Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Pass

Today is the second day on our 5-day Great Wall Tour. One important hiking plan this morning is to cross Zhuang Dao Kou Great Wall Pass (Archway)) from Zhuang Dao Kou Village to Er Dao Guan Village.

Hike from Zhuangdao Kou Village to Er Dao Guan Village

Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Pass is located on the mountain sandwiched by Zhuang Dao Kou Village down in the south and Er Dao Guan Village up in the north.

So to walk through the Zhuagdaokou Great Wall Pass, we are required to hike south from Zhuang Dao Kou Village, climb up to the mountain valley, pass through the Great Wall through the gateway (Zhuang Dao Kou Pass), then continue to trek on the mountain north of the Great Wall, before we reach Er Dao Guan Village down the mountain.

The Zhuang Dao Kou Village Signboard ( the left side leading up to the village)

The walk from Zhuangdao Kou Village to Er Dao Guan Village through the Great Wall pass takes approx. 1 and half hours.

Zhuangdaokou Great Wall

Zhuangdaokou Great Wall spanning between Zhuang Dao Kou Village and Er Dao Guan Village is actually part of Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Zhuang Dao Kou Village is located directly at the foot of the Zhuang Dao Kou Pass of the Great Wall, hence the name of Zhuang Dao Kou Village.

Er Dao Guan Village literally means “Second Great Wall Pass Village”. It is located at the foot of the ancient pass of the second Great Wall paralleling the Huanghuacheng Great Wall to the north. The second Great Wall was built aimed at increasing the defence power of the Huanghuacheng Great Wall in Ming Dynasty.

Accompanied by my co-worker Xiao Hao, I started the maiden hiking trip. We reached the entrance to Zhuang Dao Kou Village at 10:00am. A huge signboard stands at the fork indicating the road to the village on the right side.

Through Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Pass

Walking along the dirt path in the village. Zhuangdaokou Village is under the jurisdiction of Jiudu Town of Huairou District, Beijing. Now it has 110 households with 305 villagers.

A zigzag trail leading up to the Pass from the village

Passing through the village, we soon found the route up to the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Passt. It was an unpaved train, dusty, sandy and stony.

The four eyes are met as if they knew each other in before

On the way up to the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Pass, happened an interesting thing that a village dog swaggered following us. Village dogs are often seen running about the roads or streets in the villages, receiving less affection than their urban counterparts.

A lonely village dog seeking a potential master’s love

We tried to forget the dog, speeding ours steps marching towards the pass. Twenty minutes later, the Zhuang Dao Kou Great Wall Pass is in sight. You can easily walk up the Great Wall on the right side if you are interested in the Great Wall hiking.

Zhuang Dao Kou Great Wall Pass is in sight
Zhuangdaokou Great Wall Pass
I turned back and found the dog still following us.
Walking through the Pass
Look back at the Pass just passed
Look back at the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall

To our pleasant surprise, the dog is still following us despite of the snow mountain road. What a poor dog!

The dog is still following us despite of the snowy mountain road
Xiao Hao again bends over to say hello to the dog

Then, next happened an unbelievable thing! The dog jumped up to a soil mound and posed in front of us like a film star with the Zhuangdaokou Great Wall as a backdrop! I have no time to waste shooting him!

The Dog and the Great Wall Photo 1
The Dog and the Great Wall Photo 2
The Dog and the Great Wall Photo 3

We continue to walk along the muddy trail leading to Er dao Guan Village. Over one hour’s hike, we spot the signal tower and we know the Er Dao Guan Village is below the tower. We are happy that our crossing this time is close to success!

Below the signal tower is Er Dao Guan Villag
Er Dao Guan Village

The dog is still with us. This time he is guiding us the way to the village. It seems the dog is quite familiar to this area.

The dog is guiding us the way to the village.

Soon we are walking close to an archway, which leads to the heart of Er Dao Guan Village. The dog has successfully finished his hiking too!

The dog has successfully finished his hiking too!

This is Er Dao Guan Village – our hiking destination. So, where is the Dog? And what’s his future destiny?

The villagers and the dog
Farewell to Er Dao Guan Village

Tip: Hassle-free Beijing Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours,  here are some options for Beijing guided tours:

Beijing Day Tour
Beijing Tour Packages
Beijing Winter Tour
Beijing Autumn Tour
Great Wall Tour
Car Rental in Beijing
Beijing Tours
China City Tours
China Tour

Further Readings


Best Time to Visit Beijing
How to plan a trip to Beijing

Top 10 Attractions in Beijing
How to Visit Forbidden City
How to Visit Temple of Heaven
How to Visit Summer Palace
How to Visit Ming Tombs
How to Visit the Great Wall of China
How to Visit Tiananmen Square
How to Visit Hutongs
How to Visit Olympic Sites

Top 10 Markets in Beijing
Top 10 Shopping Malls in Beijing
Beijing Shopping

Wangfujing Walking Street
Qianmen Commercial Street
Gui Jie ( Ghost Street) Food Street

Any questions, just drop a line.

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