Huanghuacheng Section of the Great Wall in Beijing
Huanghuacheng (literally meaning "Yellow Flower City") Great Wall, about 60 km north of downtown Beijing, is one of the most ruined sections of the wall in Beijing. It has become popular with hikers in recent years. This section of the great wall is about 1000 meters long and connecting Juyongguan Pass Great Wall and Badaling Great Wall in the west and Jiankou Great Wall and Mutianuyu Great Wall in the east. Now it is a quite challenge to climb the wall since it has no stone steps or no smooth path found at other sections of Great Wall in Beijing.
Huanghuacheng was an area littered with many villages in Yuan Dynasty. Later in Ming Dynasty it turned into a rich and prosperous area due to the construction of the Great Wall at Huanghuacheng as strategically important Benzhenguan Pass.
There is a story behind the building of Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Its construction began in 1575, during the Ming Dynasty and General Cai Kai was in charge of the entire works. It was said that it took many years to finish the the construction. When General Cai Kai went to the capital and reported to the emperor his successful task, he was put to death at once! Some jealous ministers had told Emperor Wanli at that time that the General Cai Kai had spent too much money and the construction of the wall was poor. The emperor was so unhappy with these false reports, he ordered Cai¡¯s immediate execution. Later the emperor sent a trusted aid to check Cai's Wall. The aid went back and reported to the the emperor that Huanghuaheng Great Wall was solid with the finest workmanship. Sorry for his hasty in putting the death to Cai, Wanli sent people to build a tomb and memorial stele in memory of the loyal general.
The Emperor Wanli also wrote the two characters ¡°Jin Tang¡±, meaning "solid and firm", carved on the face of a huge rock below the wall, showing the wall was firm and solid. So the wall is sometimes called Jintang Great Wall.
There is a lake and a reservoir near the wall. The reservoir is called Huanghuacheng Reservoir. The lake is called Jintang lake. The water of the lake is cold and clear for all year round due to the numerous springs. Parts of Huanghuacheng Great Wall were damaged and fell into Jintang Lake after being bombed during the Anti-Japanese war China a century ago. The whole section of wall has 6 forts, 6 passes, 12 beacon-towers, and 32 guard towers. Of all the forts, Yaoziyu Fort is the best preserved.
Transportation:
There is no direct bus or mini-bus from downtown Beijing to Huanghuacheng Great Wall. There are three ways to get there:
1) First take bus No.916 from Dongzhimen Beijing to Huairou District and connect a mini-bus from Huairou to Huanghuacheng Great Wall.
2) First the bus ( same buses to Dadaling Great wall ) to Changping District, then take mini-bus from Changping to Huanghuacheng Great Wall.
Entrance Fee: RMB 15
Opening Hours: 08:10 to 18:00
Hiking Hours: Two hours
There is a story behind the building of Huanghuacheng Great Wall. Its construction began in 1575, during the Ming Dynasty and General Cai Kai was in charge of the entire works. It was said that it took many years to finish the the construction. When General Cai Kai went to the capital and reported to the emperor his successful task, he was put to death at once! Some jealous ministers had told Emperor Wanli at that time that the General Cai Kai had spent too much money and the construction of the wall was poor. The emperor was so unhappy with these false reports, he ordered Cai¡¯s immediate execution. Later the emperor sent a trusted aid to check Cai's Wall. The aid went back and reported to the the emperor that Huanghuaheng Great Wall was solid with the finest workmanship. Sorry for his hasty in putting the death to Cai, Wanli sent people to build a tomb and memorial stele in memory of the loyal general.
below the wall, showing the wall was firm and solid. So the wall is sometimes called Jintang Great Wall.
