Simatai (), a section of the

Great Wall of China The Great Wall of China (, literally "ten thousand ''li'' wall") is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic gro ...

located in the north of

Miyun County Miyun District () is situated in northeast Beijing. It has an area of and a population of 460,800 (2010 Census). Miyun District government seat is located in Gulou Subdistrict. History Miyun was one of the places where Warlord Feng Yuxiang s ...

, 120 km northeast of

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

, holds the access to

Gubeikou Gubeikou Town () is a town of Miyun District in northeastern Beijing, traversed by , bordering with Luanping County, Hebei to the north and the Beijing towns of Gaoling () to the west, Xinchengzi () to the east and Taishitun (). The area is one ...

, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the Great Wall. It was closed in June 2010 but has been reopened to tourists since 2014.

General

The section was originally built during the

Northern Qi dynasty Qi, known as the Northern Qi (), Later Qi (後齊) or Gao Qi (高齊) in historiography, was a Chinese imperial dynasty and one of the Northern dynasties during the Northern and Southern dynasties era. It ruled the eastern part of northern China ...

(550–577) and rebuilt during the Hongwu Emperor's reign during the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peo ...

. Simatai Great Wall is 5.4 km long with 35 beacon towers. This section of the Great Wall incorporated the different characteristics of each section of the Great Wall. A specialist on the Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhewen, has said that "The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall."

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

has designated Simatai Great Wall as one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites as part of the Great Wall World Heritage Site. Simatai Great Wall is separated by a valley into eastern and western parts. The western part is gently sloped with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting along the wall. The eastern part is much steeper, following more rugged terrain that includes cliff edges and kilometre-high peaks. Hanging precariously onto the

Yan Mountains The Yan Mountains, also known by their Chinese name Yanshan, are a major mountain range to the north of the North China Plain, principally in the province of Hebei. The range rises between the Chaobai River on the west and the Shanhai Pass on ...

, Simatai Great Wall is known for its steepness. Open-air gondolas provide a way to ascend partway up the wall. The 17 watchtowers are relatively closely spaced and have views of the surrounding area.

Features

* Tower 12- the last accessible tower, generally manned by a guard preventing access to the more dangerous sections further on. * Tower 14 - 'Cat's Eye Tower' (Maoyan Lou; 猫眼楼) *Heavenly Ladder: Climbing the mountainside at a steep 80-degree gradient, the Heavenly Ladder leads to the Fairy Tower. Stretching upward along the abrupt mountain ridges, the narrowest part is just half a meter wide. * Tower 15 - 'Fairy Tower' (Xiannü Lou; 仙女楼): With a sculpture of twin lotus flowers above the arched doors, it is considered by many to be the most beautiful of all towers and is known for its architecture. Legend has it that it was the dwelling place for an antelope reincarnated in the form of an angel who fell in love with a shepherd. *Sky Bridge: As little as 40 centimeters wide in places, this 100-meter-long segment of the wall connects the Fairy Tower to Watching Beijing Tower. *Tower 16 - 'Watching-the-Capital Tower' (Wangjing Lou; 望京楼): At an elevation of 986 meters, it is regarded as the summit of the Simatai Great Wall as well as the highest cultural relic in Beijing. Its name comes from the fact that at night (with good visibility), one can see the lights of Beijing shimmering in the distance 120 km away. The bricks used to build the walls here are stamped with the date on which they were made and the code numbers of the armies that made them. * Tower 17 - 'Gathering-of-the-

Immortals Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

Tower' (Juxian Lou; 聚仙楼) - accessible from the east, from the village of Tangjiazhai (唐家寨).

References

{{Great Wall of China Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Beijing Great Wall of China Miyun District