Mutianyu Great Wall 慕田峪长城

Mutianyu lies in the mountains of Bohai Town, Huairou District, about 73 kilometres from central Beijing. The wall here was raised in 1368, when the Ming general Xu Da built on the older ramparts of the Northern Qi. Its line runs east to Gubeikou and west to Juyongguan, and for centuries it served as a military barrier guarding the capital. UNESCO added it to the World Heritage list in 1987.

This is among the finest surviving stretches of the Ming wall, often summed up in the saying “Of the ten thousand li of Great Wall, Mutianyu stands alone.” Forest covers more than 96 percent of the surrounding hills, and the view changes with the seasons: spring blossom, summer green, autumn red leaves, winter snow. Highlights include Zhengguantai, where three hollow watch towers stand joined as one, Dajiaolou and the steep Yingfeidaoyang.

The defences here are distinctive: crenellations on both faces, a dense sequence of watch towers, and side walls branching off from the main line. It became a national 5A scenic area in 2011, with a cable car, a slide and a hotel on site, and it has long been a stop for visiting foreign leaders.

Don't miss

• Zhengguantai pass: three hollow watch towers joined as one rare structure
• Dense watch towers, roughly one every hundred metres along the walk
• Crenellations on both faces, built to fight attackers from either side
• Yingfeidaoyang and Jiankou, dramatic ridge points to the west
• Autumn red leaves and winter snow across forested hillsides

Visiting tips

Drive via Jingcheng Expressway exit 13, or take bus 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou North Street and change to H23, H3 or H71. The service area has a visitor centre, shops and underground parking; a cable car and a slide link the valley to the wall.