Xigou Great Wall

Xigou Great Wall

The Xigou Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Xigou Great Wall is the best-preserved section of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall and forms part of the main line of the Ming Great Wall. Built in the 14th year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1381 AD), it is known as the Yong'an Great Wall. There is also a marvel of the world to behold. 'Standing atop Cizi Mountain, you can see two systems of the Great Wall: on your left is the Jizhen Great Wall, and on your right is the Liaodong Great Wall. The three directions—east, south, and west—bring three sections of the Great Wall together at Cizi Mountain like three giant dragons converging, making it a unique spectacle along the entire Great Wall.'

Xiahekou Great Wall is located in Xigou Village, Yong'an Township, Suizhong County, Huludao. Xiahekou is a natural settlement within Xigou Village. The terrain here is rugged, with two mountains flanking a valley, and the Great Wall guards the Shuiguan pass. The area features pristine forest landscapes that blend naturally and harmoniously, with century-old pines growing atop the watchtowers, creating a majestic atmosphere. The doors and windows of these watchtowers are adorned with exquisitely carved patterns, giving them a uniquely delicate beauty. Experts and scholars have dubbed it the 'Female Great Wall.'

The Xigou Great Wall is part of the main line of the Great Wall. From here, heading west through Shan Shen Miao Village in Jiabeiyan Township, Suizhong County, you exit into Funing County, Hebei Province, and continue westward to reach Badaling and Juyongguan near Beijing. Traveling east from Xigou, passing Cizi Mountain and going through Manzhicao and Shixiakou, you arrive at Hekou Village, where the Great Wall ends in the valley to its east.

Although Cizi Mountain is not a widely renowned peak, it holds a prominent place along the Great Wall. Amidst the vast mountain ranges, a round peak rises abruptly, thick at the base and tapering sharply at the top, resembling a cone when viewed from afar—hence the name Cizi Mountain. Traveling east along the northern bank of the Shi River from Yong'anbao Township (with its seat in Dadianzi Village), you reach Jinjiagou. Looking south from there, you can spot the uniquely shaped Cizi Mountain. After passing through Jinjiagou Village, a mountain path leads you to the Great Wall on the eastern side of Cizi Mountain. If you climb westward from the top of the wall, you can reach the summit of Cizi Mountain directly. There, you’ll find the mountain extremely steep and precipitous, with sheer cliffs dropping down into nothingness. Peering over the edge is enough to make one’s heart race. The Great Wall approaches from the east, west, and south, all converging at the rocky face of Cizi Mountain. At this point, Cizi Mountain resembles an enormous natural watchtower, bringing together three separate walls, a truly ingenious design.

The section of the Great Wall extending west from Cizi Mountain is built with bricks and remains relatively well-preserved to this day, with battlements and parapets still intact. Some of the watchtower platforms also survive. Heading south from Cizi Mountain, the Great Wall traverses mountain ranges, passes through Jiukoumen, and extends all the way to Shanhaiguan. Along the Great Wall near Cizi Mountain, there are highly important historical inscriptions. On the wall north of Jinjiagou, a brick bears the inscription “Made by Qiuban Class of Dezhou.” Even more valuable is the stele preserved on the watchtower south of Caojiafangzi Village, inscribed with the “Tuanmuchong Tower Record” dated to the “intercalary eighth month of the fifth year of the Wanli reign” (1577 AD), commissioned by “Imperial Commissioner and Governor of Liaodong, Vice Minister of War Zhang Xueyan, and Imperial Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong Li Chengliang.” These records document the history of the construction of this section of the Great Wall.

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