Great Wall at SimataiA ~ Z

Introducing the Great Wall at Simatai

The Simatai Great Wall is located in the Gubeikou town northeast of Miyun County, 140 km away from Beijing. It stretches 5.4 kilometers from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and connects to the Jinshanling Great Wall in the west with 35 beacon towers. Constructed under the supervision of famous Ming general Qi Jiguang, Simaitai Great Wall is the only part of the Wall that still has the original appearance of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. This section of the Great Wall incorporated the different characteristics of each section of the Great Wall. A specialist on the Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhewen, has said “The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall”. 

History & Feature 

Simatai Great Wall was originally built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (550–577) and rebuilt in the Hongwu years of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) by a famous general Qi Jiguang and official Tanlun. It was originally called “死马台” , “” means death in Chinese. Because it is said that someone riding a horse fell off the Great Wall and died due to its steepness. Hanging precariously onto the Yanshan Mountain, Simatai Great Wall is known for its steepness. Simatai Great Wall is separated by a lake into the eastern and western parts. The lake is called “Mandarin Duck Lake”, which is fed by two springs, one is warm and the other is cold. The two sections of the Wall are linked up by a suspension bridge. The western part appears gentle with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting along the wall. The eastern part is much steeper, following more rugged terrain that includes cliff edges and kilometer-high peaks. The 15 watchtowers are relatively closely spaced and provide spectacular views. 

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Additional Information

Qi Jiguang

Qi Jiguang (1528-1588) was a Chinese military general and national hero during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He was born in Shandong province, and his father Qi Jingtong was a water transport official. Qi Jiguang was best remembered for and most credited with his courage and leadership in the fight against the Japanese pirates along the southeast coast of China in over 80 wars for more than ten years, as well as his reinforcement work on the Great Wall of China to guard the borders for peace. The existing Ming Great Wall in Shanhaiguan and Simatai was built under his guidance. Qi Jiguang trained Army of Qijia Family; famous for its strict discipline, being honest to reward and punishment, and equipped with refined warship and weaponry. He also founded Mandarin Duck Array, in which a team with the number of 11 people is equipped with short and long weaponry, such as shields, spears, long spears and broadswords and so on. They can change team formation in accordance with the enemies and the terrain so as to achieve flexible combats. Not only as brilliant general, Qi Jiguang also left behind invaluable practical experience in two books on military strategy "Ji Xiao Xin Shu" (New Book of Efficiency) and "Lian Bing Shi Ji" (Record of Military Training).

Opening Hours

09:00 - 16:30

Price

Entrance Fee: ¥ 40

Address

Gubeikou town, Miyun county, Beijing

(北京市密云县古北口镇)

Distance

135 KM

Getting There

It's better to book a private car for round trip, cab drivers normally don't go there

Travel Tips

Visiting Simatai need to make a reservation on their official site in advance

Last Updated

2018-05-05 00:02:31

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