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Beijing Aerial Tour

Friday, December 28th, 2012

 

Plan your Beijing tour? Visiting the Great Wall of China is a must during your first trip to Beijing. Now you can either take a walk on the Great Wall or take a helicopter to view the Great Wall from the air. Beijing aerial tour of flyong over the Great Wall is an exhilarating experience that will last for a life-long memory.
 
At  present, the Capital Helicopter is the only aerial tour operator in Beijing, which affiliated to Hainan Airlines. Hainan Airlines (HNA) is one of the four largest airlines in China and the other three are Air China, China Southern Airlines and China Eastrern Airlines.
 
The Capital Helicopter utilises the helicopters from Eurocopter inclduing AS350 B3 Squirrel and ES 135. The Eurocopter’s helicopters are reputed for it safety and comfort. For aerial tourism, the Capital Helicopter runs two regular flights – 15 minutes and 30 minutes. They also offer custom helicopter charters to fly your own flight route with the assistance of the flight routes designers from the Capital Helicopter.
 
The 15-minute flight brings you to see the Badaling Great Wall from the sky and other scenic spots like Guanting Reservoir and Kangxi Grassland in Yanqing County. The helicopter takes off from Badaling Airport and back to the Badaling Airport.
 
For the 30-minute flight, you are required to take a helicopter from the Capital Helicopter’s helipad at Jianyi Mansion near the fourth ring road. The 30-minute flight makes you enjoy the magnificent Bird’s Net (Olympic Games), Juyongguan Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall, a 120km long flight travel route.
 
Beijing Helicopter Tour is one of the most exciting choice to see the Grat Wall. 
 
Beijing Capital Helicopter
Agent Hotline: 0086 – 10-67160201 ext 1006
Add:12F, Grand China  Airlines Palaza, B-2East 3rd ing, North and Road, Chaoyang District, Zhengzhou. 
 
Follow me to visit Badaling Airport and the Eurocopter’s Helicopters. From downtown Beijing, drive along the JingZang Expressway (Beijing – Tibet) G6, passing by Juyongguan Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall and exit from Exit 62.
 
 
Exit from the Exit 62 and enter Yanqing County.  
Exit from the Exit 62 and enter Yanqing County

Exit from the Exit 62 and enter Yanqing County

 
Soon, on your left side you will see the entrance to Badaling Airport. 
The entrance to Badaling Airport

The entrance to Badaling Airport

 
The main airport terminal building of Badaling Airport.
The main airport terminal building of Badaling Capital Helicopter

The main airport terminal building of Badaling Capital Helicopter

 
A helicopter is about to take off
 

The helicopter is about to take off

The helicopter is about to take off

 
A helicopter is off the ground
The helicopter is taking off the ground

The helicopter is taking off the ground

 
One helicopter is flying and the other is waiting for the instruction.
One helicopter is flying and the other is waiting for the instruction.

One helicopter is flying and the other is waiting for the instruction.

 
Flying over Badaling Great Wall and the mountains 
Flying over Badaling Great Wall and the mountains

Flying over Badaling Great Wall and the mountains

 
See the undulating Great Wall of China 
See the undulating Great Wall of China

See the undulating Great Wall of China

 
Any questions, just drop a line.
 
15 Minutes Aerial Tour and Great Wall Walking Tour from US$260 p/p30 Minutes Aerial Tour and Great Wall Walking Tour from US$1430 p/p

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Posted in Beijing Excursions, Beijing Tour Reviews, Beijing Travel, Beijing Winter Tour, Great Wall Tours Review | No Comments »

How to visit Huangyaguan Great Wall

Tuesday, April 24th, 2012

 

 
Huangyaguan ( Huangya Pass ) Great Wall is located 130km to the east of Beijing and 30km in the north of Ji County ( or Jixian County) in Tianjin. Huangyaguan Great Wall is a restored section of the Great Wall of China including a military fortress. It is is a by-product of the massive rebuilding and revamping of the Great Wall of China in 1980s.
 
This section of Huangyaguan Great Wall used to be 54km in length with 52 guide-towers and 14 beacon-owers connected to Jiangjunguan Pass Great Wall (now in Beijing region) in the east and to Malanguan Pass Great Wall, extended to Panjiakou Pass Great Wall(Tangshan Hebei Provicne) in the west. It was originally built in 556 in Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577). It was rebuilt with bricks and towers by Qi Jiguang (November 12, 1528 – January 5, 1588), the commander in chief Qizhen Garrison, one of the nine garrisons responsible for the frontier defence and the building of the Great Wall from Beijing to Shanhaiguan. Hiking westward from Huangyaguan Great Wall, you’ll get to Badaling Great Wall and eastward to Shanhaiguan Pass.
 
From Sept, 1984 to Sept, 1987, the repair work of Huangyanguan Great Wall was carried out. As a result, a total 3025m section of the Wall was restored and rebuilt with a completion of 20 watch towers and one fortress, one of the longest restored section of the Great Wall of China.
 
Huangyaguan Great Wall Contact Information
Tel: 022-22718080
Fax: 022-22718106
Add: Huangyaguan Village, Xiaying Town of Ji County in Tianjin
Entrance Fee: RMB 50 per person
How to get there from Beijing:
1) Self-drive: Drive along Jingping Express and turn left at Wangzhuangqiao, then drive directly to Huangyaguan Great Wall, 131km totally.
2) Long-distance bus: take the bus from Beijing Sihui Long Distance Bus station to Jixian County. Operated every ten minutes from 06:30 to 19:30. While in Jixian County, you are supposed to take a taxi or van to the Huangyanguan Great Wall at the cost of about RMB50.
 
When reaching the main entrance to Huangyaguan Great Wall, we are told that there are two sections of the restored great wall with the pass or the castle in the middle nestled in an valley flanked by Banlagang Mountain (Half a Clinder Mountain) in the west and Wangmaoding Mountain in the east. We are further advised to hike the east section since the west section is very easy for hiking with only 3 or 4 towers, suitable for kids and senior hikers. Ok, we prefer the east section for exploring Huangyaguan Great Wall.
 
The east section of Huangyaguan Great Wall is also known as Taipingzhai Great Wall, 2152m long with its east linked to the steep ridge of Banlagang Mountain and its west connected down to Huangyaguan Pass, or the castle in the valley. So to climb the east section, we have to drive up to the fortress of Taipingzhai Great Wall with a sea-level of 900m , then hike about 2152m down to the pass.
 
One and half hour 2150m hike from Taiping Zhai to Huangya Pass (also known Bagua Labyrinth Castle).
 
Our hike starts with the fortress of Taipingzhai (900m sea-level). Our Buick Van driver Zhou takes us to the parking lot below Taipingzhai Fortress along a zigzag mountain cement road.

Our hike starts with the fortress of Taipingzhai (900m sea-level)

 

Our one and half hour climb covers a 2150m long wall winding up and down the ridges with a final destination at the castle – Bagua Labyrinth. 

 
We hike westward. While to our east direction, the wall winds up and meets the steep top of Banlagang Mountain serving as a natural barrier.

the steep top of Banlagang Mountain serving as a natural barrier

  
Unlike the wild and unrestored sections at Panjiakou, Xifengkou, Baiyangyu, Xuliukou, Liujiakou, Chengziyu, Xiaohekou and Zhuizishan, this section of the Wall is new. Hiking along the restored wall doesn’t give you a sense of history, or you cannot feel and touch the history behind the wall. It is more like doing a hiking exercises than hiking a Great wall of China.  

this section of the Wall is new

 
Taipingzhai Great Wall stretches along the mountain ridges up and down

Taipingzhai Great Wall stretches along the mountain ridges up and down

 
This flight of stairs is treacherous. Even a moden day repair section is not easy, let along the its original construction 1400 years ago.

This flight of stairs is treacherous.

 
Huangyaguan Great Wall, though lack of originality due to its recent restoration, remains a haven for family outing, a safe and interesting place.

Huangyaguan Great wall remains a haven for family outing,

 
This is a Saw-tooth Great Wall, steep, 85 degree!

This is a Saw-tooth Great Wall, steep, 85 degree

 
After the saw-tooth wall, we continue to hike to a round and yellow tower.

we continue to hike to a round and yellow tower

 
We hike past the yellow tower built of loose slate. 

We hike past the yellow tower built of loose slate

 
Before we hike down to the castle, we still have two towers to conquer.

Before we hike down to the castle, we still have two towers to conquer

 
This section of the wall was built on the ancient wall constructed with slabs in Northern Qi Dyasty (550-577).

This section of the wall was built on the ancient wall constructed with slabs in Northern Qi Dyasty

 
This tower is known as Widow Tower, hand-built by 12 widows from Henan Province with the consolation money given by Qi Jiguan. All the widows’ husbands had given their lives fo the building of Huangyaguan Great Wall.

This tower is known as Widow Tower

 
We have just conquered the last two towers of Taipingzhai Great Wall and I look back with a satisfied heart.

We have just conquered the last two towers of Taipingzhai Great Wall

 
The east section of Huangyaguan Great Wall ends up at a steep mountain ridge which makes a wall unnecessary. Here we can clearly view the west section of Huangyaguan Great Wall with its castle down in the valley.

a steep mountain ridge which makes a wall unnecessary

 
We leave the wall and turn right on a make-shift mountain road down to the castle. Here we can have a clear picture of the castle or the fort of Huangyaguan Pass Great Wall. The castle is a city like Bagua Labyrinth with its east part as a five-arch water pass great wall.

a clear picture of the castle or the fort of Huangyaguan Pass Great Wall

 
 
On the way to the castle in the valley, we meet a great wall warden, picking litter and rubbish on the great wall.

we meet a great wall warden

 
Have a close look at the five arch water gate wall linked to the castle in the east. The castle has a circumference of 890 m in a shape of irregular nife.

a close look at the five arch water gate wall

 
Now we are on the water gate wall leading to the castle with the west section of Huangyanguan Great Wall looming overhead in a distance.

Now we are on the water gate wall leading to the castle

 
We walk down to the castle and take a pciture of the grand pass tower of Huangyaguan Pass.

the grand pass tower of Huangyaguan Pass

 
Any questions, just drop a line.

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Posted in Great Wall of China, Great Wall Tours Review | 4 Comments »

Xifengkou Great Wall

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

 

At 5:30 am we’ve luckily caught the rising sun over Panjiakou Great Wall, and we are back to our farmhouse at the foot of Panjiakou Great Wall. The distant water area on the right side of the farmhouse, you are still able to see the wall submerged in water, the underwater great wall pass (Panjiakou Great Wall Pass ) which are viewed much clearly during the dry season. Not far from and to the east of Panjiakou Great Wall Pass is another famous great wall pass, Xifengkou Great Wall Pass which is also submerged in the reservoir. After breakfast, we’ll explore Xifengkou Great Wall.
 
you are still able to see the wall submerged in water

On the right side of the farmhouse, you are still able to see the wall submerged in water

 
Now before breakfast, I walk around the small penisular since when we came her yeaterday night, it was quite dark and had no time to appreciate the views. This is the boat-turned restaurant which also has several rooms for travelers to stay overnight. Last night we had dinner on the boat house and will have breakfast soon on the same place.
 
This is the boat-turned restaurant. 

This is the boat-turned restaurant

 
The farmhouse host – Mr.Liu, an early riser, now he is tugging his speedboat to the shore. The underwater great wall pass is behind him, constituting a beautiful scene. 

The underwater great wall pass is behind him

 
 
A cute dog and chickens live peacefully here at the foot of Panjiakou Great Wall. 

The cute dog and chickens live peacefully here at the foot of Panjiakou Great Wall

 
Our simple breakfast include millet porridge, millet bread, tofu, steamed buns and salty eggs. 

Our simple breakfast

 
After breakfast, we’ll take the speedboat to Xifengkou Great Wall.  

After breakfast, we'll take the speedboat to Xifengkou Great Wall

 
Now we are saying goodbye to our hostess and her family member. They are very helpful and hospitable during our short stay. 

Now we are saying goodbye to our hostess and her family member

 
We are leaving Panjiakou Great Wall and the farmhouse. With the speedboat going faster, the mountain and great wall become smaller.

We are leaving Panjiakou Great Wall and the farmhouse

 
This section of Xifengkou Great Wall was orginally built in the early years in Ming Dynaty (1368 – 1644) under the command of by General Xuda. Xinfengkou Great Pass was one of the 32 strategically imortant passes built on the Yanshan Mountain Ranges. It was successively repaired and rebuilt due to the numerous flights and battles in different dynasties.
 
Between March 09 and April 13, 1933, the Kuomintang’s 29th Army led by Song Zheyuan fought successfully against the Japanese invaders in and around Xifengkou Great Wall Pass. A few years again, the famous film maker and actor – Jiangwen shot a film titled “The Japanese Invaders are coming” and one of the scenes were selected here around Xifengkou Great Wall.
 
In 10 minutes, our speeboat takes us close to Xifungkou Great Wall with its pass city submerged under the reservoir. Xifengkou Great Wall is sectioned into two parts – north part (north of the pass city) and southeast part (south of the pass city). It is said that Xifengkou Pass was impregnable with a pass city built of three pass doors.
 
Xifengkou Great Wall with its pass city submerged under the reservoir
 

Xifuegkou Great Wall with its pass city submerged under the reservoir

Now we are approaching a makeshift quay and clearly see a “Japanese” blockhouse high on a hillside with a huge placard written with the film name ”The Japanese invaders are coming.” So the blockhouse is a used stage property, which has been well preserved as a magnet attracting domestic tourists.
 
a “Japanese” blockhouse high on a hillside

a Japanese blockhouse high on a hillside

 
Jumping from from our speedbaoat taking up a berth at a make-shift quay, we walk along a path leading up to the Xifengkou Great Wall. The courtyards and rooms are used stage properties by the film named “The Japanese Invaders are coming”.
 

The courtyards and rooms are used stage properties

 
We trudge up the hill and walk along a trodden path by the wall. 

We trudge up the hill and walk along a trodden path by the wall.

 
We are on the wall starting from the third watch tower of its south section of Xifengkou Great Wall. From this angle, we clearly see the submerged pass city in the reservoir with its north and south (on our side) sections of Xifengkou Great Wall.
 
we clearly see the submerged pass city

we clearly see the submerged pass city

 
We walk past the third fort and turn back taking a picture of the tower sitting on an overgrown and crumbling wall winding up on the hillside.

taking a picture of the tower sitting on an overgrown and crumbling wall winding up on the hillside

 

 

 
On our left side below, we spot our speedboat docking at the simple pier at a bay and Panjiakou Reservoir looks a huge lake surrounded by mountains by all sides. 

we spot our speedboat docking at the simple pier at a bay

 
We continue to walk on the trodden path teemed with bushes and sapplings on the wall top down to the second watch tower.

walk on the trodden path teemed with bushes and sapplings

 
Pass through the dilapidated fort and move on to the first tower on the south section of Xifengkou Great Wall. This fort is still preserved in a better shape than the previous two towers we have just walked through.
 
We are insidet the first tower on the south section of Xifengkou Great Wall.

We are insidet the first tower on the south section of Xifengkou Great Wall.

 
Again we walk through the first tower and step down to the most northern tip of the south section of Xifengkou Great Wall where it was once linked to the great wall pass city, but submerged in the reservoir.

step down to the most northern tip of the south section of Xifengkou Great Wall

 
The wall is disappearing into the water of Panjiakou Reervoir.

The wall is disappearing into the water of Panjiakou Reervoir.

 
Again we are back to our speedboat and asks Mr.Liu our boat driver to come closer to the north section of Xifengkou Great Wall which is also disappearing into the water of Panjiakou Reservoir. 

come closer to the north section of Xifengkou Great Wall

 
Now we are returning to Panjiakou Dam where our Buick Van is parked and finish our fam trip to Panjiakou Great Wall and Xifengkou Great Wall.
 

Now we are returning to Panjiakou Dam where our Buick Van is parked

 
Any questions, just drop a line.

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Posted in Great Wall of China, Great Wall Tours Review | 1 Comment »

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