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Wulonggou
Great
Wall was built in the late Ming Dynasty (1573-1576).
It is located in Laiyuan County 220km southwest of Beijing, and
takes about four hours to reach. This part of the wall could be
compared with the grand sight of the
Badaling section of the Great
Wall. While Badaling
is rebuilt and is too crowded, this part is left wild but is still
well-preserved, and is not visited by tourists except the Great
Wall hikers.
Wulonggou
Great
Wall is connected with Zijingguan
Pass on the east. There are all together 66 watchtowers in this
section; about 40 of them are still in their original state, with
different shapes, but averaging 12 metres in width and length, and
15 metres in height. The relics of the old fortress can still be
found at the bottom of the mountain. This fortress has two gates,
the south and the west, and both have a Wongcheng
(a trap wall) encircling the entrances for defense. Inside the fortress
today are only the simple houses of the locals, and some farm land.
Meiyao(the Coal Kiln)-Tangzhigou Great
Wall
It is easy to
take the small trail from Meiyao village up the mountain to the
Great
Wall on the top. The Meiyao(the Coal Kiln) Great Wall is separated
by cliffs from the Wulonggou Great
Wall. There are 27 well-protected watchtowers from Meiyao to
Tangzhigou. It is one of the most beautiful parts of the Wall. Looking
north gives a good bird's-eye view of the Wulonggou
section. There is a short portion of the cliff incorporated as part
of the wall on the way. Some watchtowers in this area have been
annexed by the villagers to serve as private enclosures for their
sheep.
Taveller's tip:
| a. |
Wulonggou section of the Wall is wild with no entrance fee. But as it is partly located in a military precinct, hiking on the east end of the section is prohibited. |
| b. |
Hiking on the wild broken wall is dangerous; therefore one should always hike with friends for safety's sake. |
| c. |
This part of the Wall is one of the
best sections to take panoramic pictures of the seeming
endless Wall (without the crowds always present at the
Badaling section of the Great
Wall). |
| d. |
The hike from Wulonggou to Tangzhigou
section of the
Great Wall takes two days. It is pleasant but strenuous.
It should be noted that quite a few parts of the Wall are
on the edge of a cliff. Therefore one must make frequent
detours to avoid dangerous areas such as the craggy parts
that are common in this area. Always have an experienced
hiking leader for this part. Contact
us for information in detail and/or to engage a hiking
leader.
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Other Hiking Sections on the Great
Wall:
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