Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huairou District, Beijing, connecting Juyongguan to the west and Gubeikou to the east. Historically, it has been a crucial military stronghold guarding Beijing, known as the ‘Perilous Ridge and Mighty Pass’. The architectural style of Mutianyu Great Wall is distinctive, with a dense concentration of watchtowers, especially the Zhengguan platform where three watchtowers stand side by side, a rare feature among the Great Wall. The Mutianyu Great Wall, with its 22 watchtowers densely packed along its 2250 meters of open section, is mostly built on steep cliffs, leveraging the terrain for strategic advantage. The wall stands seven to eight meters high and four to five meters wide at the top, primarily constructed with granite, making it majestic and sturdy.
Most visitors ascend the Great Wall along the hiking trails. There are two trails starting from the north and south ticket gates. The north gate allows access to the wall from the 10th and 8th towers, while the south gate leads to the wall from the 8th and 6th towers. Both trails are approximately 1500 meters long. Alternatively, one can take the cable car next to the north ticket gate, which stops near the 14th tower. Mutianyu Great Wall’s open section is about 2250 meters long. Starting from the southeast end at the first tower, the Great Corner Tower, heading northwest, one can reach the 4th tower (Zhengguan platform) to witness the unique structure of three watchtowers standing on one platform. Continuing forward, the wall is relatively flat and easy to walk, allowing one to reach the 22nd tower at the northwest end, from where one can take the cable car down from the 14th tower. Open hours are from November 16th to March 15th, 08:00-17:30; from March 16th to November 15th, Monday to Friday, 07:30-18:00; Saturday and Sunday, 07:30-18:30; during Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day, 07:30-21:30. Cable car operating hours coincide with the scenic area’s business hours, and night business hours during Mid-Autumn and National Day are adjusted according to sunset times. Concessions are offered to minors: Chinese nationals under 18 years old (including Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) can enter the scenic area for free (accompanied by a responsible adult), and foreign minors aged 6 to 18 are offered discounts. Elderly: Visitors with Beijing Tong – Elderly Care and Disability Assistance Card and Civil Affairs preferential card in Beijing can enter for free (older or mobility-impaired visitors need to be accompanied by a responsible adult, and accompanying personnel must purchase tickets). Non-Beijing residents over 60 years old with valid ID receive half-price. Students: Students aged over 18 and below undergraduate level (excluding adult institutions) receive half-price. Disabled: People with valid disability certificates enter for free. Military personnel: Active-duty military personnel with People’s Liberation Army and Armed Police Force officer certificates, retired cadres, retired non-commissioned officers, civilian cadre certificates, or soldier certificates, and those with military veterans’ preferential certificates.Mutianyu Great Wall offers discounts for firefighters presenting their firefighter or fire officer identification cards.
Discounts are also available for social security recipients who hold a social security benefit certificate. Retired cadres with a preferential treatment certificate for retired cadres are entitled to free admission. Additional information: The preferential policies only apply to the main entrance ticket. Those eligible for free tickets or preferential treatment should make a real-name reservation through the scenic area’s public account or on-site. For the shuttle bus and cable car, children under 1.2 meters (inclusive) enter for free, while those 1.2 meters and above (including children, elderly, and disabled individuals) must purchase a full-price ticket with no discounts. Service facilities include parking lots: [Mutianyu Great Wall – Parking Lot] with a reference price of 20 yuan per entry for small cars and 30 yuan per entry for large vehicles. The address is Mutianyu Village, Huairou District, Beijing – Scenic Area Parking Lot; with a capacity of 1500 spaces. Intra-site transportation has a reference price of 10 yuan per person for a single trip and 15 yuan per person for a round trip. The address is at the end of the west side of the Comprehensive Service Area. Regardless of adults or children, anyone occupying a seat in the service area to the sightseeing area will be charged. There are multiple restrooms within the Mutianyu Great Wall, with clear signs near the Visitor Service Center and the Great Wall Cableway Station.
