Simatai Great Wall
Located in Miyun County, the Simatai Great Wall is an exciting and exhilarating destination with 19 km of watchtowers, steep plunges and climbing to the east and to the west. This part of the Great Wall was built during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty and is by far an unforgettable and popular destination not for the faint hearted.
Kind Notice: Simatai Great Wall has been closed for major renovation since June 2010. The renovation is estimated to last for 3 years. The hiking route now can be done only half way.
Simatai Great Wall West Part and East Part
The Simatai Great Wall is divided into eastern and western parts by a lake, named Mandarin Duck Lake. The west part appears gentle with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting here and there. Comparing with the west part, the east part is somewhat steep and cliffy.
The east part has 15 watchtowers and is constructed on a steep mountain ridge, described by many as a winding dragon jumping out of the lake. Visitors take this route to marvel at the famous Stairway to Heaven, the Fairy Tower, the Heavenly Bridge and the Wangjing Tower.
The Stairway to Heaven
To reach the Stairway to Heaven involves climbing the mountainside at a steep 85 degree angle. At some points the narrowest part of the path is only 30 centimetres wide, over looking steep mountain ridges. The climb is dangerous, and yet the view is outstanding. It is from this point that you get a view of the Fairy Tower and the Wangjing Tower.
The Fairy Tower
The Fairy Tower is thought to be the most beautiful of the towers, because of its fancy looking architecture and sculpture of twin lotus flowers above the entrance. Legend states that the tower was the resting place of an antelope that was reincarnated as an Angel who fell in love with a nearby shepherd.
The Heavenly Bridge
What a view of the mountains from this point, and a look down will take your breath away or bring on vertigo if you are afraid of heights. Situated at the top of the Heavenly Stairway and difficult to climb, the Heavenly Bridge is about 100 meters in length and only 40 centimetres in width, a combination of fear and exhilaration and worth every second.
The Wangjing Tower
Keep heading up to an elevation of 986 meters, the Wangjinglou Tower is built on the highest part of Simatai Great Wall. It is said that standing at the top of the Wangjing Tower, people can see the lights of Beijing at night, remarkable at 120 kilometres away.
The Design
The walls and watchtowers of the Simatai section of the Great Wall are uniquely designed with various architectural styles, which you will see on your climb.
The area has a total of 35 watchtowers on the wall in a space of 5.4 kilometres in length. The nearest distance between two watchtowers is 43.8 meters and the farthest distance between two watchtowers is 600 meters, with an average distance of 100 to 200 meters. This is considered unusual as records dating back to the Ming Dynasty suggest that the interval between watchtowers should be around 500 meters.
The Simatai Great Wall is an exemption and it’s the exceptions that make it all the more exciting. Some watchtowers only have one single window, while others have anything up to five windows, others are only one story structures and others are connected two or three story watchtowers. They vary in appearance as they were originally constructed with the amount of troops stationed and available at each section.
Some watchtowers interiors are built with bricks and others are brick and wooden structures or brick and stone structures and have one or more chambers within. Their roofs are as different in design as the towers, with plain, hollow and rectangular roofs. Their gates and windows are also complexly designed to include side gates, central gates, brick arches, stone arches and carved granite gates featuring superb craftsmanship.
It is these very differences that make Simatai a rare section of the Great Wall and a massive attraction to tourists.
Other Attractions along the Wall
The Simatai Great Wall is recognised for its splendid and dangerous landscape and the Mandarin Duck Lake at the foot of the Simatai Great Wall gives this section even more staggering beauty. The Mandarin Duck lake, which divides Simtai Great Wall into eastern part and western part, is where the hot and cold springs meet. Half of its water is warm and the other half is cold and the water doesn’t freeze in winter. Boating on the lake is an ideal way to escape from the summer heat on very hot days.
Relics
In recent years, many historical relics have been unearthed at Simatai, including iron and stone cannons, iron arrowheads, guns, grenades, iron bullets and powder scoops, which were used by the troops stationed there. Appliances and tools like shovels, kitchen knives and iron lamp bowls have also been discovered. These relics are invaluable for researching our knowledge of the great Ming Dynasty.
Travel Information
Distance: Gubeikou Town, Miyun County, 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Beijing
Opening Time: 8:00 to 17:00
Admission: RMB40
Transport: Take bus 980 from the Dongzhimen Transport Hub Station to Miyun County and change for a minibus to Simatai