Rating: AAAA
Key Words: World Cultural Heritage,
Simatai Great Wall is one of a few originally preserved Ming Great Wall sections
Entrance Fee：CNY 40;
CNY 20 for children between 1.2 - 1.5m (3.9 - 4.9 feet);
Free for children under 1.2m.
Cable Car Ticket：one-way: CNY 90; round-trip: CNY 160
Combo Ticket：Great Wall + Gubei Water Town: CNY 170
Great Wall + one-way cable car: CNY 110
Great Wall + round-trip cable car: CNY 180
Opening Hours：Daytime：Apr.- Oct.: 8:00 - 18:00
Nov.- Mar.: 8:00 - 17:30
Note: Site-cleared at 16:30
Night：Apr. - Oct.: 18:00 - 22:00
Nov.: - Mar.: 17:30 - 21:00 (Mon. - Fri.), 17:30 - 21:30 (Weekends)
Ticketing time:
Apr. - Oct.: 18:00 – 21:30
Nov. - Mar.: 17:30 – 20:10 (Mon. - Fri.), 17:30 - 20:40 (Weekends)
Description
Lying in Gubeikou Town northeast of Miyun District about 120 kilometers from Beijing, Simatai Great Wall stretches about 5 kilometers from Wangjing Tower in the east and connects to Houchuankou in the west. It has 35 beacon towers.
Constructed under the supervision of Qi Jiguang, a famous general in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it is the only part of the Great Walls that still has the original appearance of the Ming Dynasty. The eastern part of the Great Wall has 15 watchtowers and was constructed on the steep ridge of the mountain. It looks like a winding dragon jumping out of the lake. There, tourists can appreciate the Stairway to Heaven, the Fairy Tower, the Heaven Bridge and the Wangjing Tower. In order to reach the Fairy Tower, tourists must climb the 85 degree slope Stairway to Heaven which is about 100 meters long and allows only one person to pass. Legend has it that the Fairy Tower was transformed from an antelope and that once the Lotus Flower Fairy lived there, hence its name. On the tower, there are some marble arches carved with lotus patterns.
Why Visit Simatai Rather Than Others
Distinct from other developed sections like Badaling and Mutianyu, renovations here have focused only on essential reinforcement work. Its original appearance is still preserved to let you feel the truly historic atmosphere. It was ranked first in the list of the 'World's Top 25 Scenic Spots' by the Times newspaper in 2012. A Simatai Great Wall night tour can be undertaken, which will offer you a different viewing experience. A cable car is available allowing visitors to save energy, making it possible for everyone to ascend it, even seniors and little kids.
Mandarin Duck Lake lies at the foot of the wall, with a water town (Gubei Water Town) by the lake. Travelers can experience at the same time the beauty of the water town as well as the grand Great Wall.
Features
Tower 12- the last accessible tower, generally manned by a guard preventing access to the more dangerous sections further on.
Tower 14- 'Cat's Eye Tower' (Mao-Yan Lou;猫眼楼)
Heavenly Ladder: Climbing the mountainside at a steep 80-degree gradient, the Heavenly Ladder leads to the Fairy Tower. Stretching upward along the abrupt mountain ridges, the narrowest part is just half a meter wide.
Tower 15- 'Fairy Tower' (Xian-Nü Lou;仙女楼): With a sculpture of twin lotus flowers above the arched doors, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all towers and is known for its architecture. Legend has it that it was the dwelling place for an antelope reincarnated in the form of an angel who fell in love with a shepherd.
Sky Bridge: As little as 40 centimeters wide in places, this 100-meter-long segment of the wall connects the Fairy Tower to Watching Beijing Tower.
Tower 16- 'Watching-the-Capital Tower' (Wang-Jing Lou;望京楼): At an elevation of 986 meters, it is regarded as the summit of the Simatai Great Wall as well as the highest cultural relic in Beijing. Its name comes from the fact that at night (with good visibility), one can see the lights of Beijing shimmering in the distance 120 km away. The bricks used to build the walls here are stamped with the date on which they were made and the code numbers of the armies that made them.
Tower 17- 'Gathering-of-the-Immortals Tower' (Ju-Xian Lou; 聚仙楼) - accessible from the east, from the village of Tangjiazhai (唐家寨).
How to Tour Simatai Great Wall
The steps in the opened part are in sound condition and not very steep. The rest of this part may not be safe and not recommended to visit. This includes the Fairy Maiden Tower and Wangjing Tower. However, it's still worthwhile to admire these two towers from No. 10 East Tower. Standing at the top of the lofty mountains, they look magnificent even from a distance.
If one insists on hiking the unopened eastern part, be well prepared with professional hiking equipment.
Since the western part is closed, hiking from Simatai to Jinshanling is not allowed.
The wall was built along steep ridges. So, more energy is needed for ascent. Generally, it takes around two and a half hours hiking to reach the East No. 10 Tower, and around an hour for descend.
If you feel it too difficult to go the whole way walking, a cable car is available to save your energy. After reaching the cable car upper terminal, there are two footpaths leading to the East No. 5 Tower and East No. 8 Tower respectively.
Only the segment between No. 5 East Tower and No. 6 East Tower is opened for the night tour. Visitors are required to take the round-trip cable car.
Better Make a Reservation in Advance
Because of the damage in some parts, in order to let visitors have a safe and pleasant tour, tourist number is limited in each time interval. To guarantee a visit upon arrival, you'd better make a reservation in advance.
If you intend to climb Simatai Great Wall only, you should make an online reservation one to ten days in advance at www.wtown.com, using a valid ID certificate like passport. After booking, you will get a confirmation message. Upon arrival, buy the entry ticket at the visitor center square using the reservation confirmation message and your ID certificate. From the square, you will be guided to the shuttle bus to the Great Wall. The ticketing service is only available at 10:00, 12:00, and 14:00, so, you should arrange your itinerary well.
Visitors who have not made a reservation in advance are not guaranteed a ticket when they arrive. They will only be given a ticket if the number of tourists with reservations doesn't reach the limit.
The Best Time for a Simatai Great Wall Tour
The best time for a visit is April, May, September, or October. In April, May, and September, the warm weather is very comfortable for visitors. With lush plants covering the mountain, the winding wall looks like a dragon lying on a green sea. In October, red leaves cover the ridge, offering you another wonderful scene.
In one day, morning time or at night is are the best period, because there are little of visitors on the Wall and the Simatai Great Wall at night is particularly beautiful.
How to get to Simatai Great Wall from Downtown Beijing
Take subway line 2 or line 13 to Dongzhimen Station.
1. Take a tourist bus from Dongzhimen to Gubei Water Town directly, which takes about 2 hours and costs CNY 48 for a single trip. The buses depart at 8:00, 9:00, 12:00, and 15:30, and one more bus at 14:00 in during weekends and holidays. The returning buses depart at 13:00, 17:00 and 21:00, and one more bus at 19:00 during weekends and holidays.
2. Take Bus 980/ 980 Express from Dongzhimen to Miyun Xidaqiao and then change to Miyun Bus 51 to Gubei Shuizhen (Gubei Water Town).
Where to Eat
Although there are food stalls on the wall, they are not cheap; it is recommended you bring some snacks and bottled water with you.
If you also buy a ticket for Gubei Water Town, you can have a meal in the town after your visit to the Great Wall. The water town is also a great place to stay overnight.
If you don't plan to visit the water town, you can go to the Simatai Folk Culture Village for dining and accommodation. It is about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from Gubei Water Town. You can get there by bus Mi 51. Get off at Shalingzi Station and you will find the village.
