The Badaling Water Pass Great Wall Scenic Area is located in Badaling Town, Yanqing District, Beijing. It is an important pass of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and a national 4A-level tourist attraction. It gets its name because it was built between canyons, with steep mountains on both sides and a waterway passing through the middle. It features "danger, strangeness, and beauty" and is a key part of the Badaling Great Wall defense system. The total area of the scenic area is approximately 68,000 square meters, with the existing city wall being about 1,600 meters long, 7-8 meters high, 4-5 meters wide at the top, and 5-6 meters wide at the bottom. The city wall is built with neat stone slabs and blue bricks, and is equipped with defensive facilities such as watchtowers, water gates, and crenels. There are 14 watchtowers in total, each with a unique shape, serving both combat and residential functions. With its perilous terrain and beautiful scenery, it not only showcases the majestic momentum of the Great Wall but also adds a touch of elegance due to the canyon streams, making it an excellent place for tourists to experience the integration of Great Wall culture and natural landscapes.
History and Culture
The Badaling Water Pass Great Wall was first built during the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, supervised by the famous general Qi Jiguang, with a history of over 600 years. As an important node in the military defense system of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, it was not only a barrier against invasions by northern nomadic peoples but also a transportation artery connecting Beijing with the northwestern frontier. Due to its strategic location, it had extremely high strategic value in history.
Over the long years, the Water Pass Great Wall has witnessed countless military conflicts and ethnic integration. After the Qing Dynasty, its military function gradually weakened, but it was preserved as a historical relic. In the 1980s, the scenic area underwent large-scale renovations. On the basis of retaining its historical original appearance, tourist facilities were improved, allowing this ancient Great Wall pass to regain its vitality and become an important window for people to understand the architectural techniques and military culture of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall.
Main Attractions
Water Pass Arrow Tower
The Water Pass Arrow Tower is the core building of the Water Pass Great Wall, located in the middle of the scenic area, about 12 meters high, divided into two floors. The bottom floor has an arched water gate, which was once a passage for streams, with both flood control and defense functions; the upper floor is the arrow tower, surrounded by arrow windows and crenels for observation and shooting. The interior of the arrow tower retains some relics of military facilities from the Ming Dynasty. Tourists can climb the arrow tower to overlook the canyon scenery and the winding panorama of the Great Wall.
Watchtower Group
There are 14 watchtowers in the scenic area, distributed along the city wall with a spacing of about 100-150 meters, all of which are made of brick and stone structures. Among them, the building numbered "No. 3 Watchtower" is the tallest, about 10 meters high, with a spacious interior, divided into upper and lower floors. The lower floor can station soldiers, and the upper floor is equipped with observation ports and shooting ports, serving as one of the command centers of the entire Water Pass Great Wall. These watchtowers are exquisitely designed, echoing each other and capable of independent combat, fully embodying the defense wisdom of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall.
Canyon Stream
The Water Pass Great Wall gets its name from water. The canyon stream in the scenic area passes through the pass, with a total length of about 800 meters. The stream never dries up all year round, with green trees shading both banks, forming a delightful contrast with the majestic Great Wall. In spring, wildflowers bloom by the stream; in summer, the stream gurgles, bringing a cool breeze; in autumn, the red leaves on both banks are like fire, making it a highly ornamental natural landscape in the scenic area. Tourists can walk along the stream path to experience the unique scenery of "the Great Wall playing with water".
Great Wall Stele Forest
The Great Wall Stele Forest is located near the entrance of the scenic area, covering an area of about 500 square meters, collecting more than 50 stone inscriptions of poems and verses praising the Great Wall by celebrities of past dynasties. The inscriptions have various fonts and styles, including masterpieces by ancient literati and works by modern calligraphers. Most of the contents praise the majesty of the Great Wall and the spirit of the Chinese nation, embodying the combination of Great Wall culture and calligraphy art, and adding a strong cultural atmosphere to the scenic area.
Delicacies
Yanqing Huoshao
Yanqing Huoshao is a local traditional snack, commonly found in restaurants and food stalls around the Water Pass Great Wall scenic area. It looks like a sesame cake, made of flour, sesame seeds, chopped green onions, etc., baked over charcoal fire. The outer skin is crispy, and the inner part is soft. It can be eaten directly or with cooked meat, eggs, etc. One Huoshao is about 3-5 yuan, making it a convenient food for tourists to satisfy their hunger during the trip.
Great Wall Braised Pork
Great Wall Braised Pork is a specialty dish of farmyards around the scenic area. It uses locally raised free-range pork, combined with seasonings such as soy sauce, rock sugar and star anise, and is braised over low heat for several hours. The meat is tender and melt-in-your-mouth, with a bright red color and a rich flavor, being fatty but not greasy. A serving of Great Wall Braised Pork costs about 60-80 yuan, and it is often eaten with staple foods like corn cakes and tiebingzi (sticky corn cakes stuck to the side of a pot), having a strong local flavor.
Stir-Fried Wild Vegetables with Eggs
Restaurants around will use wild vegetables picked from local mountains, such as shepherd's purse, purslane, bitter herbs, etc., and stir-fry them with eggs. The dish is fresh and refreshing, rich in nutrition, embodying the rural flavor of Yanqing area. A serving of stir-fried wild vegetables with eggs is about 30-40 yuan, suitable for tourists who like light flavors.
Tickets
The ticket price is 35 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "八达岭长城" to get the latest updates or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of the scenic area are adjusted according to the season: from April 1st to October 31st every year, the opening hours are 7:30-17:30 (admission stops at 17:00); from November 1st to March 31st of the next year, the opening hours are 8:00-17:00 (admission stops at 16:30). The opening hours on legal holidays are the same as those in the peak season. In case of extreme weather or special events, the opening hours may be temporarily adjusted. It is recommended that tourists check the official announcement of the scenic area before traveling.
Tour Routes
Classic City Wall Climbing Route
Enter from the main gate of the scenic area, first visit the Great Wall Stele Forest to learn about Great Wall culture, which takes about 20 minutes; then walk along the mountain trail to the Water Pass Arrow Tower, climbing about 300 meters to reach it, taking about 40 minutes; after climbing the arrow tower, you can visit 5 watchtowers to the north, enjoying the scenery of the city wall and canyon along the way, with a total distance of about 1 kilometer, taking 1.5 hours; then return to the arrow tower and visit the remaining watchtowers to the south, with a total distance of about 800 meters, taking 1 hour; finally, go down the mountain from the south trail and return to the exit of the scenic area, with a total duration of about 4-5 hours.
Leisure Sightseeing Route
After entering from the entrance of the scenic area, walk to the trail beside the canyon stream, stroll along the stream to enjoy the natural landscape, taking about 1 hour; then go to the bottom of the Water Pass Arrow Tower for a visit, without climbing the tower, to understand its architectural structure, taking about 30 minutes; then return to the Great Wall Stele Forest to savor the stele culture, taking about 40 minutes; finally, stay in the rest area in the scenic area for a while to end the trip, with a total duration of about 2-3 hours, suitable for tourists with weak physical strength or those with young children.
Transportation
- Bus: Take Metro Line 2 in downtown Beijing to Jishuitan Station, exit from Exit B, walk to Deshengmen Bus Station, take Bus 877 (towards Badaling Great Wall), and get off at Water Pass Great Wall Station. The whole journey takes about 1.5-2 hours, with a fare of 12 yuan per person.
- Self-driving: Starting from downtown Beijing, drive north along Beijing-Tibet Expressway (G6), exit at Water Pass Great Wall Exit, and follow the road signs to reach the scenic area. The whole journey is about 70 kilometers, taking about 1-1.5 hours. The parking fee standard of the scenic area parking lot is 20 yuan per day for small cars and 30 yuan per day for large cars.
- Tourist special line: Beijing Tourism Distribution Center opens a tourist special line to Water Pass Great Wall during the peak tourist season (April-October), departing from Tiananmen Square at 8:00 am every day and returning at 16:00 pm. The round-trip ticket price is 80 yuan per person, and the package price including tickets is 120 yuan per person, which needs to be booked 1 day in advance.
Must-Visit Attractions
- Water Pass Arrow Tower: It is the landmark building of the Water Pass Great Wall, about 12 meters high, with both water gate and arrow tower functions. Climbing the arrow tower allows you to enjoy the views of the Great Wall, canyon, and stream at the same time, being the core attraction to understand the architectural characteristics of the Water Pass Great Wall.
- Watchtower Group: 14 watchtowers are distributed along the city wall with different shapes. Among them, No. 3 Watchtower is the tallest, with a spacious interior, retaining many relics of military facilities from the Ming Dynasty, allowing tourists to intuitively feel the defense system of the Great Wall.
- Canyon Stream: With a total length of about 800 meters, it passes through the pass, forming a unique "mountains and waters depending on each other" landscape with the Great Wall. It has scenic views in all seasons, such as flower appreciation in spring, summer resort, and red leaf viewing in autumn, being the essence of the natural landscape in the scenic area.
Travel Suggestions
- The best travel seasons are spring and autumn. In spring (April-May), the temperature is pleasant and vegetation revives; in autumn (September-October), the weather is cool and the red leaves in the mountains are gorgeous, providing the best travel experience.
- Climbing the Great Wall consumes a lot of physical strength. It is recommended to wear comfortable sports shoes and breathable clothes, take sun protection measures in summer, and keep warm in winter.
- The catering prices in the scenic area are relatively high. You can bring your own drinking water, chocolate, energy bars and other foods to replenish energy.
- It is recommended to spend 3-5 hours for the trip, and you can choose the city wall climbing route according to your physical strength to avoid excessive fatigue.
- Bring a camera or mobile phone. The scene of the arrow tower, watchtowers and canyon stream of the Water Pass Great Wall in the same frame is highly ornamental, suitable for taking photos as a souvenir.
Notes
- Some sections of the Great Wall are steep and narrow, with some high steps. When visiting, pay attention to foot safety, hold the railings on both sides, and do not chase or play.
- Take good care of cultural relics and historic sites. Do not carve or graffiti on city bricks, watchtowers and other buildings, and do not climb unopened sections of the city wall at will.
- Smoking is prohibited in the scenic area. It is strictly forbidden to bring inflammable and explosive items into the area. Protect the ecological environment of the scenic area and do not litter.
- There are many tourists in the scenic area during holidays. It is recommended to travel at off-peak times and avoid entering the park during the peak hours of 10:00-14:00.
- There are medical points and emergency rescue phones in the scenic area. In case of physical discomfort or emergency, you can contact the staff for help in time.
- Self-driving tourists must park their vehicles in the designated parking lot and do not park in illegal parking areas around the scenic area to avoid being punished.