Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall and Longquanyu Great Wall

Hike up and over repaired Great Wall and cross the glass bridge in the Lakeside Great Wall Scenic Area, and then hike out the back of the park area to find quieter trails and unrepaired Great Wall at Longquanyu. Moderately difficult, with shorter options.

Level 3

Some steep descents on repaired Great Wall, plus some fences to get around and a stream to cross. (Can I do it?)

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Booking info

Private tour: Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall and Longquanyu Great Wall

From ¥600 per person

For cost details please see the table of prices and inclusions

On this hike you’ll see both repaired and unrepaired Great Wall, as well as lakes, mountains, and streams.

The Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall is a park area that features repaired Great Wall that both rises above and dips down into the Xishuiyu Reservoir.

Out the back of the park area is the Longquanyu Great Wall, where you’ll hike along the last part of unrepaired Great Wall in the area as well as some that has been repaired more recently.

Views over the lake from the Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall. (Click for larger image)

Prices and inclusions

Prices

* Discounts available for larger groups.
Group size	2	3	4	5-7	8-9	10+*
Price per person	¥1,300	¥1,000	¥850	¥750	¥650	¥600

Inclusions

English-speaking Beijing Hikers guide • Round-trip transport in private vehicle from central Beijing • Tickets and entry fees • Bottled water, snacks, lunch and drinks • Hiking sticks

Not included: surprise shopping trips.

The Great Wall in Beijing

Beijing Municipality has more than 600km of Great Wall, found mainly in the mountains north and northeast of the city. The majority of Beijing’s Great Wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), but there are remnants of much older wall to be found, too.

Stepping down a rough section of the Longquanyu Great Wall. (Click for larger image)

The Great Wall at Huanghuacheng

The Lakeside Great Wall is part of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall. There has been wall here since the Northern Qi Dynasty. The wall you’ll see in the Lakeside Great Wall scenic area is a repaired version of Ming Dynasty Great Wall that was built in the 1400s and 1500s. Parts of the wall here were submerged when the dam was build and the reservoir filled.

The wall continues outside of the scenic area, with a short stretch of unrepaired Great Wall in between the repaired wall of the park and the lightly-repaired sections of Great Wall at Longquanyu.

Extra information about the hike

At the Lakeside Great Wall we start off by with a short climb to get up on to a short stretch of repaired Great Wall. From atop the wall here we’ll be able to see wall all around – an unrepaired section of Great Wall climbing a cliff above the reservoir, and more of the repaired wall on the other side of the lake. The views of the reservoir itself are also excellent – the wall runs high above the lake, and we’ll see little paddleboats dotting the water.

After a short detour off the wall we’ll follow a park road around the corner a little way to get back on the Great Wall, first passing the ‘Great Wall in the water’ before hiking up and over a peak. The climb up to the top is fairly steep, and the climb down the other side is even steeper. We’ll take our time here.

The wall dips down into the water again, and we’ll cross over the Glass Bridge and head up another steep stretch of Great Wall, passing three Great Wall towers on the way to the highest point inside the park area. After a break at the high point, we’ll hike down a hill track and then on to the Longquanyu Great Wall. (A detour around this steep stretch of wall is available if needed.)

Just outside the Lakeside Great Wall park area is a short stretch of repaired Great Wall that soon turns rough and wild. We’ll follow the wall up to a large tower on a hill top, and then over and along to a dip in the hills. A short, steep, and somewhat tricky descent takes us down into the dip.

From the dip we’ll hike down into a canyon, following a dirt track through orchards and crossing a few rocky areas on the way down.

Once in the canyon we can take a quick detour up to the Black Dragon Pool before hiking out down the valley back to the beach area, and then out all the way to the car park to finish the hike.

Hike statistics: 3–4 hours of hiking over approx. 8km. 480m ascent/descent. Highest point 470m.

Hike statistics

approx. 8km
3–4 hours to finish
470m peak
480m ascent/descent
2–2.5 hour drive each way
Huairou District, Beijing

There are several steep climbs up and down on the stairs and steps of the Great Wall—some care is required, but in general the trail is well-formed and safe.

08:00	Depart from your hotel.
10:00	Begin the hike.
14:00	Finish the hike.
14:15	Lunch at countryside restaurant.
15:00	Begin the drive back to your hotel.
17:15	Arrive at your hotel.

Times are approximate.

Standard hiking gear as per our packing list
Strong, sturdy footwear with good grip
Comfortable layers of clothing (dress warmly for winter)
Waterproof jacket or poncho
Sun protection: long-sleeved shirt, hat, suncream
Toilet paper and wet wipes
A plastic bag to carry away any of your used tissues or fruit peels
Some snacks to eat during the hike

For a private trip, we’ll come to meet you at your hotel or hostel in central Beijing. Your guide will arrive early and send you a text when they’re in the lobby and ready to go.

We require payment in advance for private hikes hikes and trips. We’ll arrange that payment with you as part of the booking process.

For payment in advance

Wechat or Alipay mobile payments
PayPal (USD)
Transfer to Wise bank account (USD)

Prices listed exclude tax. If you’d like a tax fapiao printed we’ll need to add the 3% VAT to the cost.

Terms and conditions

As part of the booking process we'll send you the full terms and conditions for the payment. See the terms and conditions.

Cancellations

The most common reasons for cancellation of a private trip are pollution/weather and illness. If pollution is a concern for you we can plan for a postponement date and make a decision on the day before the hike.

Questions about booking the trip? Contact us

More photos

Repaired Great Wall at the Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall. (Click for larger image)

Crossing the glass bridge at the Huanghuacheng ‘Lakeside’ Great Wall. In the water below the bridge can be seen the bricks and blocks of the submerged Great Wall. (Click for larger image)