Jinshanling Great Wall
Jinshanling Great Wall is about 150 kilometers away from Beijing and lies in the mountainous area in Ruanping county of Hebei province - a key military stronghold. The structure was mainly built in 1570 of Ming dynasty. The 20-kilometer-long structure, is a little smaller and narrower when compared to Badaling and Mutianyu but features complicated and well preserved fortification systems and fantastic natural scenery.
Jinshanling Great Wall Construction
Jinshanling Great Wall looks a bit old and ruinous but much more natural, 7.8 meters high, 5-6 meters thick at bottom. On the top, slab pavements were 4 meters wide with 2 meter-high parapets on each side. On the side facing the enemy stood 7-foot- (2-metre-) high crenels called duo-kou. On the upper part of the duo-kou were large openings used to watch and shoot at attackers, and on the lower part were small openings or loopholes, through which defenders could also shoot. "Obstacle-walls" were also built perpendicular to the parapets. These "walls-within-walls" were used for continued defense against enemies who might have succeeded in scaling the wall.
Two-storied watchtowers were built on the wall in some strategic places. The ground floor was used for living, storing food and weapons and the top floor was used for defense. The watchtowers were in different shapes, some square, some oval and others in strange shapes. Their roofs are flat, sloped, thatched, or even octagonal. Pu-fang - simply structured huts were built to provide shelter for the guards during storms. Inside watchtowers, anfractuous walls and passages also reveal the wisdom and tenacity of ancient Chinese.
If you want to see the wall that mantians the features from Ming Dynasty, but avoid the crowds of Badaling, this is the place to come, but be prepared for a walk from the car park up to the wall.
Jinshanling Great Wall Tours
Jinshanling Great Wall is 150km (93 miles) northeast, 2.5 hours drive from downtown Beijing. Jinshanling features unusual circular towers, elaborate defensive walls, complicated but fantastic scenery. It deserves a full day or more days hiking along this original, deserted section.
