China attractions - The Mutianyu (慕田峪) Great Wall of China is in Huairou County at Beijing. It was built by general Xu Da in early Ming Dynasty, based on the wall's old site from the Northern Qi (北齐, 550 – 577 AD) in the era of Northern and Southern Dynasties. This section was praised as the Best Tourism Spot in Beijing in 1992.
Mutianyu has unique architectural style – densely placed enemy watching towers and strategically importance of every mountain pass. The two battlements were built on the both ends of the section. The strange "Arrow Nock" and "An Eagle Flying Belly Up" are seen on the 1,000-meter-high steep mountain, which is having breathtaking scenery and changing views as to different seasons.
Traditionally, the Mutianyu Great Wall of China has been the important military communication area in Beijing. It meets the Juyongguan (居庸关) in Changping County (昌平县) to the west and Gubeikou (古北口) in Miyun County (密云县) to the east. Mutianyu has also been known as "Dangerous Mountain and Heroic Pass", where a few famous wars were fought in the Ming Dynasty.
Special Scenery of Mutianyu
Nowadays the Mutianyu Great Wall of China is verdant, with about 96 per cent of the area is covered with vegetation. This is unique in the Great Wall region.
The architecture of passes is odd and is very different from that in other places like Juyongguan, Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan Passes. The main pass dais consists of three enemy watching towers, which are juxtaposed in a row. Towers at the two sides are shorter than the middle one. Each of the enemy watching towers has a watching kiosk constructed at the front. The gates are not set in the middle but on the eastern sides. The entrances of the pass daises are on the both sides too. This design is rare to see in the Great Wall.
The enemy watching towers are densely allocated along the Mutianyu Great Wall of China, which has four towers within a 500-meter distance that are called from First Muzi Dais (慕字一台) to Fourth Muzi Dais. By average, there is an enemy watching tower in every one-hundred meters. This is also rare for this architectural miracle in the world.
The Mutianyu Great Wall of China as Inner Branch and Outer Branch Great Walls. The Branch Walls were built in according to the actual requirements before or during military conflicts. The Outer Branch meets the Eleventh Muzi Dais (慕字十一台) while the Inner Branch is called "The Tail".
In addition to the verdant view and majestic enemy watching towers, the natural landscape of the Mutianyu Great Wall of China is also very magnificent with high fluctuation of altitudes – from the lowest 486 meters above sea level in Mutianyu Pass, to 1,039 meters on Niujiaobian (Ox's Horn Edge).
Travel Tips
Today advanced tourism facilities are ready in the Mutianyu Great Wall of China. Cable cars for touring the mountain are fully automatically operated. Great Wall Resort (长城山庄) is located in the lower altitude of the Great Wall, although it is a small hotel, it can accommodate 100 people, and its architecture is the imitation of the style of ancient China, the garden is simple but the scenery is very enjoyable.
Huairou Great Wall Cultural Museum, The Chinese Dream Stone Town and Speedo Slideway provide great entertainment experience to travelers at home and abroad.
How to Get There
From downtown Beijing, you can take Tourism No. 6 Coach to Mutianyu Great Wall of China. It starts at Xuanwumen and Dongshisitiao (东四十条).
Beijing North Station also has tour coach to Beizhai (北宅) Stop, and transfer a taxi to Mutianyu
Admission : adult 40 RMB while student 20.