass. 

If you feel tired, you may ask the guide to stop here and get out from Huangyaguan Pass. If feel energetic, continue to hike the west section.  

Huangyaguan Pass - Wangmaoding Peak – Huangyaguan Pass

The west section is not very long and mostly well-preserved in good conditions. Along it, you will also find a section of single-sided wall, but not as well preserved as the east section. This part was built along the ridge of the mountain and connects two cliffs at either end. Here, too, a handrail has been installed along the way for safety purposes. Soon you will pass a sightseeing platform called Fairy Peak. Continue to climb and you will see a steep pathway about 30 meters (33 yards) long with 300 steps. At the end of the pathway is Wangmaoding Peak. The west section ends here. Retrace your steps, and return to the Huangyaguan Pass.

Scenic Spots Outside Huangyaguan Pass

Outside the pass, you will encounter some interesting scenic spots, including Stone Steles Forest, Longevity Garden where the Chinese word “longevity” is engraved in thousands of styles, Great Wall Museum, Eight Diagrams Street, and gate tower. The guide will lead you to stroll around if time permits. 

You may bring some food and water to restore energy during the hiking. Around Huangyaguan Pass, there are some farmyards providing local featured dishes. After getting down, you may feed yourself there. The guide will be glad to give you some recommendations. 

At the end of the day, the guide will escort you back to your hotel in downtown Beijing, reversing the way coming here. Train C116 and D832 are preferred. Both leave from Jizhou Railway Station and arrive at Beijing Railway Station. C116 runs from 16:21 to 17:13 and D832 from 19:51 to 20:42.