Hiking from Moshikou to Jiankou

This hike goes from the Moshikou Great Wall through Moyashike to Beijingjie, the Beijing Knot at the Jiankou Great Wall.

The hike goes from Moshikou to Beijingjie

Walking distance along the Great Wall is about 3.3 kilometers or 2 miles.

The hike begins at Wangquanyu village. For directions on how to get to Wangquanyu, see the Moshikou page.

From Wangquanyu, follow the road to the east until it reaches a valley where the road turns left (north) towards the Great Wall. This point is at 40°27'2.36"N 116°27'24.27"E. You can reach the Great Wall by following the road towardw the left (north) until it ends and then taking a short trail along the valley to where the wall crosses the valley. There are some trails on the right side beyond the final left turn, and they go up to the wall, but the wall here is too dangerous to climb safely. It’s worth going down to this area to see the wall here as it’s quite steep to the east (the direction we're going) and, to the west (towards Xiangshuihu), it’s not only very steep but quite convoluted as it sweeps up, down, and back up again. This area cannot be hiked but is very unusual and worth a look and a photo.

The dangerous Moshikou pass

Return to the point at 40°27'2.36"N 116°27'24.27"E and you will see a trail on the east side of the road. The trail is about 0.8 kilometers or 0.5 miles long and is entirely uphill. Take along the trail until you reach the Great Wall. The direction we're hiking today is to the right (to the east). But first, you can walk towards the west for just a minute or two and get a great vantage point for an overview of the Moshikou valley.

The main wall viewed from the west

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Once you have walked about 1.1 kilometers (07 miles) and passed four towers, you will come to a branch in the wall. The main, outer wall continues to the left and the inner, spur wall goes to the right. This spur wall is about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) long. This span of the wall is not often walked so the vegetation is thick and the going is not easy. But it's worth exploring if you have the time.

Moshikou Inner Wall

The spur wall leads to a dead end. It continues across the valley up towards Jiankou, but it's not easy to make the crossing so it's best to turn around and retrace your path to the main wall.

Dead end (40°27'6"N 116°28'47"E)

One reason to walk the spur wall is to enjoy its many ornately decorated towers which are quite unusual in the Beijing area.

Ornate tower decorations of Moshikou

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Inside of a tower

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Not too far after the junction of the inner and outer walls, as you continue towards Jiankou to the east along the outer wall, you will begin to get some great views of the final climb you will be following up to Beijingjie. This is a steep climb so take it slowly.

Beijingjie, the Beijing Knot, viewed from the west

Yingfeidaoyang viewed from the west

Once you reach Beijingjie, you can go left or right (north or south). You may want to head to Xizhazi village, where you can find food, lodging, and transportation. In this case you will find trails from the wall to the village in either direction you choose. To the north the wall is very steep and most people will want to take a side trail. But the trail to Xizhazi is somewhat closer in this direction. The path to the right is somewhat further but it's easier this way. Of course, if you aren't yet ready to head into the village, you now have the entire Jiankou Great Wall to explore!

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

Moshikou Outer Wall

To the west, you can see Xiangshuihu and Lianyunling

Moshikou Outer Wall

Unusual Tower at 40°27'36"N 116°28'55"E

Beijingjie, the Beijing Knot, viewed from the west