Jinshanling

Welcome to Jinshanling, often described by historians and travelers alike as the most beautiful and architecturally diverse section of the Great Wall of China [89-91]. Located approximately 160 kilometers northeast of Beijing in…

To reach the main ridge of the wall without the forty-minute steep climb, we utilize the Jinshanling cable car, a modern addition that provides a dramatic, bird's-eye view of the fortifications. As the fully enclosed cabin rises,…

We now stand between Small Jinshan Tower and Big Jinshan Tower, two of the most substantial and strategically important structures in this section. These towers are prime examples of the 'Hollow Watchtower' design popularized by…

The General’s Tower is a four-eyed watchtower—so named for its four arched windows on each side—and it served as the tactical headquarters for General Qi Jiguang during the construction and monitoring of the Jinshanling section.…

As we continue our hike westward, we encounter the 'Three Wonders' of Jinshanling: the Obstacle Walls, the Character Bricks, and the Horse-Blocking Walls. The Obstacle Walls, or Zhang Qiang, are particularly fascinating for…

The section of the wall known as the 'Black Tower' or the 'Narrow Stairs' provides the most visceral sense of Jinshanling's rugged nature. Here, the stairway is so narrow it is only about as wide as a person's shoulders, and the…

Our final destination on this walking tour is the East Five-Eye Watchtower, which marks the boundary between the Jinshanling and Simatai sections of the wall. This tower is one of the highest and most impressive in the region,…

As we descend from the Jinshanling ridge and return to the visitor center, the physical exertion of the hike begins to fade, but the mental impression of the wall's scale remains. You have walked the same path as Ming soldiers…