Route 2BH: Walk along the most famous section of Badaling Great Wall and hiking along the lakeside Great Wall at Huanghuacheng
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In the early morning your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel. From there we will be driven to the Badaling Great Wall. The ruined Badaling Great Wall (now officially named “Ancient Badaling Great Wall”) is 10km southwest of the restored Badaling Great Wall. So, as its name hints, this section of the Great Wall is partially restored and more adventurous, while not being easy to climb. Its hikers are mainly foreign travelers instead of domestic travelers, who prefer hiking at the restored Badaling Great Wall.

After about 2-3 hours of hiking, we’ll cross over into Shixiaguan (Stone Gorge) Pass, 5km southwest of the Badaling section of the Great Wall. It is one of the most intact parts of the whole Great Wall. In spite of serious damage, the winding wall set in the lofty mountains reveals its grandeur. However, a castle in Shixiaguan was pulled down during the Great Leap Forward. Nevertheless, the wall remains relatively intact because of its strategic location. Shixiaguan Pass was originally built in the reign of Ming Emperor Wanli (about 1600 AD), which was then a key pass guarded by a large number of soldiers. There are sites such as official residences, the ancient castle, clay walls and brick walls in the village. After our hike we will drive to the village of Huanghuacheng. We'll stay in a “farmotel” called "Good Fortune Restaurants & Lodge" which has been approved by Great Wall Adventure Club and which is located at the foot of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall.

Day 2: Huanghuacheng-Xishuiyu-Beijing (B,L 9 miles, appx 4 hours of hiking)

After a short walk around the dam on the Huanghuacheng Reservoir, we will start our hike westward to Xishuiyu. The Huanghuacheng (Yellow Flower City) Great Wall is a beautiful tourist spot combining mountains, lakes and ancient Great Wall. It is the latest section to become popular with hikers. It provides a challenge for hikers because the paths are steep and out of repair. Huanghuacheng is divided by lakes and some parts are even immersed in the water, which is a very unique characteristic, distinguishing it from other sections of the Great Wall.

A general named Cai Kai, who led the construction of Huanghuacheng Great Wall, was beheaded after completion of his task, because the emperor mistakenly believed other ministers’ lies that his job was sloppy. But when a survey report, stating that the walls were solid, steep and exemplified the finest workmanship, reached the emperor, the emperor realized that he had misjudged General Cai Kai. The emperor ordered a tomb and memorial stele to be erected in honor of the loyal general. He also had the characters 金汤 (Jin Tang), meaning firm and solid (literally “metal soup”), inscribed on the face of a huge rock below the wall. So the Huanghuacheng section of the Great Wall is also called the Jintang Great Wall. There is a lake and a reservoir nearby. The crescent shaped reservoir is called Huanghuacheng Reservoir, while the name of the lake is Jintang Lake.

The Great Wall at Huanghuacheng is surrounded by mountains with verdant vegetation, lots of blossom and other seasonal beauty. During summer, the countryside around the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is swathed in yellow, as masses of wild flowers come into bloom. The highest point of the wall is a broken watchtower, and from there you will have a wide panoramic view of the whole valley. From this summit the Wall dives steeply downwards into the valley. The Gate is located at the bottom, an opening in the wall, which connects the Zhuangdaokou village on the inside, with the still-well-preserved Yaoziyu Castle, built in the Ming Dynasty, on the outside. Over the top of the passageway is another watchtower where we will rest a short while before continuing on. From here we will continue to trek westward, climbing towards the broken wall to our destination, a peak overlooking Xiaoxihu Lake. It is here that we will stop for a filling and refreshing lunch that will replenish your energy.

Most of the Great Wall around Xishuiyu is in reasonably good, deteriorated, but not collapsed condition. None of the Great Wall here has been restored so it retains its authentic condition. As we follow the Wall to the west here, you will get views of the Xiaoxihu reservoir to your right. You will find several opportunities to get off the wall and walk down the reservoir, crossing through a large Ming dynasty chestnut field at the bottom. There is a path all the way around the reservoir so you can follow it in either direction. From our vantage on the Wall, we will see a real treat, the broken Great Wall running underwater! From this point, the wall is in too bad a condition to walk, so we will follow a delightful mountain trail to Xishuiyu village, where we will drive back to Beijing, completing your tour.