Walk the Great Wall at Jinshanling

Most visitors to Beijing see the Great Wall at Badaling or Mutianyu, an hour or so from the city, where it has been fully rebuilt and is shared with large crowds. Jinshanling lies further out, about 130 kilometres to the north-east on the border with Hebei province, and it offers what those sections cannot: the Wall in a long, unbroken line across empty hills, with few people on it.

What the experience is

The Jinshanling section is about ten kilometres long, of which five or six are open to walkers. It dates from the early Ming dynasty and was rebuilt around 1570 under Qi Jiguang, the general responsible for the defences north of the capital, and it is one of the most elaborate stretches he built. There are 67 watchtowers, roughly one every 150 metres, no two quite the same, some with two storeys and brick-vaulted rooms. The Wall here is about seven metres high and wide enough for several people to walk abreast.

The western part has been restored. As one walks east, the repairs give way to the original fabric: crumbling parapets, steps worn hollow, bricks stamped with the date and the name of the unit that made them, and grass growing through the paving. That gradual change, from the rebuilt to the ruined, is what makes the walk memorable.

The classic route follows the ridge eastward towards Simatai West, about six kilometres and three hours, with constant climbs and descents and some steep, uneven stairs. A cable car from the entrance saves the first ascent for those who prefer it. Photographers come for sunrise and for the late afternoon, when the low light picks out the line of towers along the crest.

When to go

Spring and autumn are best: May and June for green hills and long days, late September and October for clear air and autumn colour. Summer is hot and sometimes stormy; winter is very cold, and beautiful after snow. Avoid the Chinese holidays at the start of May and October.

Getting there

The drive from central Beijing takes about two and a half hours, mostly by expressway, so the excursion fills a day. A car with a driver is the practical way to do it, and a guide who knows the Wall adds a good deal. Bring water, sun protection and shoes with grip; there is little shade.

Why OKYTO recommends it

Because the Great Wall deserves more than a crowded half-hour, and this is the section that best repays the journey.