Climbing The Jiankou Great Wall Of China Off-The-Beaten-Path

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There are at least 5 major sections of the Great Wall of China near Beijing and each section of the wall is different in character, and attracts a different type of tourist.

When climbing the Great Wall of China, it’s important to know which section of the wall is right for you and what experience you want to get out of the climb.

For example, Badaling is easily accessible, immaculately restored and extremely crowded, but then there are sections like Gubiekou that are hard to reach, largely in ruins and fairly isolated.

If you want to get off the main tourist trail and get the true experience of the wonder and explore a more urban, off-the-beaten-path section of the Great Wall, then you’re going to want to visit Jiankou.

This 20km stretch of the wall is non-ticketed, has not been restored, and is less visited by tourists – all the more reason to visit.

In this guide, I’ve shared details about each section of the Great Wall of China and how you can climb the Jiankou section.

The Sections of The Great Wall of China

Climbing the Great Wall of China is a bucket list experience for most, so it’s important to do it right. Here is an overview of each area of the wall you can climb.

Badaling

Badaling is the most famous section of the wall to climb, since it’s the closest to Beijing (about 80km away). This section of the wall was built in 1505, at the time of the Ming Dynasty and is the most renovated area of the wall.

It was built to protect the Juyongguan Pass and the city of Beijing from invaders, as well as being a border control for Silk Road merchants.

This part of the wall has undergone restoration and was the first section to open to the public in 1957.

Although busy, Badaling is 4.7 miles of historical monument that really showcases the mystique of this expansive piece of construction. Really the only downside to visiting Badaling is the people, but you can avoid this by waking up early and being the first person to the wall.

It’s easy to get to, you can simply catch a train from Beijing to Badaling. It’s become hugely touristy nowadays and is lined with hotels, ever-present souvenir hawkers, restaurants serving western-styled food and even a cable car.

Simatai

Located in the north of Miyun District, 120 kilometers northeast of Beijing, is the Simatai section of the Great Wall…