The watchtowers
Along the ridges.
Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jakub Hałun — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luka Peternel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nikolaj Potanin from Russia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Daniel Wen 987 — CC BY 4.0 · Philip Nalangan — CC BY 4.0 · rheins — CC BY 3.0 · Ronnie Macdonald from Chelmsford, United Kingdom — CC BY 2.0
One of the most beautiful and least crowded stretches of the Great Wall, running along mountain ridges in Chengde's Luanping County some 125 km north-east of Beijing and joining the Simatai section to the east; it was built from 1570 under the Ming dynasty. This section is 10.5 km long, with five passes, 67 watchtowers and three beacon towers; its first part has been restored to its original state while the rest has been left weathered, so walkers see both restored and original wall, its towers snaking along the ridges in views that draw photographers at sunrise and sunset. Tickets cost CNY 65 from mid-March to mid-November and CNY 55 for the rest of the year, per visitor guides. Wear good shoes, as some steps are very steep, and bring water.
Along the ridges.
Weathered stone.
Over the wall.
Luanping County, Chengde, about 125 km north-east of Beijing
It lies about 125 km north-east of Beijing; a tour or a car with a driver from Beijing or Chengde is easiest, and the drive takes two hours or more.