THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Beijing - page 160

Tours Available from hotels and offices all over Beijing, these tend to cost around ￥ 280,
including a visit to the Ming Tombs , lunch and all tickets.
ACCOMMODATION
Goose and Duck Ranch 鹅和鸭农庄 , éhéyā nóngzhuāng In Qiaozi, near Huairou 010
64353778, gdclub.net.cn . This chirpy family holiday camp has plenty of outdoor pursuits
on offer, including archery, go-karting and horseback riding. Their all-inclusive weekend get-
aways (around ￥ 500 per person per day) are popular and convenient - turn up at the bar and
they'll look after you from there. Y ou'll h ave to book three days in advance. Both cabins and
bungalows sleep up to four. Cabins ￥ 300 , bungalows ￥ 880
Mutianyu Great Wall Guesthouse 慕田峪长城宾馆 , mùtiányù chángchéng bīnguăn Near
eastern barrier 010 69626867. Situated in a reconstructed watchtower 500m before the
eastern barrier, this is a good pla ce fo r a quiet overnight stay, though be aware it has no
plumbing. Reservations essential. ￥ 180
Shambhala @ the Great Wall 新红资避暑山庄 , xīnhóngzī bìshŭ shānzhuāng Xiaguandi
village, near Huairou, about 2hr north of Beijing 010 84018886, redcapitalclub.com.cn .
This former hunting lodge is now an idyllic boutique hotel, set in attractive countryside. Each
of the ten traditional courtyard buildings was constructed from local materials, with a mix of
Chinese, Tibetan and Manchu themes, and the rooms, each protected by a stone animal, fea-
ture Qing-style carved beds. There's also an on-s ite spa for some serious pampering, and the
place is a short walk from the Great Wall. ￥ 1200
Simatai
司马台 , sīmătái • Daily 8am-4pm • ￥ 40 • cable car ￥ 20
Some 110km northeast of the city, Simatai has long been famed as the most unspoilt section
of the Great Wall around Beijing. With the wall snaking across purple hills that resemble
crumpled velvet from afar, and blue mountains in the distance, it fulfils the expectations of
most visitors more than the other sections. At the time of writing, though, the whole area was
closed for renovation. It is due to reopen in 2014, and will no doubt have been spruced up
considerably, so take the information below as provisional.
From the car park, a winding path takes you up to the wall, where most visitors turn right.
Most of this section dates back to the Ming dynasty, and sports a few late innovations such
as spaces for cannons, and inner walls at right angles to the outer wall to thwart invaders
who breached the first defence. Regularly spaced watchtowers allow you to measure your
progress uphill along the ridge. If you're not scared of heights you can take the cable car to
the eighth tower. The walk over the ruins isn't an easy one, and gets increasingly precipitous
after about the tenth watchtower. The views are sublime, though. After about the fourteenth
tower (two hours on), the wall peters out and the climb becomes quite dangerous, and there's
no point going any further.