The legend of the Badaling Great Wall, one of the traditional folk legends in Beijing, is characterized by its combination of romanticism and realism. It is an important part of the Great Wall culture streaked with myth and legend.

On June 7th, 2008 the legends of the Badaling Great Wall were listed in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage.  

The Badaling Great Wall with the longest history in Beijing has been a major military and traffic artery since ancient times. The more than 2300 years of the architectural history is the history of the Badaling Great Wall.

In the 1980s, the county cultural center began to collect and collate the folklore of the Badaling Great Wall area. According to statistics, more than 160 Great Wall legends of Badaling have been excavated and sorted out, which were published in Yangqing Folk Stories and Legends, Guichuan Folk Stories and Legends, Stories under the Great Wall, Everlasting Great Wall, History of legendary Badaling and Story Collection of Chinese Great Wall. All these works embrace distinctive meanings and profound impacts and local characteristics. Now, a series of novels that depict the changes and social development of villages in Badaling has also been accessible to the public including Bangshui Yu, Li Pao and Stone Buddha Temple.

Translator: ZHANG Ruochen

Reviewer: WANG Jiahui