Tiekuangyu

Chinese: 铁矿峪
Pinyin: Tiě kuàng yù
English: Iron valley
Coordinates: 40°27'3"N 116°24'23"E

Also known as Sanchakou and Sanchacun, Sancha is a small village to the west of Dazhenyu made famous by writer Peter Hessler, an American who rented a house at Sancha and wrote about it in his popular magazine articles and books including Country Driving.

The Great Wall at Sancha's east side does not extend all the way to the road that runs through the valley to the village of Sancha. This span of the wall is about 0.9 kilometers (0.6 miles) long and runs roughly north to south. At its northern end is the natural barrier separating it from the Luanling Great Wall.

Well-preserved tower at Sancha

There are two trails to the eastern Sancha Great Wall, one to the north and one to the south. The northern trail is about 1.2 kilometers (0.7 miles) long and is a typical trail through the woods that leads from the southern edge of Sancha village to the wall. The southern trail is about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) long. This trail has a finished stone and concrete surface and is very easy to follow. It begins behind an old store and guest house at 40°26'50"N 116°24'41"E, runs alongside a stream in one area and provides nice views of the surrounding mountains.

The northern trail meets the wall close to its western terminus, so it's not possible to walk very far to the right (west) when you meet the wall. The southern trail meets the wall further to the east, so you can walk in either direction; left (west) to reach the end of the wall, or right (east) to head towards Luanling. If you're staying in the Sancha area, rather than passing through, consider taking both of these trails; one to reach the wall and one to leave it. This provides a good opportunity for a round trip walk with interesting views and memorable scenery.

At the point where the southern trail meets the wall is a large and very well-preserved tower which is just a short distance from where the wall meets the small mountain which is used as a natural barrier. The wall is also in very good condition here and exhibits well-preserved battlements on both sides.

On the western side of the road, the Great Wall runs near the village of Tiekuangyu and a cave known as Tianhua, and is therefore also known by these names. The wall from here towards the west is in poor condition, with crumbling and overgrown conditions, and is very challenging to walk. Only someone with significant experience on the Great Wall would want to attempt walking in this area.

Wall dead-ends into natural barrier and continues on other side towards Dazhenyu

Sancha is divided into an upper and lower village. The lower village is larger and is the first one you will reach along the road. The upper village is at the end of a short, winding road, further to the north and higher up into the mountains and goes by the name Shuiquangou.

Sancha is a nice place for an overnight stay in a guest house.

Tiekuangyu

Location summary: Sancha and Tiekuangyu are about 61 kilometers (38 miles) north of downtown Beijing. Sancha is about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) west of Dazhenyu and about 3.3 kilometers (2 miles) northeast of Jiugongshan. The path of the Great Wall from Sancha to Jiugongshan is about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles).

Driving directions: From the Huairou urban area, take X009 northwest for 24 kilometers (14.9 miles) to Nanye village. Turn right on X008 County Road and drive north for about 7 kilometers (4.35 miles) to Sancha village.

Tiekuangyu Great Wall

Tiekuangyu Great Wall

Tiekuangyu Great Wall

Tower at 40°27'9.00"N 116°24'24.28"E (40°27'4.13"N 116°24'23.69"E on Google Earth’s misaligned image)

Same tower, viewed from other side

Tiekuangyu Great Wall

Tiekuangyu Great Wall