The vegetation around Chenjiabao Great Wall is notable for its beautiful spring wildflowers, possibly due to the types of plants growing there—there’s a relatively high abundance of reddish blooms (like wild peach blossoms and wild bramble flowers), which I haven’t often seen on other wild sections of the Great Wall I’ve hiked in Beijing. Personally, I think Chenjiabao looks its best and is most distinctive in spring.
This trip was a complete loop hike (see the track map), starting from the small village temple, ascending the wall, passing by General Tower, Mandarin Duck Tower pass, Luoguo City, then descending to the pass and returning to the village along a cement road. The whole route is just over ten kilometers and forms a loop, making it convenient for driving back to the same spot to retrieve your car. The trail conditions are mostly easy, except for the section from Luoguo City down to the pass, which is quite rough—even a bit hazardous—so hikers are advised to be cautious. This section near Luoguo City has also just been recently renovated this year.
Starting from the small temple, once you climb up onto the wall and look out, you’re greeted by vivid mountain flowers as far as the eye can see, creating a breathtaking scene alongside the winding Great Wall.
After walking for a while, you’ll arrive at the “General Tower,” a six-arch watchtower that is the best-preserved fortification along Chenjiabao Great Wall.
Not far from the General Tower lies the “Mandarin Duck Tower.”
The “Mandarin Duck Tower” consists of two watchtowers of identical design, most notably featuring double-bricked walls in the middle section. One of the towers on the southern side is relatively dilapidated.
The next stop is the “Luoguo Great Wall.” You can see that a section of the wall leading up to the Luoguo section has been repaired, but the result seems somewhat incongruous.