| Hiking The Greatwall |
Simatai, located in the north of Miyun county, 120km northeast
of Beijing, holds the access to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in
the eastern part of the Great Wall. Originally built during
the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) and rebuilt in the Hongwu
years of the Ming dynasty by Qi Jiguang, this section of Great
Wall is the only part of the Great Wall which keeps the original
features of the Ming dynasty Great Wall.
Simatai Great Wall is 5.4km long with 35 beacon towers. Ingeniously
conceived and uniquely designed, this section of Great Wall,
inimitable and diversified, has incorporated the different characteristics
of each section of the Great Wall. No matter the famous specialist
of Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhewen, says: "The Great Wall
is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best
of the Great Wall."
Hanging precariously onto the Yanshan Mountain, Simatai Great
Wall is known for its steepness, ingenuity and unique.
Steepness: Built on the precipitous mountains, there are many
places that are unmatched among other sections of Great Wall.
The Heavenly Ladder and the Sky Bridge are particularly dangerous
that they could make everyone on them tremble with fear.
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Ingenuity : compares with other sections of Great
Wall, Simatai is densely dotted with beacon towers, in
which the nearest two are only 43.8m apart and the farthest
of 600m. While in other sections, beacon towers were built
at intervals of 500m. In this section, the walls are in
single, double and triple forms and the watchtowers are
round or oblate in shape and composed of two or three
floors. Even the roofs of the tower are also diverse:
some are flat, some cimbalom and some domical shapes. |
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Unique: Built on the mountain ridge with limestone caves
under it, this section of wall is imposing and unique among
other sections. More interesting is that there are two springs
called Mandarin Duck Springs at the foot of the Great Wall.
The east one is cold, while the west warm. The two springs join
into one lake. Then half of the lake is cold and the other half
is warm. In winter, hot steam rise from the lake, forming a
marvelous spectacle in this area.
Simatai Great Wall is separated into two parts by a valley,
namely the east part and west part. The west part appears gentle
with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting here and there. Comparing
with the west part, the east part is somewhat steep and cliffy.
15 watchtowers densely scattered on the thousand-meter-high
peaks, adding enchanting views to the wall. In this part, the
main attractions include Watching Beijing Tower, Fairy Tower,
Heavenly Ladder and Sky Bridge.
Watching Beijing Tower: With an elevation of 986 meters, it
is regarded as the summit of Simatai section of Great Wall as
well as the highest cultural relics in Beijing. Mounting the
tower at night, one can see lights shimmering faintly in downtown
Beijing. More interesting is that the bricks used to built the
walls here even stamped with the date on which they were made
and the code numbers of the armies that made them.
Fairy Tower: With a sculpture of twin lotus flowers above
the arched doors, it is the most beautiful of all towers and
is known for its exquisite architecture. Legend goes that it
was the dwelling place for an antelope reincarnated in the form
of an angel who fell in love with a shepherd. |
Heavenly Ladder: Leaning against a mountain slope
with a 90-degree gradient, it is the way to the Watching
Beijing Tower and the Fairy Maiden Tower. Stretching upward
along the abrupt mountain ridges, the narrowest part is
just half a meter wide.
Sky Bridge With a cabined width of mere 40 centimeter,
it is really a 100-meter-long way, connecting the Fairy
Tower to Watching Beijing Tower. Only brave man can pass
through this bridge.
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| Noted by the UNESCO as one of the World Cultural
Heritages, Simatai Great Wall is the famous scenic spot for
traveling, exploration and inspection. Now, this site is open
to visitors at home and abroad. |
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