Jiangjunguan Great Wall

Jiangjunguan, 100 kilometers (60 miles) northeast away from Beijing city center, is the easternmost section of Beijing Great Wall and the only remaining Great Wall section of the city that was laid of stones, although most parts of it have been out of renovation and collapsed. There used to be a 3-storey gate tower but only a 6-meter (20-foot) high base is remained. Behind the tower is a giant pillar-shaped rock named General Stone with a height of about 10 meters (30 feet), after which this section was named, literally meaning General's Pass in Chinese. 

Jiangjunguan Great Wall

Hike on Wild Jiangjunguan

 → To get there, you may take subway line 2 or line 13 to Dongzhimen, get out from exit H to reach Dongzhimen Transit Hub;
→ Take bus no. 852 to Pinggu Coach Station, at the cost of CNY13 and with the duration of about 1.5 hours; 
→ Connect to local bus no. Ping29 to Jiangjunguan, taking CNY6 and an hour or so. You will see the square base of the former gate tower of Jiangjunguan Pass when you get off.
 Firstly, it is suggested to have a stroll in the Jiangjunguan Village at the mountain foot. Residences there are in their original appearance and only a few villagers live there at present. Bricks, stones, and tiles are common constructional materials and some houses were even built of stones dug from the Great Wall ramparts, so the major tone of the village is grey, endowing this place with a beauty of primitiveness. Walking in the village might make you feel like being dragged back to the old times.

Then, climb onto the remained base of the Jiangjunguan gate tower to overlook the Great Wall ruins along the rolling mountain ridges. 

After that, walk eastwards to the foot of the mountain to start your adventure. The first 500 meters (550 yards) of the Great Wall you will set foot on has been renovated, easy to walk on. The following sections out of repair are bumpy, but the slope is not steep. Along the way, all watch towers are in ruins, only with bases remained. 

If you are energetic, hike all the way to a cliff, which is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) away, then get down from the right-side to reach Zhongxin Village, and take bus No. Ping 29 to get back. If not interested in hiking for that long, you may get down anywhere there is a side path and return. 

Note: There is no admission fee to visit any above part.  
 1. As a one-way trip from downtown Beijing to the scenic area would take about 3.5h, you are suggested to arrive at Dongzhimen before 7:00 to take bus no. 852.

2. When the hiking is over, reach the Zhongxin Village Bus Stop or Jiangjunguan Bus Stop before 18:30 to catch the last return bus no. Ping 29.

3. Jiangjunguan is a section of the wild Great Wall, so there is no booth or facilities like cable car or elevator. We suggest you pack some snacks and bottled water to help you maintain your strength.

4. Some ramparts are severely damaged and are so narrow that only allow one person to go through at a time, so make sure you wear hiking boots and take alpenstock. Besides, watch your steps during the hiking.

5. Jiangjunguan New Village is 1,100 meters (1,200 yards) south of the scenic area. Some of the farmhouses there can provide meal and accommodation services for backpackers. You might want to taste some farm-flavored dishes there, such as stewed chicken with mushroom and millet pancakes, and have a rest before going back to downtown Beijing.