Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing District, Beijing, and Mutianyu Great Wall is in Huairou District, Beijing. Both are national 5A-level tourist attractions. Badaling Great Wall is one of the best-preserved and most famous sections of the Ming Great Wall, with an average wall height of 7.8 meters, a top width of 5 meters, a bottom width of 6.5 meters, and a total of 43 watchtowers (battlements). The 5,400-meter-long Mutianyu Great Wall is the longest existing section of the Ming Great Wall, with a wall integrity of 90%, 25 watchtowers, and a forest coverage rate of 96%. It is known for its "gracefulness" and features a unique "double-sided crenellation" design.
History and Culture
Badaling Great Wall was first built in the 18th year of Hongzhi in the Ming Dynasty (1505) and reconstructed by Qi Jiguang during the Longqing period. It was an important military barrier northwest of Beijing and historically served as a transportation route for the Ming Dynasty's "Junduxing." The existing pass city was built in the 30th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty (1551), with the inscriptions "Juyong Waizhen" on the east gate and "Beimen Suoyue" on the west gate engraved during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. It was first opened to the public in 1953, becoming the first Great Wall scenic area opened in New China.
Mutianyu Great Wall was built in the Northern Qi Dynasty (557), and the pass was officially established in the 2nd year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1404). In the 3rd year of Longqing (1569), Qi Jiguang strengthened the city defense here and added watchtowers. Historically, it was an important defense line for Beijing, and most of the existing watchtowers are relics from the Ming Dynasty. The "three-tower combination" of Zheng Guan Tai is rare in Great Wall architecture. It was officially opened to the public in 1983 and served as a cultural display window to receive Chinese and foreign guests during the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Main Attractions
Badaling Great Wall
Badaling Pass City is the core of the scenic area, covering about 50,000 square meters. The inscription "Juyong Waizhen" on the east gate was engraved during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and the "Beimen Suoyue" on the west gate is an imperial brushwork of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The North 8th Tower (Heroes' Slope) is the highest point of Badaling Great Wall, with an altitude of 888 meters and a watchtower height of 15.8 meters. It is a must-visit for tourists, where the wall is well-preserved and offers a 360-degree view of the Yanshan Mountains. The section from South 4th Tower to South 7th Tower is relatively gentle, suitable for family tourists, and the South 4th Tower preserves the living relics of Ming Dynasty soldiers.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Zheng Guan Tai: Built in the 2nd year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1404), it consists of three parallel watchtowers. The middle tower is 12 meters high, and the left and right towers are each 10 meters high, forming a "pin"-shaped defense system. It is the only "three-pass watchtower" in the Great Wall, capable of stationing hundreds of soldiers. The existing plaque "Mutianyu Pass" was engraved during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.
Dajiao Tower: Located at the 1st watchtower, it is the eastern starting point of Mutianyu Great Wall. Named for its horn-like shape with three cliffs, it has an altitude of 686 meters. The tower is divided into upper and lower floors, with the upper floor as a lookout and the lower floor for stationing soldiers. This is one of the best locations for photographing the Great Wall panorama.
Jiankou Great Wall (Unopened Area): Located west of Mutianyu, it is named for its bow-and-arrow-like trend. The "Eagle Flying Upright" section has a slope of 70 degrees, and the wall forms a "V" shape on the ridge, a classic spot for photographers, but entry is prohibited due to high danger.
20th Watchtower (Heroes' Slope): The western highest point of Mutianyu Great Wall, with an altitude of 1,015 meters and a watchtower height of 11 meters. It offers a wide view of the entire Huairou mountain area, and the wall retains relics of Ming Dynasty defensive facilities such as "Zhi Guo Shi" (support stones).
Food
Three Ways of Rainbow Trout
"Fish Master" at the foot of Mutianyu Great Wall is a must-visit restaurant. The signature dish "Three Ways of Rainbow Trout" includes sashimi, charcoal-grilled rainbow trout, and braised rainbow trout.
Badaling Roast Goose
"Fruit Wood Hanging Oven Roast Goose" at Badaling Restaurant uses Qingyuan black-brown geese. Marinated for 12 hours and roasted for 45 minutes, it features crispy skin and tender meat. Each goose weighs about 3kg, sold at 168 yuan per goose with lotus leaf pancakes and plum sauce, a signature dish around the scenic area.
Huairou Chestnut Feast
The chestnut feast at "Yisong Tower" in Mutianyu includes 12 dishes. Among them, "Chestnut Braised Pork" is made with Huairou oil chestnuts (8-10g each) and three-layer pork belly, and "Chestnut Cake" is made with steamed chestnut puree and honey, best enjoyed in autumn (September-October).
Old Beijing Noodles with Fried Sauce
"Jingweizhai" outside the east gate of Badaling Great Wall serves handmade noodles with fried sauce. The noodles are freshly stretched daily (200g per bowl), and the sauce is fried with diced pork belly and yellow bean sauce for 30 minutes, served with 8 side dishes (cucumber, bean sprouts, toon, etc.).
Tickets
Badaling Great Wall: 40 yuan/person. Search the official WeChat public account "八达岭长城" for the latest updates or online booking.
Mutianyu Great Wall: 45 yuan/person. Search the official WeChat public account "慕田峪长城" for the latest updates or online booking.
Opening Hours
Badaling Great Wall: Peak season 6:30-19:00 (entry stopped at 18:00), off-season 7:00-18:00 (entry stopped at 17:00); cable car operation 8:30-17:30. Mutianyu Great Wall: Peak season 7:30-18:30 (entry stopped at 17:30), off-season 8:00-17:00 (entry stopped at 16:00); cable car/slide operation 8:00-17:00. Opening hours may be adjusted for special dates (e.g., Spring Festival, National Day), subject to official notice.
Tour Routes
Badaling Great Wall Classic Route (3 hours): Climb from the north gate of the pass city → North 1st Tower to North 8th Tower (Heroes' Slope) → Return by the same route or take the cable car down, hiking about 4.2 km with about 1,500 steps, suitable for visitors with good physical strength. Easy route: Take the cable car to North 7th Tower → Walk to North 8th Tower → Take the cable car down, 1.5 hours in total.
Mutianyu Great Wall In-depth Route (4 hours): Take the cable car to the 14th watchtower → Hike west to the 20th watchtower (Heroes' Slope) → Return to the 14th watchtower → Hike east to the 6th watchtower → Take the slide down, hiking about 6 km through 12 watchtowers, enjoying features like "double-sided crenellations" and "support stones". Photography route: Take the cable car to the 14th watchtower → Photograph Zheng Guan Tai eastward → Photograph "Great Wall Connecting Spring" at the 10th watchtower → Take the cable car down, 2.5 hours in total.
Transportation
- Badaling Great Wall:
- Bus: Take Bus 877 from the north side of Deshengmen Tower (6:00-12:00, about every 15 minutes), 1.5 hours' drive, fare 12 yuan (6 yuan with a transportation card).
- High-speed rail: Take the high-speed rail from Beijing North Station (Xizhimen) to Badaling Great Wall Station, 12 shifts daily from 6:49-20:18, 29 minutes' drive, fare 25 yuan. Take the scenic shuttle bus (10 yuan/person) to the boarding gate after exiting the station.
- Self-driving: Exit at Badaling on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway (G6), navigate to "Badaling Guntian Gou Parking Lot", about 2,000 parking spaces, 10 yuan/hour.
- Mutianyu Great Wall:
- Special line bus: Take "Mu Bus" from the east side of Qianmen Arrow Tower (7:30-10:00, every 30 minutes), 1.5 hours' drive, fare 80 yuan (including round-trip tickets + scenic area tickets).
- Bus: Take Bus 916 Express from Dongzhimen Bus Hub to Huairou North Street, transfer to Bus H24 to Mutianyu Great Wall, about 2.5 hours in total, fare 20 yuan.
- Self-driving: Exit at Huairou on the Beijing-Chengde Expressway (G45), navigate to "Mutianyu Great Wall P4 Parking Lot", about 1,500 parking spaces, 20 yuan/day.
Must-visit Attractions
- Badaling North 8th Tower (Heroes' Slope): 888 meters above sea level, the highest point of Badaling, with a wall height of 9 meters and crenellation height of 1.7 meters. Overlook the magnificent scene of the "Great Wall Dragon" passing through the forest sea, best photography time 9-10 a.m. (with backlight).
- Mutianyu Zheng Guan Tai: Three watchtowers in parallel, with a Ming Dynasty stone doorframe in the middle tower, 2.3 meters high and 1.5 meters wide, lintel engraved with "Mutianyu Pass". It is the only "three-pass watchtower" in the Great Wall, suitable for architectural close-ups.
- Mutianyu 20th Watchtower: 1,015 meters above sea level, with Ming Dynasty kitchen stove relics inside the watchtower. The west wall shows "text bricks" (engraved with firing years and kiln names). In autumn (mid-late October), photograph the Great Wall with red leaves.
- Badaling Pass City East Gate: The "Juyong Waizhen" plaque is 1.8 meters high and 0.9 meters wide. The tower displays Ming Dynasty weapons, and the "He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man" stone tablet at the boarding gate is an iconic photo spot for visitors.
Tour Tips
- Wear high-top non-slip shoes (Great Wall steps are 15-20cm high, some sections are severely worn). Bring a water bottle of over 300ml in summer (mineral water is sold at 5 yuan/bottle in the scenic area), and wear a windproof jacket in winter (mountain top wind speed can reach level 6).
- The north slope of Badaling Great Wall is steeper (slope from North 4th Tower to North 8th Tower is about 30°), it is recommended to go up the north slope and down the south slope. The west slope of Mutianyu Great Wall is gentle (steps from 14th to 20th watchtowers are wider), suitable for family tourists.
- The best position to photograph Mutianyu's "double-sided crenellations" is at the 10th watchtower. To photograph Badaling's "Great Wall sea of clouds", arrive at the North 8th Tower before 6:30 a.m. (higher probability after summer rain).
- Arrive at the scenic area before 8:00 during peak seasons (May-October) to avoid queuing at the boarding gate. The light is soft after 15:00 at Mutianyu Great Wall, suitable for portrait photography.
- Carry light lunch (such as energy bars, beef jerky). There is KFC at Badaling Pass City Square, and a simple food pavilion near Mutianyu's 14th watchtower (fried noodles 35 yuan/serving), but prices are high.
Notes
- The section from North 8th Tower to North 12th Tower of Badaling Great Wall is under maintenance (as of June 2025), no passage allowed. The 1st-5th watchtowers of Mutianyu Great Wall are unopened areas, and unauthorized entry will be fined 200 yuan.
- Engraving on the Great Wall is prohibited (violators will be fined 500-2,000 yuan). Pay attention to safety when taking photos by the crenellations (some crenellations have no guardrails, with a drop of 5 meters).
- The Mutianyu Great Wall slide is speed-limited to 30km/h. Those weighing over 100kg, under 6 years old, or over 65 years old are prohibited from riding. The Badaling cable car stops operating in strong winds (wind force ≥ level 6).
- Carrying pets and drones is prohibited in the scenic area. Backpacks must be opened for security checks at the boarding gate (controlled knives) and alcoholic items are prohibited).
- Badaling Great Wall Visitor Center provides free wheelchair rental (deposit 500 yuan). Mutianyu Great Wall's 14th watchtower has a medical station (equipped with AED). It is recommended to download the "Beijing Great Wall" APP in advance to get real-time passenger flow information.