JianKou Section

[daveh]

Hi,

Brand new member here who's very glad to find this forum.

I'm planning a trip over to the JianKou section of the Great Wall. The plan is to arrive the evening before and stay locally, get up early and be on the wall for sunrise. After that, we (there are two of us) want to simply enjoy walking the Wall and taking in the scenery. Hopefully we'll be around for sunset and get to enjoy that too. After that, we hope to get back to Beijing.

This is where the questions all start! There seem to be two sections of Wall called JianKou. The vast majority of web references refer to thet one with Nine Eye Tower and so forth, but there is another much less known section.

Can anyone suggest a good hostel near the well-known JianKou section?

Is is possible to walk from the Nine Eye Tower to ZhengBei Tower on the wall. I have read conflicting web sites where some say you have to make detours away from the wall. I'm worried that it would be easy to get lost if this is the case. By contrast, some sections look pretty steep - one even 70-80 degrees. Is this steepness a one-off or should we expect lots of them (one is thrilling, several borders on dangerous :-))

To get to the well-known section, is it really as simple as a bus from Dongzhimen to Huairou and a taxi from there. Whilst we want to be economical, we're not backpacking so don't mind spending more on transport if it makes the journeys less hassle.

Sorry for all the questions, but visiting the Wall is one of my dreams and so don't want to mess up and spend the day lost :-)

Regards,

Dave

[Hugo]

For question No.1, from Nine Eyes tower to Zhengbei tower, you need to spend more than 10 hours, absolutely.
that means if you hope to finish it in one day, you can hardly get back to Beijing.

It's a little bit dangerous but not as seriously as what people said. Most tourists there had no experience about the great wall hike

Where you live? I suggest you live in Xizhazi village, branch No.5(nearest to 9 eyes tower)

is that all?

[daveh]

Hugo,

Thanks for the information.

10 hours! Wow, I didn't realise it would take so long to walk so I will have to miss one tower. What would people recommend I miss? My primary aim to you take photographs. But one question. is that 10 hours on the wall, or does it include walking off the wall?

Xizhazi 5? That's near Beijing Knot as well isn't it?

Thanks,

Dave

[Hugo]

Yes, Xizhazi 5 is near Beijing knot, about 40 minutes(20 minutes from the village to the wall). and from Xizhazi 5 to the Nine Eye Tower, that's more than 90 mins' walk, so my 10 hours has included the time on the way.

My journey from Xizhazi to 9 eyes tower to Zhengbeilou spent nearlly 12 hours, that's not slow~ if you like taking photos, that costs even more time.

For photography, zhengbeilou is the place you cant miss.
Also you could start your trip from Zhengbeilou from Xizhazi 2 (about 50 mins from the village to the tower) but where to get back is a problem, coz you can hardly rend a car to take you back to Huairou county.

[daveh]

So, I could miss out Nine Eyes Tower and walk from Beijing knot to ZhengBei Tower (or Zhengbei Tower to Baijing Knot) and this would give me time to take photographs?

To do this I would book a hostel in Xizhazi 5, get up just before dawn and walk over to ZhengBei Tower. From there I could walk down to Xizhazi 2 and get a taxi back to Huairou? Or can I book a hostel in Xizhazi 2, climb up to Zhengbei Tower for dawn and walk westwards to Beijing Knot for sunset. From there, I could get a taxi from Xizhazi 5 to Huairou?

I think I would prefer to start at ZhengBei Tower, but is there a hostel there? Also, do taxi's go to Xizhaxi 2 and 5 from Huairou?

Regards,

Dave

[Hugo]

No, I dont think so....
The transportation there is really inconvenient

I think you could find a farm's house at Xizhazi 2, no need to book, but condition is not good(all place is the same there)

and to Zhengbei Tower, westwards to Beijing Knot, then come back about 20 mins' way, there is an alley to climb down to the willage Xizhazi 5 on the north of the Great Wall.

You could find a mini bus in the village, but no one could guarantee this....
TO insure you could come back at the same day, you'd better book the minibus before and tell the driver when will you about to go back, then phone him before you come down, thus the bus could arrive and pick you up in time, This is what we usually do..... but I am a Chinese speaker...

[Kim]

I'm a bit confused

Could anyone explain to me the naming of the Chinese villages?

Xizhazi 2/Xizhazi 5 - what's the difference?

[Bryan]

Originally Posted by Hugo

My journey from Xizhazi to 9 eyes tower to Zhengbeilou spent nearlly 12 hours, that's not slow~ if you like taking photos, that costs even more time.

How many detours off of the Wall did you have to take on this journey from Jiuyanlou to Zhengbeilou? What places were they?

[Hugo]

Actually, dont need to detour too much except that a few meters on the top of Yingfeidaoyang. But I think the most difficult part is from Zhengbei tower to Taoyukou(Taoyukou is the lowest area between Zhengbeilou to Beijing knot), and there is nearlly no way to detour.

There is ladder everyone need to go through. but that ladder looks really in danger, fortunately, it could stand one man's weight currently....

[Hugo]

Originally Posted by greatwallforum

How many detours off of the Wall did you have to take on this journey from Jiuyanlou to Zhengbeilou? What places were they?

neally all the detours are inside the wall(you understand inside?), and not hard to find. Just in summer the plants will bring you much trouble to watch...
I think you dont need to worry about this to much~