Zhuangdaokou Great Wall West
Visit one of the unrestored sections of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall and follow it along a ridge on the way to the Walled Village, an old Ming Dynasty-era army barracks that has been converted into a little village, with courtyard houses inside the walls now instead of soldiers
This hike is not currently scheduled
Regular hikers: We usually call this hike “Zhuangdaokou Great Wall to the Walled Village”.
This is a slightly tougher version of one of our nicest countryside walks. The start is the same, but instead of walking through the chestnut orchards looking up at the Great Wall on a ridge, we’ll follow the wall and get views of the orchards from above.
We will start with a look at the ‘Dragon and Phoenix’ pines at Zhuangdaokou, a pair of trees that are over 300 years old. From there we will take a short walk up a stone-paved trail to a gate in the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall.
On one side, the wall is restored all the way to Huanghuacheng – the Yellow Flower Great Wall. On the other side, the wall is only restored for a little way. We’ll offer the option to take a short climb on the restored side before heading the other way, following the Great Wall towards the Little West Lake.
We’ll be on the wall for a little more than an hour, passing through ruined towers. Eventually, we’ll come to a tower on a corner. Here we'll take another break, offering the option to explore the wall a little further, before exiting from the tower to follow a hillside trail.
We’ll follow the hillside trail down through small orchards to the Walled Village.
The Walled Village is an old Ming Dynasty army barracks that has been converted into a little village, with courtyard houses inside the walls now instead of soldiers. Most of the people around this area can trace their ancestors to a group from Shandong who followed the Ming Emperor Wanli from there to Beijing.
From the Walled Village we will take a short walk to meet our bus, and then drive to a restaurant at the foot of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall, where we'll have a big meal before heading back to the city.
What to bring on this hike
- Snacks to eat along the way
- Warm clothes, gloves, and a hat
- Good hiking boots
- (Click here to read our full What to Bring on a Hike list)
COVID-19 and participation precautions
The current precautions are minimal. Please read in full here: Operating hikes under COVID-19 precautions
