Simatai Great Wall

Simatai Great Wall

The Simatai Great Wall is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, a patriotic education base, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Known for its "thrilling, perilous, and spectacular" features, the Simatai Great Wall is located in Gubeikou Town in the northeastern part of Miyun County, Beijing. Stretching 19 kilometers in length with 35 watchtowers, it is the only section of the ancient Great Wall that retains its original Ming Dynasty appearance, built under the supervision of Qi Jiguang. This section has been designated by UNESCO as the "Original Great Wall."

Divided into eastern and western sections by the Simatai Reservoir, the wall is spanned by a valley-crossing cable bridge resembling a rainbow. The western section features gentler slopes, with 20 well-preserved watchtowers. The eastern section is more rugged and imposing, with 15 watchtowers densely distributed along the mountain ridges. The "Fairy Tower" is exquisitely built, with an arched white marble gate adorned with a bas-relief of twin lotus flowers. Beyond the Fairy Tower lies the "Heavenly Bridge," no more than 100 meters long, flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides and only as wide as a single brick—crossing it is a true test for any brave adventurer. The "Beijing Watchtower" is the highest point in Beijing, standing at 986 meters above sea level. From here, visitors can enjoy views of the "Wuling Snow" to the east, the majestic Great Wall to the west, the frontier landscapes to the north, and the lights of Beijing to the south.

Simatai also offers visitors services such as an invisible cable car up the wall, a canyon-crossing cable bridge, boating on Twin Lakes, swimming, fishing, accommodation, small conferences, and local mountain cuisine. Events include the Simatai Great Wall International Gliding Festival in June, a cultural festival in August, and a wall-climbing competition in September.

The Simatai Great Wall embodies all the characteristics of the Great Wall. For example, the wall sections include single-sided walls, double-sided walls, and trapezoidal stone walls. The watchtowers come in various styles—two-story, three-story, flat, round, cornered, with two, three, four, six, or even twenty-four arrow slits. Many of the rooftop designs are unique to the Simatai Great Wall...

The most astonishing feature of the eastern section of the Simatai Great Wall is its "peril." The wall coils like a dragon atop steep cliffs, stretching east to west, with 14 watchtowers densely packed within a kilometer. Especially striking is a steep mountainside where a "sky ladder" rises—a near-vertical climb with an 85-degree incline, only as wide as a foot, lacking handrails, about 100 meters long and a single brick in width, flanked by 900-meter-deep abysses on either side. This section can only be traversed by crawling on all fours, a truly heart-stopping experience.

The Simatai Great Wall has two particularly distinctive towers. One is the "Fairy Tower," said to have been transformed from a gazelle and named after the Lotus Fairy who resided there. Slender and elegant, it often appears and disappears amid the white clouds, like a shy maiden. Its white marble arched gate features a unique bas-relief of twin lotus flowers—one of a kind on the entire Great Wall. The second tower is the "Beijing Watchtower," standing 986 meters above sea level, the highest point of cultural relics in Beijing. From its heights, you can almost touch the sky, with sweeping views of distant mountains, nearby waters, and the panorama before you. Accommodation Information

There are over 20 uniquely styled tourist hotels in the county where you can stay. Alternatively, staying in a guesthouse in a local folk village is affordable, clean, and full of charm. Transportation Information

Take Tourist Bus No. 12 from Xuanwumen or Dongsi Shitiao to get there directly.

Take Bus No. 918 from Dongzhimen to Miyun County, then transfer to a local bus to reach the site.

Round-trip transportation by tour bus costs around 60 RMB. Dining

There are many restaurants on the Great Wall—don’t miss trying “Kua Dun Yu” (stewed fish). This dish has a special preparation method: it must be cooked in the water from which the fish was caught. As the local saying goes, “Fish cooked in its native river water is incredibly delicious.” The seasoning is simple—just green onions, garlic, and salt. Once boiled, the aroma is irresistible, and the soup turns a milky white. Paired with golden cornmeal pancakes and millet-mung bean congee, it’s a meal that keeps Beijingers coming back. Don’t forget to sample the chestnut dishes in the chestnut feast—such as red-braised pork strips with chestnuts and white-braised pork strips with chestnuts—as well as full fish banquets and wild mountain vegetables, all meant to be enjoyed fresh. Price Information: Ticket: 30 RMB; Invisible Cable Car: 20–30 RMB; Cable Bridge: 5 RMB. Address: Northeast of Miyun County, within Gubeikou Town.

Suggested Duration

3 hours

Transportation

Public Transport:

1. Departure Point: Beijing Tourism Distribution Center. Locations: Tiananmen Departure Center (daily), Xuanwumen Bus Stop (weekends and national holidays). Departure Times: 6:00–9:00 (Tiananmen), 6:30–8:00 (Xuanwumen).

2. Take Bus No. 980 from Dongzhimen to Miyun County (6:00–19:00, 15 RMB, 60 km, 2-hour journey). Then transfer to a local bus across the street from the station. 60 km, about 1 hour. 100 RMB per car, 30–40 RMB per person. Carpooling available, prices negotiable.

3. After arriving in Miyun, take a bus to Gubeikou, then get off at the fork in the road and hire a private car to Simatai. After your visit, take a car back to the fork and then a bus from Chengde to Beijing to return.

4. From April to October each year, tourist buses also go to Simatai Great Wall, departing from the square outside the Xuanwumen Catholic Church.

Self-driving: Take the Beijing-Chengde Expressway to Exit 24 (Simatai), turn right after the toll gate, follow the road toward Wuling Mountain toward Baguazhuang. In Baguazhuang, there is a cement road—follow it to the end, where it leads directly to the Great Wall. This path passes through a mountain formation shaped like the character “林” (forest) and goes straight to the Beijing Watchtower.

Ticket Information

Simatai Great Wall Ticket: 40 RMB per person (advance reservation required for individual entry), Simatai Guide Ticket: 100 RMB per person, Single-Ride Cable Car: 80 RMB per person, Round-Trip Cable Car: 120 RMB per person. Special discount policies are posted at the scenic area.

Opening Hours

Open Area: Eastern Section of Simatai Reservoir, Watchtowers 1–10

Please make a reservation at least one day in advance. Free shuttle buses will take you to the foot of the Great Wall in scheduled batches during designated time slots. A successful reservation guarantees your entry. Daily Batch Times: 10:00, 12:00, 14:00.

Winter Hours (November–March): 8:00–17:30. Wall closes at 18:00. Summer Hours (April–October): 8:00–18:00. Wall closes at 20:00.

Attraction Location

Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing

Simatai Village: Simatai Village

Nowadays, at the ticket checkpoint of the Simatai Scenic Area in Simatai Village, visitors simply need to swipe their barcode-bearing scenic postcard tickets in front of the ticketing device, and the system will automatically grant access. According to the scenic area management, this year the site has launched Beijing’s first “intelligent postage postcard ticket sales and inspection system.” After their visit, tourists can also mail the postage-paid postcard tickets to family and friends or keep them as souvenirs.

Simatai Village is located in the eastern part of Gubeikou Town, at the foot of the Simatai section of the Great Wall, boasting beautiful natural scenery and abundant tourism resources. The village has a total of 390 households and 1,116 residents... More details about Simatai Village++