Great Wall at Huanghuacheng

Great Wall at Huanghuacheng

Great Wall at Huanghuacheng
4.5
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Monday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Tuesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Wednesday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Thursday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Friday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Saturday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Sunday
6:00 AM - 6:00 PM
About
Huanghuacheng Great wall is a wild section which is located near a lake and a reservoir, this part of the Wall is called Yellow Flower Fortress and is a good place for hiking.Huanghuacheng Section of the Great Wall is a resort with mountains, lakes and theancient Great Wall. There are very few people to be found here, but it is becomingpopular with hikers.There is a lake and a crescent shaped reservoir nearby. And the lake breaks this sectionof the Great Wall into three segments naturally. Part of the wall is under water and becomes submerged at high tide. So the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is nicknamed "Water Great Wall".The scenery here is unique and will surprise you.
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Next GoWhere
Singapore, Singapore295 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
This section of the Great Wall is probably the EASIEST I have been so far.
I did Mutianyu just last October, ie about 8 months ago.
There were lots of towers to climb.
Here, I met only 1 and reached the top of the Great Wall for this section.
But this is beautiful as it has the lake with it.

You don't need any tour guide for this.
The tour guides can't help you scale the Great Wall.
Written August 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

roamas
Sydney, Australia773 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2024 • Family
Uncrowded late March (tail end of the low season)we saw no more than 40 people enroute. It was impressive though restored. The dam was still iced over adding to the picturesque charm. Apparently the wild sections are no longer accessible due to the death of an American diplomat and his family 3 years ago (this is what local told us).
Written March 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike C
Waterloo, Canada174 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Friends
Huanghuacheng is a great place to see the wall away from the crowds at Badaling and Mutianyu. We were there twice and saw a total of 11 other people. There is a mix of old (wild) wall that has deteriorated over the past 500-odd years and renovated sections which provide a stark contrast. There are very steep sections on the old and new walls so be prepared with proper footwear and lots of water if it is a hot day. There will be no vendors with cold drinks on this part of the wall. If you have limited time, you may want to hire a guide but we found that going it alone on public transportation works just fine as long as you do some prior research and don’t mind spending some time waiting for buses. Here’s how to do it:
1. Take bus 916 express (the express symbol looks like a stalk of bamboo with a man running if you use your imagination) from Dongzhimen bus depot to Huairou (4.8 RMB with transport card). At Dongzhimen, it is important to get in the right queue (which can be very long but moves quickly with buses lined up to load on passengers. The signage is very good. At the Huairou end, you need to get off at the right stop to connect with the local bus. Web sources give information about which stop to get off at BUT none of the stops seem to be labeled (at least not in a way that a foreigner can understand) and the stops mentioned don’t match with the stops on the official 916 express route (use http://www.travelchinaguide.com/cityguides/beijing/bus-subway-search.htm to look up stops for different bus routes). Pay attention to the stops once the bus exits the expressway (about 50 minutes from Dongzhimen) and goes through the toll gate = time 0:00.
a. 0:01 stop #1
b. 0:02 stop #2
c. 0:07 stop #3 This is the place NOT to get off. Lonely Planet (as a Top Tip in the section on Mutianyu Great Wall) warns : “…ignore the tout who almost always gets on the bus at Nanhua Shichang and tries to lure foreign tourists onto an expensive minibus tour to the Great Wall.” This is the place and the guy. He wears a light blue transit uniform so it is easy to be deceived into thinking that he is someone official. He is there to scam tourists. We had read the warning and were still nearly fooled so be very wary.
d. The bus will turn left at a big round-a-bout and proceed along Nanhua Dajie
e. 0:10 stop #4
f. 0:11 stop #5 time to get off! This is the stop described as Nanhuayuan Sanqu by Lonely Planet
g. After you get off, you will see the bus turn right at the next traffic light. It will go by the bus stop that you want to catch the next bus at and stop again in the next block so if you miss stop #5, get off at stop #6 (Huairou Fangshan)and walk back to the public toilet.
2. After getting off at stop #5, walk straight ahead (follow the bus), cross the lights and turn right. The building on the corner is the tax building – there is a blue sign that reads “taxpayer service hall” (in English) - and right beside it is a very obvious white brick building which is a public toilet (see photo). The bus stop is on the boulevard directly in front of the public toilet. There will be taxis, minibuses and people milling around.
3. The bus you want is not numbered but has a sign on the dash (in Chinese) that says huairou ↔ shuichangcheng (water great wall). See the photo attached or use Lonely Planet, Google translate, web sources or a Chinese friend to get the Chinese characters. Cost is 3.2 RMB (with transport card, 8 RMB without card) but it only comes once an hour so it can be a long wait. We negotiated a ride with a minibus that came while we were waiting (80 RMB for 4 people).
4. The bus ride takes about an hour through a number of small villages and past fields and orchards. You want to get off at the village of Zhuangdaokou. It is the village after a wall on your right immediately next to the road decorated with an extensive bronze mural. Look for the mural/sculpture and/or show the bus driver a note with the village name in Chinese characters.
5. When you get off the bus, walk through the village towards the mountains – the Great Wall is obviously visible – along the right side of the creek. Within a few hundred meters, you will see a sign describing Dragon and Phoenix Pine Trees. Turn right, go past a large sign titled “Record of Zhuangdaokou Village” with a painting of the Great Wall and proceed along the trail up to the wall. It is a 10-15 minute stroll to the wall. We found some yummy ripe mulberries on the way up.
6. Once you get to the wall, turn right to walk along renovated sections or turn left to see the old wall. There is plenty to explore in both directions. A view of Jintang Lake is over a crest to the right.
7. A one-way trip to Lakeside Great Wall (shuichangcheng and Xishuiyu Village to the west about 4 km??) may be possible but we chose to explore both directions and retrace our steps. The bus back to Huairou stops in Zhuangdaokou at the creek opposite the big tree. It is hourly and seems to appear between :30 and :45. It seems to go from Huairou past Zhuangdaokou to Shuichangcheng, turn around and go back to Huairou so if you see it going past (the road is visible from the wall), you can expect it to be back in 15-20 minutes.
Written June 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Catherine E
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Solo
Please stay away so people like me can enjoy the wall without the crowd! I arrived on my birthday, a Monday in early April, and I was the ONLY person there until I was ready to leave. A couple from Germany arrived on my way out. We stopped to speak to each other since there was nobody else around. Also, I only paid like 80 cents USD for an entrance fee.

I wish I knew more about the restaurant at the start of the trail. A nice woman there made me this awesome fried meat in sauce for lunch. I think it was some sort of fried pork. I literally just pointed at something at the menu and she cooked it up for me right there while I read on my kindle. It was one of the best meals I've ever had!

This was my first time ever seeing the wall (and being in China), and it was perfect. If you do go, DON'T TELL ANYONE ABOUT IT! Keep this place a secret! Please don't ruin it!
Written September 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mitch T
Shanghai, China35 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Solo
I searched online for a short and reasonable priced trip to a site other than Badaling.
I found a tour company that specializes in getting groups to the wall on short layovers in Beijing.
It turns out that the guide they have for the Great Wall is named Tony and is reviewed in the Great Wall at Mutianyu.
I contacted Tony the night before I could go, I happen to be staying near the airport for a period of time, Tony responded and offered me the site at Huanghuacheng. so I arranged to meet him at Terminal 2 BCIA and we did.
We drive an hour to Huanghuacheng and started to the wall and started our trek. Tony is very kind and had many things to talk about, his English is excellent and is very friendly. He provided me with a bottle of water.
We enter the wall at a dam built recently, compared to the wall. The wall was fascinating and easy to get around. There are some big steps and a latter to climb at the beginning.
The day I went, we were the only two people on the wall!!!
I would recommend Tony and his group, I will use them again and ask for Tony!!
Written September 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TrekkingGuy10
Edinburgh of the Seven Seas91 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2013 • Friends
I'll try to make this very clear.

I have been to Mutianyu and really enjoyed it. Never been to Badaling as it is always overcrowded and very "touristy"!

I live in China and decided to visit Huanghuacheng due to the reviews and information on the net. The scenery is particularly gorgeous. Lakes, reservoir, bridges, speed boat ride. I'm very fond of water, so I really liked the place as most of the tracks and paths are along the lake/reservoir, BUT all of the accesses to the Great Wall are CLOSED! No experience walking on the wall at all, which was QUITE disappointing. There are men at work spread all around the site and there is NO access available to the wall. That should be mentioned to the tourists either on the website (I checked it before going there) or at the "park entrance", but NOTHING is said about that. An utter attitude of DISHONESTY!

So, if one is planning to go there, try to check if the accesses are open, something really complicated to be gotten in a country like China, anyway, good luck!

Summing up in one word: DISAPPOINTING!

PS: I was there yesterday, Sep, 1st, 2013.
Written September 2, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

simunn
New Jersey49 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2016 • Family
My son had visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall together with his classmates during his summer school in Beijing & had a thoroughly miserable time, shuffling along amidst a sea of selfie-stick wielding humanity. When I arrived in Beijing & said I wanted to see the Great Wall he was none too enthusiastic.
After some research, however, we decided upon Huanghau Cheng & would highly recommend this section to those of you seeking a more tranquil setting in which to contemplate the majesty & engineering marvel that is the Great Wall. There is also an extensive section of restored Wall that you can walk along in relative isolation.
We were staying in central Beijing & rented a car with a driver for the day which cost RMB 800 (approx US$120). The tour companies will try to sell you a higher price, which includes a guide & lunch, but this is not really necessary (unless you like that sort of thing.) We used http://www.beijing-travels.com which were very reliable & competitively priced. This may seem like a lot of money, but you need a good three to four hours in Huanghau Cheng when you get there & will be grateful to be stepping into an air-conditioned car at the end of a day's hiking & Wall-climbing. The drive to/from Beijing is approximately an hour & fifteen minutes & is an interesting one. You pass the Ming Tombs en route to Huanghua Cheng & could easily include those in your day's itinerary if you wanted to.
There are a few cafes at the entrance to the park & some market traders selling dried fruit & nuts. We brought our provisions with us, including 2 litres of water per person (& we drank all of it during the four hours we were there.)
Huanghua Cheng consists of a country park surrounding a reservoir, which includes extensive sections of so-called 'wild' Wall (which you cannot walk on) & restored Wall (which you can.) If all you want to do is the Wall, you can probably complete that in an hour & a half to two hours. We opted to walk around the reservoir, which is an easy walk on mostly paved or planked walkways, up to Heilong Pond. Heilong Pond is set in a pretty little gorge, there is also an ancient chestnut grove along the way. There are pedalos for those who like to potter around the lake & an excellent picnic area with a shop that sells snacks, drinks, ice cream & fresh fruit. There are also good toilets nearby.
The Wall itself goes directly up from the old chestnut grove & is an unrelenting climb to the top. I would say it is a moderately hard climb but thoroughly rewarding when you reach the top. We went on a Monday & were the only two people on the Wall, indeed the whole park was quiet. Perhaps we were just lucky in this regard, but it does seems that tour buses do not frequent Huanghua Cheng in quite such large numbers as they do Badaling. It was also a relatively clear day, which gave us spectacular views in all directions.
It's definitely a full day out of your schedule if you want to enjoy it to the max, but if you have the time it is well worth the effort & extra expense of getting to Huanghua Cheng.
Written August 1, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AMERICANalien
Ottawa, Canada56 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Friends
I've been a long term expat here in Beijing. I've visited many parts of the great wall surrounding the city. I've been to the touristy spots and the really difficult areas that I had to access by motorbike.

This spot hits right in the middle, it's not too remote or too touristy. Although that seems to have been changing in the past two - three years. It probably has a year or so left before it becomes overrun with tour groups. There is a small but artificial village at the end of dead end. This area has access to the wall but isn't where you'll want to go.

The village you pass on your way to this "fake" village is where you can gain really great access. Right before you cross the small river about a kilometer from the "fake" village veer north towards the wall, you'll go up a small hill. It will feel as if you are entering someones backyard, but don't worry. You'll encounter an automated orange sign that will inform you, "No access to the wall!" Pay no attention and hike on up.
Written October 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

susanaespana
Spain73 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2015 • Couples
We walked from Zhuangdaokou to Huanghua Cheng which took us about 2 1/2 hours. A very hard route, very steep in placed and unrenovated but amazing. We only met 3 other people on the wall. We arranged for a driver to drop us off at one end and pick us up at the other. Wonderful.
Written September 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MysticManc
Manchester, UK10,361 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Couples
This section of the Great Wall is an excellent choice. It's off the beaten path and you won't get the carnival you get at Badaling. It's very steep and uneven in places. You need to be fit.

I got a private driver and it's a good 1.5 hours drive from Beijing. But it's worth the time. Saw only a few people on the wall and offered unbelievable views of the lake and surrounding hills. The wall is spectacular and you can see it snaking off into the distance in both directions. The driver parked at the side of the road where there was a small village with a few small shops and restaurants. You have to walk through a small restaurant/house on the lake. They charge 3 Yuan each to walk through, there is also another place where you may have to pay another 3 Yuan each. Pennies though.

If you are up for a bit of a hike, you will be rewarded with stunning views of the wall and surrounding countryside and little crowds.
Written September 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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