Big Black Mountain | On trails through orchards and farmland
On trails through orchards and farmland

Big Black Mountain to the Walled Village

Hike through the hills to reach the Walled Village, passing hills, valleys, orchards, streams, and a stretch of Great Wall on the way.

Level 3
3–4 hours of hiking over approx. 11km. (Can I do it?)

This hike is not currently scheduled

Contact us for schedule updates or set up a private hike

This hike finishes at the Walled Village, converted from an army barracks that used to house soldiers tasked with guarding the Great Wall. Along the way we’ll have views of the Great Wall, the surrounding mountains, old pines, terraces, orchards, and we will pass a partially closed off wartime tunnel system.

We begin our hike north of the Black Mountain and follow a farm trail through chestnut orchards up to a ridge, crossing over at the highest point on the whole hike. Before heading down the other side, we will have a short break and admire the view – Black Mountain behind, Great Wall in front.

The trail we follow is seldom used, and overgrown and bushy in places: trousers and a long-sleeved top will help you protect yourself from the worst damage of any scratchy bushes you encounter.

After descending and walking out a long valley, the trail meets a river, and we will stop for a lunch break. Close by to the river is a small network of tunnels, which we can explore with a torch. The tunnels were constructed during the 1960s, perhaps as a sort of bomb shelter, perhaps as a possible site for a field hospital, and were quite extensive before being blocked up.

From the river we’ll walk along a road and through some orchards on the way to another village. From this village we’ll have a short climb up to the to an archway in the Great Wall. We will stop for a while, and take a look about the Great Wall – climb up a few towers if you’ve got enough energy!

Hiking up to the Walled Village
Hiking up to the Walled Village. (Click for larger image)

We’ll have a little look around the Walled Village before heading out to meet our bus, where we’ll set up our picnic table with snacks and beers for you.

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: Big Black Mountain to the Walled Village

See all the hikes  In the calendar / in a list