Badaling Great Wall - The Most Popular Section of the Great Wall

"Shih Chi" (史记) and other Chinese historical records have proved that there used to be some ancient walls built during the Warring States Period (战国时期475-221BC). Nearly 1,500 years ago, North Wei Dynasty (北魏) constructed a great wall which started from Badaling to the western bank of the Yellow River (黄河). The later kingdom North Qi (北齐) expanded the great wall to the eastern region near to the sea.

Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty moved its capital to Beijing during the reign of the Yongle Emperor (永乐皇帝). To prevent the evasion and guard the capital Beijing, the Ming Empire spent more than 80 years rebuilding the Badaling Great Wall as an important part of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall which started from Jiayuguan Pass (嘉峪关) in western China to the Yalu River (鸭绿江) on the eastern China with a total length of more than 6,300 km. Unlike the former dynasties, Ming attached great importance to the project, and was much strict with every detail, including the wall structure, materials, etc. So the walls built in the Ming Dynasty were much stronger and more solemn than walls in any other period.

Restoration

Due to the constant wars and natural corrosion of more than 500 years, more than 30% of Great Walls are damaged. To preserve the Great Wall well, a project was launched in 1953 to restore the fortress and some parts of the walls. After several times of restorations, more than 3,741 meters’ wall is now available for tourists, including 16 towers and one fortress.

Badaling Great Wall fully embodies the strategic role of military defense. The walls were constructed on cliffy mountain ranges without interruption. Defense towers, watching towers, and beacon towers connect walls together and stretch to far away. In the ancient time, Badaling Great Wall is the outer defense of Juyongguan Pass.

Special Walls

Compared to other sections of the Great Wall, such as Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Badaling Great Wall is featured in wider and higher walls which are usually 6~9 meters high and 6.5~7.5 meters wide, available for 5 houses or 10 soldiers to get through simultaneously.

The Great Wall is divided into many sections by the fortress. The fortress of Badaling Great Wall is middle-sized shaping like a trapezoid compared to Jiayuguan and Juyongguan. The walls are tall and strong (approximately 20 meters wide, 8 meters high) for soldiers to fight against the invaders. Two high dominating on the fortress allow the guarding soldiers to observe enemies from a far distance. The fortress has two gates which are famous for their historical inscriptions (eastern gate: 居庸外镇 – Ju Yong Wai Zhen; western gate: 北门锁钥 – Bei Men Suo Yue).

Multifunctional Towers

There are more than 43 towers on the Badaling Great Wall taking charge of different roles with diverse exteriors and interiors, such as towers for guarding and watching, signaling, battling, camping, etc. So far, only four towers on the southern section and 8 towers on the northern section of the Badaling Great Wall are open for tourists.

If you want to hike the Badaling Great Wall, you can start to hike from the entrance fortress to the connecting location of the southern section and northern section from which you need to first hike one section, and then return the same way to another section. The southern section has 7 towers, and the 4th tower is the highest with round cableways to go down the hill, while the northern section has 12 towers open to visitors. If you want to save energy and time, you can take cableway directly to the No. 7 Towers on the northern section, then walk to the 4th tower of the southern section and take a cableway back.

Classic One Day's Tour Route in Beijing with Badaling Great Wall

Travelers usually need to transfer about 60 km (approximately 1h) from Beijing downtown to Badaling Great Wall where you will stay for about a half day. The rest time is for you to travel back downtown with a side trip to explore the imperial mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty – Ding Tomb. You will also stop at the Olympic Village to see the brilliant stadiums - Bird Net and Water Cube.

Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing (延庆) County about 60km northwest from Beijing City. Being strategically located and difficult to access, it used to be the vital defensive pass for the capital city - Beijing.

• 10 km from Badaling Great Wall Ruin
• 15 km from Juyongguan Great Wall
• 44 km from Ding Tomb
• 67 km from Bird Net
• 77 km from Tiananmen Square
• Where is the Great Wall of China Located

⨠ Check to see Badaling Great Wall Maps, Location, Transportation, Tourist & Cableway.

More Great Wall Experience besides Badaling

If you want to explore more marvelous great wall sections and admire picturesque nearby scenery, you're highly recommended to travel to Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), so far the longest great wall in China. It is regarded as the "Essence of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty" with sublime architectural designs, intensive defensive towers, fascinating natural scenery, etc. With over 24,000 reviews and maintaining a 5-star rating, the Mutianyu Great Wall is consistently ranked as China’s No.1 Sight on TripAdvisor. Its stellar reviews and accolades make it a must-visit attraction.

To explore the best highlights of Beijing, including Tian’anmen Square, Forbidden City, Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Hutongs, you only need 2 or 3 full days, which is available to 72 Hours Visa-free for Transit in Beijing. If you have more days, 144-hour transit visa will be better. You should not miss Great Wall - the must-go place in Beijing, and explore more hidden attractions in Beijing city.

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