Great Wall of China in 1 day from Beijing – Jinshanling

In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to live in the Chinese city of Dalian. On weekends, work allowed me to travel around the country. One of such trips was Beijing, where the main goal was a one-day trip to one of the new wonders of the world – the Great Wall of China.

The Great Wall – where to go?

After searching the Internet, I first rejected the option of the most crowded section, but also the one that is easiest to get to – Badaling. The second most popular is the Mutianyu section, due to the fact that it is the best restored and adapted section of the Great Wall for visitors. I wanted beautiful views, as little congestion as possible (I drove in the middle of summer at the weekend) and relatively safe and efficient transport. Therefore, taking into account all these requirements, I chose Jinshanling.

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The Great Wall – Jinshanling

Jinshanling is located about 150 kilometers from Beijing and is described as one of the most beautiful sections of the Great Wall open to visitors. The section was built during the reign of the Ming Dynasty (XIV-XVII centuries). The length of the section open to the public is approx. 10.5 kilometers. The entrance ticket costs 65RMB, which is about PLN 37 (and from November to March 55RMB).

I start the passage from theMain Gate. I’m going to follow the trail to the East Gatefrom where the bus back to Beijing leaves. The passage of the section itself is not difficult, and thanks to this route I do not have to turn back.

The Jinshanling section consists of both the renovated and the unresurepart. After entering the gate, I go up and down the narrow and mostly high steps. Thanks to this, I can imagine how the soldiers of the Chinese army walked here 500 years ago. Every few dozen meters I pass watchtowers, where there are places for bonfires or large drums.

The panorama extends to the mountains, and the wall is endless. What admiration is aroused by the thought that it stretches for an infinite length (depends on the source it is 2400, 5000 or even 8000 kilometers). And every meter of this wall was built by the hand of man. With this perspective, I can imagine how powerful the Chinese Empire must have been.

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Map Jinshanling

From Beijing to Jinshanling we can take a special bus that departs from the Dongzhimen Wai Station bus station (东直门外) in the city center. The bus leaves every day at 8 am (from April to October), and arrives at the Wall of China around 10:30. The ticket costs 50 RMB, which is about 28 PLN. I return to Beijing by bus departing from East Gate.

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To sum up, it is worth going to the Great Wall if we are in the area. I was lucky, thanks to several months of work in China on the project.