The Ming City Wall Relics Park is located in Dongcheng District, Beijing, in the downtown area, starting from the Southeast Corner Tower in the east and ending at Chongwenmen in the west. The city wall relics and the Southeast Corner Tower in the scenic area are national key cultural relics protection units and national 4A-level tourist attractions. The total area of the park is about 15.5 hectares, of which the city wall relics and the Southeast Corner Tower cover an area of 3.3 hectares, and the green area is 12.2 hectares. It features a starting point of protecting the city wall, using a simple design technique to highlight the beauty of dilapidation of the city wall, providing citizens with a quiet, natural, ancient, and desolate environment.
Historical Culture
The Ming City Wall was first built in the 17th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1419 AD), with a history of more than 580 years. Historically, the Ming City Wall was 40 kilometers long, and the existing city wall relics from Chongwenmen to the Southeast Corner Tower are 1.5 kilometers long, which is a part of the original inner city wall of Beijing and a symbol of Beijing. The Southeast Corner Tower was built in the first year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty (1436 AD) and is the largest existing corner tower of the city wall in China. Due to years of disrepair and human damage, the city wall was severely damaged. In 2002, the Beijing Municipal Government decided to repair the city wall and build the Ming City Wall Relics Park. According to the principle of "repairing the old as the old," the 1,540-meter-long city wall relics were repaired.
Main Attractions
Ming City Wall Relics
There is a relatively well-preserved Ming Dynasty city wall about 1.5 kilometers long in the park. The west side is the unrenovated city wall, where the yellow soil of the rammed earth foundation has been exposed, looking primitive and simple. The east side is the restored city wall, allowing people to feel the vicissitudes of history.
Southeast Corner Tower
Built in the first year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty (1436 AD), it is a military defense building of the inner city in the Ming and Qing dynasties and the only existing largest corner watchtower of the city wall in China. There is an exhibition of Beijing city towers in the corner tower. Climbing the city wall along the horse path, you can see Ming Dynasty relics such as flagpole stones and ancient cannons, and you can also overlook Beijing Railway Station.
Theme Scenic Areas
Combining the natural features of the city wall relics and the styles of each greening scenic area, the park has successively built landscapes such as "Old Trees and Ming Walls," "Strolling on Ruins," "Ancient Tower with New Rhyme," and "Crenels Paved with Green" from west to east, fully displaying the cultural connotations and historical features of the ancient capital's Ming City Wall.
Food
There are rich foods around, including various traditional Beijing snacks such as roast duck, noodles with soybean paste, and douzhi with fried dough rings, as well as characteristic foods from all over the country, such as Wuhan hot dry noodles, hot and spicy squid, oysters, and scallops. In the market activities held during some holidays, you can also taste snacks such as palace tofu, large oil edges, roasted gluten, and egg waffles.
Tickets
The ticket price is 10 yuan per person.
You can search for the official WeChat public account "北京明城墙遗址公园" to get the latest updates or purchase tickets online.
Opening Hours
It is open from 08:30 to 17:00 from Tuesday to Sunday, and ticket sales stop at 16:30. It is closed on Monday (except for legal holidays).
Tour Route
You can enter from the west gate of the park, first visit the "Old Trees and Ming Walls" landscape to feel the historical charm of ancient trees and the city wall; then walk along the city wall to enjoy the simple scenery of "Strolling on Ruins"; arrive at the Southeast Corner Tower, visit the corner tower building and internal exhibitions, and climb the city wall to overlook; then go to scenic areas such as "Ancient Tower with New Rhyme" and "Crenels Paved with Green," and finally leave from the east gate of the park. The whole tour takes about 2-3 hours.
Transportation
- By Bus: Take bus routes 20, 29, 39, 43, 63, etc., and get off at Dongbianmen Station.
- By Subway: Take Subway Line 2 to Chongwenmen Station, exit from Gate B or C, and walk for about 10 minutes to reach the park; or take Subway Line 5 to Chongwenmen Station, exit from Gate D, and walk for about 10 minutes to reach it.
Must-visit Attractions
- Ming City Wall Relics: The longest existing section of the Ming and Qing city walls, 1.5 kilometers long, allowing people to feel the weight of history up close.
- Southeast Corner Tower: The largest existing corner watchtower of the city wall in the country, with a unique architectural form. The exhibitions in the corner tower allow people to understand the history of Beijing's city towers.
Tour Tips
- It is recommended to visit on a sunny day to facilitate appreciating the architectural details of the city wall and corner tower and taking photos.
- Spring (March to May) is a good season to enjoy flowers such as plum blossoms, mountain peach blossoms, and crabapple flowers, and you can arrange the itinerary combined with flower appreciation.
- When visiting the corner tower, you can carefully observe the architectural structure and internal exhibitions to better understand the history and culture.
Notes
- Abide by the park's opening hours and do not stay in the park after closing.
- Protect cultural relics and historic sites, and do not touch or carve the city wall and relics.
- Please do not make loud noises in the park and maintain a quiet environment.
- In case of holidays or special events, there are many visitors in the park. Please take care of personal belongings and take care of the elderly and children traveling together.