Great Wall Hiking Tour to Huanghuacheng
Book your lakeside day hike today!
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YOUR SAFETY
IS OUR
TOP PRIORITY!
At the Great Wall Adventure Club, we only use quality vehicles such as VW Passat
and Buick Minivan
for your safety and comfortable trip!
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Huanghuacheng
Great Wall Hike
Huanghuacheng (Yellow Flower City) Great Wall, 60 km north of Beijing,
is the latest section to become popular with hikers. During summer, the
countryside around Huanghuacheng Great Wall is swathed in yellow, as
masses of wild flowers come into bloom.
It is almost 11 kilometers long and joins with Mutianyu Great Wall in
the east, and JuyongguanPass and Badaling in the west. Huanghua cheng
provides a challenge as it has no stone steps or no single smooth path
like the ones found at Badaling and other sections of the
Great Wall.
History of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall:
Early in the Yuan Dynasty, the area was dotted with prosperous villages,
then during the Ming Dynasty, a town was established at the
strategically important BenzhenguanPass.
Construction of Huanghua cheng Great Wall began in 1575, during the Ming
Dynasty, under the supervision of General Cai Kai. It took the
fastidious Cai many years to finish the project, but when he returned to
the capital to report the completion of his task, he was promptly
beheaded. Scheming ministers had told Emperor Wanli that the workmanship
Cai oversaw was slipshod and lackadaisical. The emperor was so enraged
by these scurrilous reports, he ordered Cai's immediate execution. It
later occurred to the emperor that an investigation might be in order,
so he sent a trusted aid to survey Cai’s wall. The aid reported back
that Huanghuaheng Great Wall was solid, steep and exemplified the finest
workmanship. Realizing he had been perhaps a little hasty in condemning
Cai to death, Wanli ordered a tomb and memorial stele to be erected in
honor of the loyal general.
He also had the characters "Jin Tang", meaning firm, stable, inscribed
on the face of a huge rock below the wall, so there should be no further
doubt, which explains why the wall is also known as Jintang Great Wall.
Sights of the Huanghuacheng
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.
The water of the lake is cold and clear, and it is fed by numerous
springs. A sluice gate has been built on Jintang Lake, over which water
flows in the summer.
Parts of Huanghua cheng Great Wall were destroyed and fell into Jintang
Lake after being bombed during the Japanese invasion of China half a
century ago.
The entire section of wall comprises of six forts, six passes, twelve
beacon-towers, and thirty-two guard towers. Among them, Yaoziyu Fort is
the best preserved. Covering an area of 7,000 square meters, it was
built in 1592. There is a scholar tree standing in the castle courtyard
that was planted in that same year.
The steepest section of Huanghuacheng Great Wall is known as Shibadeng,
and requires special care when climbing, especially after rain.
Huanghuacheng Features
For the Huanghuacheng Great Wall, otherwise known as “The Lakeside Great
Wall”, the most beautiful season to visit is in the autumn. The surrounding
mountains are vibrantly colorful, the lake is deep and tranquil, and the
ancient Great Wall stands majesticly against the clear blue sky. Rushing
springs and jingling streams; birds flying as if in a choreographed dance;
fish swimming around, the Great Wall meandering across the mountain, leaves
scattering everywhere- this is the scene that will greet you upon your
visit. Torch trees; chestnut trees; pines and cypress, the different colors
of radiance and beauty that accentuate the scene makes it even more
memorable. When you explore scenery such as this, enjoy the dark and
romantic fall that nature gives to you. The mystery and grandiosity “The
Lakeside Great Wall” gives to you, how fantastic it is!
There are three unique features of Huanghuacheng. In Chinese, it is
called “yijue” (first talent), “erjue” (second talent), and “sanjue” (third
talent).
“Yijue” is a part of the Great Wall that was built in 1404. It’s
precipitous and grand and which twists up the mountains around Haoming Lake.
This part of the Great Wall was not only the guarded north gate of old
Beijing, but also became an important part of the Ming Tombs; in short, the
essence of the Great Wall.
“Erjue” are the three sections of the Great Wall naturally separated by
the lakes. It is a combination of spectacular mountain ranges, serene water
bodies, and ancient Great Wall. It is the only Great Wall section
accommodating both mountains and water in Beijing,
“Sanjue” is the Chestnut Park Habitat of the Ming dynasty, featuring old
and different trees intertwined. It’s said that soldiers who guarded the
city during the Ming dynasty spent more time cultivating the wild field than
on defense. As a result of their work, the wild field transformed into a
huge chestnut habitat, weather-beaten but deeply rooted. It’s a unique
human-engineered landscape in Beijing's suburban area.
Let's
take a tour to Huanghuacheng Great Wall!
 2-day
Great Wall hiking from
Huanghuacheng to Jiankou and Mutianyu
Great Wall
 BACK
TO Great Wall Hiking and Tours
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