Tianjin Huangyaguan Great Wall

The Huangyaguan Great Wall is located on the northern side of Jixian County, Tianjin. It is a section of the ancient Great Wall that was built during the Northern Qi Dynasty and was renovated under the supervision of Qi Jiguang during the Ming Dynasty.This section of the Great Wall is steep and the Great Wall is spectacular, and there are not many tourists.There are also many farmhouses at the foot of the Great Wall where you can stay and eat, making it a great place for weekend getaways in the Beijing-Tianjin area.

The Huangyaguan Great Wall has two entrances, one on the east side at Taipingzhai and the other on the west side at the main entrance Huangyaguan. The distance between the two entrances is 2.2 kilometers, so you can walk along the Great Wall from one entrance to the other. It takes about 1-2 hours to climb the Great Wall.In addition, there is a pass town at Huangya Main Pass that can be visited. The total time for exploring the scenic area is about 3 hours.

Most tourists arrive at the Huangya Main Pass first, but it is not recommended to enter the scenic area here. The recommended way to go is to first arrive at the entrance of Taiping Village, and from there enter and explore the Huangya Main Pass. This way, the whole journey is downhill, which is more energy-saving, and the main farmhouses are also near the Huangya Main Pass, so you can check in directly after exploring and rest, without having to go back the way you came and it is more comfortable.There is a battery-powered car that can be used to travel between the two entrances, which takes about half an hour (15 kilometers of mountain road). The fare is 30 yuan per person.

Entering the entrance to Taipingzhai, you will first see a huge statue of Qi Jiguang in the scenic area, commemorating the famous general who presided over the battle here while repairing the Great Wall. You can take photos as a memento.Entering behind the statue will take you to the top of the Great Wall, where you can walk along the road and take in the sights.The advantage of entering from here is that you can go all the way down, which is more energy-saving, but this section of the Great Wall is quite steep, so you have to be extra careful where you step when walking.When you are walking along the road, you can see that the hillside next to you is very steep, revealing a yellow rock face. This is the origin of the name Huangyaguan.If you go in the evening, the sunset shining on the mountain wall is very beautiful. This is one of the ten famous views of Tianjin, “Sunset at Huangya”, and photography enthusiasts must not miss it.Along the way, you will visit the Great Wall, passing by Widow’s Tower, Tartar Ditch, and Guancheng. Many of the passes have unique stories. For example, Widow’s Tower was built with the pensions of the widows of soldiers who died building the Great Wall. It is very touching and worth visiting to commemorate.

Walking to the end of the trail will take you to the Huangya Main Pass, where there is a pass town that has also become a Bagua City.The entire city is built in the style of an ancient quadrangle, with an intricate yet perfectly square interior. It is also known as the “Ba Gua” (eight trigrams) maze, and is a great place to take a photo overlooking the city.Inside the city walls, there is also a simple Great Wall Museum, Forest of Steles, gardens, etc., which you can enjoy at your leisure.

From the pass, you can continue west to see more of the Great Wall. If you still have the energy, you can go and have a look.After walking uphill for about 500 meters, you can see the Huangya Sky Ladder, which is a particularly steep and primitive section of the Huangya Pass Great Wall. The slope is extremely high and seems to lead up to the sky, making it a great place for photos.At the end of the trail, you can also see a section of the Beiji Great Wall that has been preserved to this day, which is very old and primitive.

After the tour, you can leave the scenic area from the Huangya Main Pass and return the same day, or you can stay overnight.There are some simple farmhouses nearby where you can eat and stay. A standard room in a farmhouse costs about 100 yuan per room. Here you can taste farm dishes, breathe fresh air, and enjoy authentic rural life.