Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Exploring the Wall
From the drop-off at Xīzhàzi village (Xīzhàzi Cūn), it's a one-hour walk uphill to the wall,
along a narrow dirt path which climbs through a beautiful pine forest. From here turn east
(left) to hike all the way to Mùtiányù (two hours), from where you can easily pick up
transport back to Huáiróu, or even to Běijīng. Note that there are different parts, or
duì
, to
Xīzhàzi village. All have paths that lead up to the wall but, for the sake of ease, head to
the first part of the village (
yī duì
), which is down a lane to your left immediately after
the ticket office.
Eating
Many hikers bring a picnic for the Wall, but Jiànkòu Chángchéng Nóngjiāyuàn and
Guóhuái Dàyuàn are
farmer-style courtyards
(
nóngjiāyuàn
) in the village that provide
food and accommodation. Expect to pay around ¥30 for a meal. Neither has an English
sign or a menu, and no English is spoken. Just look for the ' ' signs.
SLEEPING AT JIÀNKÒU
Jiànkòu Chángchéng Nóngjiāyuàn
( 136 9307 0117, 6161 1794; r ¥80-100; ) The first
nóngjiāyuàn
(farmer-style courtyard) you come to as you enter Xīzhàzi village. Rooms are set around a vegetable-patch
courtyard, and are simple but have private bathrooms.
Guóhuái Dàyuàn
(
136 2136 2662, 137 1698 220; r ¥80-120;
) Further into the village, this place
has similarly clean but simple rooms. Meals cost a set-price ¥30.
Huánghuā Chéng
Less touristy than other parts of the Great Wall close to Běijīng, Huánghuā Chéng is an
extremely rewarding, and impossibly steep, section of the Wall. Undulating across the
hillsides east and west of a small reservoir and offering spectacular views of the surround-
ing countryside, it has undergone only partial restoration and is refreshingly free of the
hawkers who can make visits to other sections a trying experience. There are good oppor-
tunities for hikes, too.
