Clean up hike | The clean up team in 2018
The clean up team in 2018

Waste-Free Wall: Clean up the Jiankou ‘Big West’ Great Wall

The Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou has been somewhat spoiled by a buildup of trash and litter. Help us clean it up!

Level 3+
approx. 4 hours start to finish over 6km. (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

Contact us for schedule updates or set up a private hike

Join the clean up and do your part to keep the Great Wall clean and green.

(New date: we'd originally planned this clean up for April 20, but the Jiankou Great Wall was shut down. And we'd originally planned a pizza fest, but the pizza oven is out of action because the Jiankou Great Wall was shut down and they haven't been able to finish the new oven.)

点击查看中文版 (993KB PDF)

Hike info

The Jiankou Great Wall is found in the hills north of Beijing—a location that is popular with hikers and casual visitors because of the superb views of the Great Wall running up and down steep ridgelines

Unfortunately, both hikers and casual visitors are not always conscientious about cleaning up after themselves. The Great Wall on the west side of Jiankou has been somewhat spoiled by the buildup of trash – plastic bottles, cans, tissues, noodle wrappers, and worse.

The pollution is disheartening, but there’s hope and ways to help stop this. Together with Gung Ho! and Patagonia, we are joining forces for a waste-free wall!

Join the clean up and do your part to keep the Great Wall clean and green, and you’ll then enjoy the reward of pizza and beer at the Gung Ho! Hut at Jiankou, courtesy of Gung Ho! Pizza.

The clean up team in 2017
The clean up team in 2017. (Click for larger image)

We'll be collecting payment in advance for this hike using Wechat or Alipay. We'll supply payment information after you make the reservation. (If you can't do Wechat or Alipay payments please make a note with your booking and we'll figure it out.)

Clean up plan

  1. Depart from Beijing by private bus. Liangmaqiao subway departure at 8:00am, then Lido Metropark Hotel Starbucks departure at 8:30am.

  2. Hike up to the Great Wall, keeping an eye out for things to pick up. Note: some sections steep and slippery. As we hike along the trails and meet fellow adventurers, it will be an opportunity to raise awareness and set a good example.

  3. Make our way to the Gung Ho! Hut where we will weigh and log data about the waste collected.

  4. Kick back at the Hut and enjoy some drinks and snacks (included in the participation fee.) We'll bring a box of beers; and other alcoholic beverages such as beer might be available for purchase for minimal charge.

  5. Start driving back to Beijing at about 4pm.

GHP logo

About Gung Ho!

Gung Ho! is proud to be China’s first and only food group with the B Corp certification. It aims to use food as a vehicle to positively influence its community and minimise its impact on the environment

Patagonia and One Percent for the Planet logo

About Patagonia

Founded in 1973, Patagonia is a top-notch outdoor apparel company based in Ventura, California. The mission of Patagonia is to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

Papps Tea / Moa Beer logos

Big thanks to Papps Tea and Moa Beer for sending us some drinks for after the clean up!

Trash we’ll be collecting

  • Any plastic
  • Any metal without sharp edges
  • Cigarette butts
  • Orange peels (Even though they come from fruit, these peels do not break down quickly!)
  • Whatever you feel comfortable removing that was left by someone else

More photos

Hiking out to begin the clean up.
Hiking out to begin the clean up. (Click for larger image)
Taking out the trash.
Taking out the trash. (Click for larger image)
The clean up team in October 2018
The clean up team in October 2018. (Click for larger image)
Relaxing in the Gung Ho! pizza courtyard at Jiankou
Relaxing in the Gung Ho! pizza courtyard at Jiankou. (Click for larger image)
Relaxing in the Gung Ho! pizza courtyard at Jiankou
Relaxing in the Gung Ho! pizza courtyard at Jiankou. (Click for larger image)

COVID-19 and participation precautions

The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions

Related content

Photos and trip reports: Waste-Free Wall: Clean up the Jiankou ‘Big West’ Great Wall

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