Constructed in 1368 on Northern Qi-Dynasty foundations, Mutianyu offers 3 kilometers of fully restored wall that showcases the finest Ming-dynasty engineering: double-sided battlements, tightly spaced watchtowers, and a dramatic mountain setting cloaked in 96 percent forest cover.
Seventy kilometers from downtown Beijing, the Ming-dynasty ramparts at Huanghuacheng descend directly into a reservoir created by a 1970s hydro-engineering project. Named for its three sections of the Great Wall submerged in lake water, it is the only stretch of Great Wall in Beijing that can be viewed from the deck of a boat —enough excitement to enliven the calm views without disturbing the quiet of the Wall.
Yanqi Lake sits just ten minutes north of downtown Huairou, on the edge of the Great Wall at the foot of Yanshan Mountain.A 13-kilometer paved path now circles the shore, so families can cycle or stroll from one quiet bay to the next, pausing at small beaches, fountains and ice-cream kiosks. Electric ferries, paddle-boards, bumper boats and water bikes are rented by the hour, giving easy, safe fun for all ages.
Fifteen kilometers north of Huairou town, Qinglong Gorge squeezes the Great Wall, a 59-meter concrete arch dam and a long, tree-lined reservoir into one compact 150-hectare site. A chair-lift climbs to a ridge where the Wall runs across pine-topped peaks; from the same platform a zip-line drops to the lake, and bamboo rafts drift between rocky cliffs and reflected battlements.
Three kilometers north of downtown Huairou, Hongluo Temple has welcomed pilgrims since 338 CE, when it was founded as one of the first Buddhist monasteries in northern China. The complex rests against wooded Hongluo Mountain and faces a quiet lake, a setting long praised for its harmony of mountain, water and forest.
