Gubeikou Great Wall is 128 km southeast of Beijing.  This is the section of the Great Wall where the Ming Dynasty original is most intact with the most original architecture untouched. Thirteen miles in length, it was built in 1368 by General Xu Da and extended in 1567. It stretches between Panlong Mountain and Wohu Mountain and crosses the Chao River. This section protects the access to Inner Mongolia. Many battles have taken place there, the marks of which battles can still be seen. The area is so important strategically that various fortifications have existed there since 555 AD. But these early walls were constructed of mud, so there are few traces left.

The Gubeikou Wall has many watchtowers looking down on the valley below, some as close together 30 meters. The towers on either bank of the river are called the Sister Towers. The beacon towers vary widely in design; some have flat roofs some arched, some are circular some octagonal, some of have painted ceilings some don’t, some could house over 100 soldiers some not even 10. The towers do have some things in common though: they are all two stories, with six archways and ten arched doors.

Gubeikou is well maintained and good for trekking. The good thing about this section is that it’s free of the crowds and commercialism that have overtaken Badaling, but the drawback is that the only way to get there is by car.

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