Plan your Great Wall Tour? If you’d like to have a weekend hike on a wide and overgrown section of the Great Wall around Beijing, Baiyangyu Great Wall is highly recommended.
This section of the Wall is located about 250km northeast of Beijing. It is under the administration of Dacuizhuang Town of Qian’an County in Tangshan City, Hebei Province.
“Baiyangyu” literally means “White Sheep Valley”. A river called Baiyang River passes the valley from north to south. There used to be a grand water pass of the Great Wall bridging the valley which now still divides the Baiyangyu Great Wall into two sections – East and West.
The two sections of Bauyangyu Great wall are a 4552m-long fairly well preserved wall with 21 guide-towers. Baiyangyu Great Wall was originally built in Northen Qi Dynasty (550-577) and reinforced in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) by the builders and army led by Qi Juguang.
Baiyangyu Great Wall has some unique features different from other sections of the Wall. Firstly, its water pass town had a double water wall – upper part and lower part, constituting a solid water town which was easy for self-defense and attacking invaders as well, part of the military defense system in Baiyangyu Great wall.
Second, the east section of the Wall has a 1.5km unique marble wall, 10km high and 5m wide, rarely seen among other sections of the wall. Third, among other towers, Shenwei Tower (Powerful Tower) on the west section of Biayangyu Great Wall is the most remarkable. Unlike other watch-towers sitting on the wall, it was constructed to the outer side of the wall.
If you walk eastward from Baiyangyu Great Wall, you will reach Xuliukou Great Wall and on to Shanhaiguan Pass meeting the ocean; walking westward, you get to Badaling Great Wall around Beijing.
Of course, again we don’t have time nor strong legs to hike from Xuliukou Great Wall to Baiyangyu Great Wall, we rely on our royal Buick van going from Xuliukou Great Wall to Baiyangyu Valley. The 22km drive proves to be easy and comfortable driving on the newly completed New Sanwu Road.
In the middle of the way on the New Sanwu Road, still 9km from Baiyangyu Valley
Baiyangyu Valley has now become a scenic area planned and constructed by the local government and some individual sponsors. On weekends, middle class urban residents come here for a pleasant escape from polluted and noisy cities, drinking, climbing, outdoor activities and eating organic food prepared by the local farmers.
Now we turn off the New Sanwu Road and drive towards the entrance to Baiyangyu Scenic Area.
We enter the valley flanked by farm restaurants and inns with the two sections of the Wall looming overhead and Baiyang River passing from north to south, a picturesque view, but unfortunately it is still early spring, not much green nor blooming around.
Recommended by Mr. Zhang, the Great Wall protection warden at Chengziyu Great Wall, we park our van on the parking lot in front of Mr.Yu Haiwen’s farm house . He is the only local great wall protection warden at Baiyangyu Great Wall.
The first fort is ahead of us, dilapidated, sitting on the broken wall built of hoary rocks and its tower base made of slabs.
Hiking along the mountain path by the slab built wall, we are heading towards to the second fort.
We continue to walk along the dilapidated wall to the so called “Wild City”, which looks like a castle surrounded by the wall on its four sides.
I turn right and look down, just have a clear view of the valley with the village and the river in the middle.
Further Readings
How to visit Huangyaguan Great Wall.
How to visit Panjiakou Great Wall.
How to visit Xifengkou Great Wall.
How to visit Baiyangyu Great Wall.
How to visit Xuliukou Great Wall.
How to visit Liujiakou Great Wall.
How to visit Chengziyu Great Wall.
How to visit Xiaohekou Great Wall.
How to visit Zhuizishan Great Wall.
How to visit Jiumenkou Great Wall.
How to visit Jiaoshan Great Wall.