Jinshanling Great Wall

Jinshanling Great Wall, located some 140 kilometers to the northeast of Beijing, is the best preserved part of the Great Wall with many original features. It starts from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and ends at Longyukou in the west and stretches about 10 kilometers. Jinshanling is famous for the excellent condition of its wall and the majesty of its watchtowers. From afar, it conjures the image of a dragon lying across the mountains and it is easy to imagine the kind of awe it would have inspired in ancient times. For many Great Wall experts, it is the ultimate expression of Great Wall construction to be seen anywhere in China and it is revered for its strategic significance and aesthetic majesty.

There are 5 main passes and 67 watchtowers in this section with enemy towers on it every 100 meters. Those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. There are some windows for shooting arrows on the first floor. Roofs of the towers were used to store weapons and hay, and also could be bedrooms for soldiers. The big Jinshan Watchtower, the small Jinshan Watchtower, the Wangjinglou Tower and Taochun Tower are the most famous in this section, as well as the Wall for Preventing Horses.