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.
