Ancient Chadao Town

Ancient Chadao Town

Chadao Town served as a forward outpost of the Badaling Pass and was located at the northwestern foot of the Badaling section of the Great Wall. The S2 urban railway, Beijing–Baotou Railway, and Badaling Expressway all pass by the southern side of the ancient town. Due to its strategic location, Chadao became a key gateway out of Beijing, functioning both militarily and civilly. Built against the mountains, experts have inferred from the structure and materials of the walls that this site underwent three phases of construction. The earliest phase featured earthen walls dating back to the Han Dynasty, later reinforced with stone walls on the outside. During the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era, the stone walls were further enclosed with bricks. Bricks remaining in the walls today still bear the carved character “官” (official). According to the *Yanqing Prefecture Records*, “Chadao has two routes: one leading to Huailai Wei, Yulin, Tumu, Jiming – three postal stations – and on to Xuanfu (today’s Xuanhua), known as the western route; the other leads to Yanqing Prefecture, Yongning Wei, and Sihaizhi, known as the northern route.” Hence the name “Chadao,” meaning “forked road.”

According to archaeological reports, the construction of Ancient Chadao Town began in 1551 (the 30th year of the Ming Jiajing era) and was completed after over 30 years. The overall layout is an irregular rectangle, slightly bulging in the middle and tapering at both ends, built along the mountain terrain with the northern part situated halfway up the hill. The entire town stretches 510 meters from east to west and 185 meters from north to south, resembling the shape of a ship. It covers a total area of about 83,000 square meters, with walls 8.5 meters high, constructed from stone strips, bricks, lime, and earth. The walls feature horse paths, with crenellations, observation holes, and shooting ports on the outer parapets. There are two beacon towers on the southern wall. The construction of the walls occurred in two phases: the early phase used rammed earth internally with outer layers of stone and lime, while the later phase added strips of stone and bricks over the original walls. The ancient Chadao Town is surrounded by green mountains on three sides. Originally, it housed ten temples, including the Temple of Guan Yu, the Temple of the City God, the Temple of Mount Tai, and the Temple of Eastern Prison, as well as a military command office, official residences, and a theater. Outside the west gate lay a training ground for soldiers, along with warehouses for grain, weapons, and ammunition. At the summits of the mountains to the northeast of the town, two fortresses were built.

Watchtowers were constructed on surrounding peaks to monitor enemy movements. To strengthen defenses, an earthen wall was also built outside the West Gate. Once completed, Chadao Town was usually garrisoned by one permanent commander, three company commanders, and 788 soldiers. After the Qing Dynasty, the town no longer served a military role. Since the late Ming Dynasty, due to war and natural damage, the southern and eastern/western sections of the town walls remain relatively intact, while the northern wall has largely collapsed. Four solid watchtowers still stand at the corners, with two barbicans surviving along the central southern wall, and the west gate still exists, though only the stone foundation remains of the east gate. Original buildings such as shops and inns have been partially replaced by modern houses, leaving behind only ruins such as the post station, company commander’s office, commander’s office, Jade Emperor Temple, City God Temple, Temple of Guan Yu, and Mosque, as well as scattered stone mills and millstones along the streets. The official well and three ancient locust trees, nearly 200 years old, within the town are well preserved.

Location of the ancient town: Chadao Village, northwestern foot of the Badaling Great Wall

Transportation: Take Tourist Bus Routes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 8, or take a suburban bus from Xizhimen, or take Bus 919 from Deshengmen

Driving route: Drive from Madian Bridge on the North Third Ring Road onto the Badaling Expressway

Note: Badaling is located in Yanqing County, northwest of Beijing, approximately 80 kilometers from the city center. There is an expressway from the city to Badaling. Tourist shuttle buses can get you there in about one hour. These buses depart daily from locations such as the east side of Qianmen Tower in the city center, the front of the National Museum of China at Tiananmen Square, and the southeast corner of the Chongwenmen intersection. Ticket price: RMB 36 round trip per person. From Deshengmen, take Bus 919 (every 15 minutes); from Qianmen (Bus 17 stop), take Tourist Bus 1; from Beijing Railway Station East Street (Bus 103 stop), take Tourist Bus 2.