Great Wall of China – Mutianyu

The Mùtiányù section of the Great Wall of China dates back to the Qin Dynasty, although it was renovated during the Ming era.

The added distance to Mùtiányù from Beijing, as opposed to Bādálǐng, makes it a less crowded experience. There’s a cable car taking visitors onto the wall or you can take the stairs. For more information on the Great Wall of China, see the main Bādálǐng entry.

Great Wall of China Mutianyu history

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall was first built in Northern Qi over 1,400 years. The Mutianyu section was rebuilt in the early part of the Ming dynasty around 1348 AD under the supervision of General Xu Da on the foundation of Qi Wall. Mutianyu Pass was fortified in 1404 with a rare triangular formation of three interlinked watchtowers.

In 1569 General Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang repaired the Great Wall on the foundation of the Ming Wall.

Mutianyu Great Wall is the most well-preserved section of Great. In 1983, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China approved the restoration of the Mutianyu Great Wall. In 1985, the Huairou District local government established the management of the Mutianyu Great Wall Tourist Area under the leadership of Mutianyu village.

The area was opened to select tourists in 1986, and was chosen to be one of Beijing’s 16 scenic spots in the same year. In 1987, the Great Wall was selected as a UNESCO World Heritage site. In 1988, the tourist area was opened to all visitors. In 1992, Mutianyu was rated as the best tourist spot in Beijing.

Great Wall of China Mutianyu today

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is a masterpiece of restoration, with 23 original-style watchtowers. Mutianyu is the longest fully-restored Great Wall section open to tourists.

A 2½-kilometer section was fully restored in 1986. Today’s wall is a replica of the fortifications of 1568 in the Ming Dynasty, including the design consisting of slabs of granite. The 23 watchtowers are densely spaced, with one about every hundred metres on the ascending mountain ridge.

Visitors can choose to hike the wall section or take the chairlift or cable up and down. Pine and cypress trees fill the surrounding area meaning that the scenery is beautiful all year round.

Getting to Great Wall of China Mutianyu

Mutianyu Great Wall is in Huairou Country about 73 km north of central Beijing which is about 2 hours drive. To get there, take the 916 bus from Dongzhimen Public Transport Hub to Huairou North Avenue, visitors can then take the H23 bus or a local taxi to the Great Wall at Mutianyu.