Simatai Great Wall

I took the bus with three friends. When I got off the Dongzhimen subway station, there was an exit directly to the Dongzhimen Bus Hub. I took the 980 Express to get off at the Miyun West Bridge Station, and took the Mi51 across the road and got off at Gubei Water Town. The whole journey took about 3.5 hours. Mi51 had many stops, more than 60, but many stops leading to the countryside had no one getting on or off, so I drove straight past them, which was okay. The one-way ticket (half the price for the bus and subway card at the subway station) was about 14 yuan, which was suitable for friends who travel on a budget.

I went there in December in winter. It is located in the Gubei Water Town scenic area. You need to buy a separate ticket. There are not many people. The scenic area includes 10 beacon towers. Visitors can only climb on foot from the 2nd floor to the 7th floor. Later, it was said that they were not allowed to go up due to maintenance. The climbing is quite difficult. Some places have completely collapsed and only the stone walls were built later. The ground is very uneven. In some places, the side walls of the city wall have collapsed. There is no protection on both sides. There are even some steep places without stairs, but brick slopes. It is very dangerous. You can consider climbing on foot to the 7th floor, then return to the 5th floor, and take the cable car down the mountain from the side road.
There are night tours of the Great Wall from about 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
It is strongly not recommended for children and the elderly to climb the Great Wall.

Simatai Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty, more than 400 years ago. This section of the Great Wall is very steep, with low walls and uneven roads. After getting out of the cable car, you have to climb up 580 meters to reach Beacon Tower No. 8. The stairs leading up have not been renovated, and are high and low, which is not very friendly to the elderly and children. Friends who have not been there can visit it.

The walls on both sides of the Simatai Great Wall have not been rebuilt. The terrain is originally steep and the mountains are steep. This unobstructed view adds to the thrilling atmosphere. Standing on it is chilling. The surrounding scenery is unobstructed, and the rolling undulations of the Great Wall are in full view, like a golden dragon entrenched in the mountains, winding and twisting. The magnificent and majestic scene broadens one's mind. Climbing to the top of the steep peaks and cliffs, overlooking the vast mountains and rivers from a high position, a sense of superiority rises in the heart. The scenery around is infinite, just like the poems of Xin Qiji, heroic and desolate.

It is quite challenging to climb the Simatai Great Wall with children. We chose to take the cable car up and down. Although the climbing process is not long, it is still quite challenging. There are no guardrails on both sides of the Simatai Great Wall. For young children, parents still need to watch over them at all times. It feels like danger can happen at any time.

On the second morning, we went to climb the Great Wall. The Simatai Great Wall is a relatively well-preserved Ming Dynasty Great Wall, and it is known to be steep, so we decided to go and take a look.
Before departure, I studied the map and understood the shuttle bus route, so I didn't walk to the Great Wall ticket office. Instead, I walked to the station in front of Yuantong Temple not far from the inn, called Shanshuicheng Station, and then took a bus to Wangjing Street, and then walked to the ticket office. This saved me a lot of time and energy. Otherwise, the Great Wall is at the other end of the ancient town, and I almost need to walk from one end to the other, which is a bit far.
You can hike up the Great Wall, but it's too tiring. It's recommended to take the cable car to and from the top, because even after getting off the cable car, you still have to climb a lot of steps to get to the top. When I got off the cable car and climbed to the top, I was so tired that I almost collapsed, because the steps were getting higher and higher and it was very tiring for my legs.
The Great Wall tour route is recommended as follows:
The first way is to hike up to Platform 2, then walk to Platform 5 and take the cable car down the mountain.
The second option is to take the cable car up the mountain and then walk to a fork in the road. You can either climb to Platform 8 first, then walk to Platform 5 and take the cable car down the mountain. From Platform 8 to Platform 5, it's all downhill and very steep, so people who are afraid should not choose it, and people with poor legs and feet should not choose it, because some places are almost vertical and there are no steps. I felt like I almost rolled down.
Or you can go directly to Platform 5 from the fork in the road, walk to Platform 8 and then walk down to take the cable car. There are roads leading down from Platform 5 or 8 to the cable car, so there is no need to return the same way. The road from Platform 5 to Platform 8 is uphill, which is relatively safe, but very tiring because it is steep. It depends on your personal choice.
I am the kind of person who would rather break my legs walking downstairs than climb stairs, so I decisively chose 8 to 5. However, the steepness was beyond my expectation. For half of the way, I almost walked down slowly, hunched over. I didn't dare to take big steps because I would really roll down if I was not careful.

The "Simatai Great Wall" in Gubei Water Town is one of the highlights. The Simatai section of the Great Wall, built on a ridge cut by a knife, is famous for its danger, density, strangeness, ingenuity and completeness. In the Gubeikou Battle in 1933, the Simatai Great Wall was bombarded by artillery fire, and its broken walls and ruins became more vigorous. The Simatai Great Wall is also the only ancient architectural site in my country that retains its original appearance in the Ming Dynasty. It is called the "original Great Wall". "The Great Wall of China is the best in the world, and the Simatai Great Wall is the best in China." When night falls, under the background of lights, it presents another scene.

One of the important purposes of our trip was to visit Simatai Great Wall at night. Yuwan climbed the Great Wall for the first time when she was over 2 years old. At that time, she climbed the very steep Juyongguan Great Wall. The steps were very high and steep. For safety reasons, she was not allowed to climb too much by herself. She was basically carried up by her father.

Before this trip, I told Yuwan that she could climb the Great Wall by herself and tour the Great Wall at night with a small lantern. Yuwan was very excited and looked forward to it.

At around 5pm in the evening, we walked towards the Simatai Great Wall Cable Car located in the southeast corner of Gubei Water Town. As soon as Yuwan got on the cable car, he said excitedly, "Wow, mom, we are in heaven!" The people on the cable car laughed. After getting off the cable car, we walked for a long time on the narrow road that was only two people wide until we reached the Great Wall. Because there were too many people and there were no walls on both sides, only a hemp rope, my father, who was afraid of heights, was worried that he would be hit off the mountain by the rotating selfie sticks of the aunties. He said that he really couldn't go forward, so he picked up Yuwan and walked back. Although the experience time was not long, I happened to see different scenery during the day and at night, which was worth the ticket price.

Detailed address:
North of Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun County, Beijing

Website: ***

Opening hours:
8:00-20:00 all year round; 8:00-17:00 (daytime);
17:30-20:00 (night show).

Simatai Great Wall is located in the north of Simatai Village, Gubeishui Town, Miyun District, Beijing. The mountains here are extremely steep. The mountains are like a wall and the city is like a beam. The city is built along the mountains, and an eagle flies over the beam. There is a single-wall Great Wall under Wangjingtai, which is almost vertically attached to the mountain beam. People call this place "Eagle Flying Upside Down".

I just passed by the highway while driving and did not enter the scenic area for a visit.

Very dangerous. I really want to climb this one myself.

I don’t remember how many times I went there, but I went there again later.

The night tour is from 5:30 to 8:30. The night view light and music fountain show is a must-see. It is the first time I have seen fire in the fountain. It is performed every 20 minutes and the show lasts 20 minutes.

It is very spectacular and now belongs to Gubei Water Town. You cannot buy tickets separately on the day, you can only buy a pass.

At the border between Beijing and Hebei, the Simatai Great Wall showed its true appearance to us, and I was a little excited. This section of the Great Wall is the most original Ming Great Wall preserved and protected in China.
Similar to the Simatai Great Wall is the Jinshanling Great Wall, which is also well preserved.

The original appearance of the Ming Great Wall is preserved. Compared with the Badaling Great Wall, the restoration is not complete. Most of the Great Wall does not have battlements on both sides. One section is located on the top of the mountain, which is steep and narrow. It is a rare single-sided wall. The dilapidated ground floor has a unique flavor. The highest section, the Fairy Tower, has a 100-meter-long ladder with a nearly 85-degree slope.
If you are visiting the Simatai Great Wall from the ancient town, it is recommended that you buy a one-way cable car if you are physically fit, go from the Yuanyang Lake hiking trail to the East 2nd Floor, climb 6 watchtowers to the East 8th Floor, and then take the cable car down the mountain from the East 8th Floor.
Those with average physical strength can take the two-way cable car. After the cable car reaches the middle of the mountain, first walk up the gentle slope to the East 5th Floor, then climb 3 enemy buildings to the East 8th Floor, and then take the cable car down the mountain.
No matter which one you choose, it is recommended that you go to the single-sided wall below the 5th floor of the east building, or walk up to experience it, it is quite shocking.
There is another way, which is to tour the Great Wall at night. If the weather is good, you can see the sky full of stars, which should be nice too.

I think there are two Simatai Great Walls, one is Simatai in Gubei Water Town Scenic Area for ordinary tourists, and the other is Simatai Single Wall for outdoor enthusiasts. Most people who visit the Simatai Great Wall Scenic Area visit the ancient town and the Great Wall. Only those who walk through the Simatai Single Wall can truly experience what is "the first of the three dangers of the Great Wall".

I really want to go to the wild section, the one-sided Great Wall, the scenery is super beautiful, I feel like I am in the clouds, it is difficult to go up the mountain and it is also difficult to go down the mountain. The one-sided tower after reaching the top is particularly dangerous, I have already given up on it

The moment I stepped on the Great Wall, I suddenly felt a sense of reverence from the bottom of my heart. Touching the bricks of the Great Wall with my hands, it was as if I was crossing the fog of history to explore the stories in the dust. Looking down at a brick of the Great Wall, the words "Made in Shitang Road in the fifth year of Wanli" were engraved on the side. I thought it was where the bricks were made, and each brick of the Great Wall was engraved with words, which showed the rigor and strictness of the project at that time. There were no guardrails on both sides of the wall. Looking down, the vertical drop was more than ten meters, which made people's heart beat faster. The long stairs in front of me led to the observation deck. The stairs became dilapidated after experiencing wind, rain and sun, and people inadvertently wondered if they could withstand it. The lush bushes on both sides of the Great Wall set off the vitality of the Great Wall. The higher you go, the stronger the wind comes. The mountain wind whistled through the observation window, and the cool environment here made me feel cool and comfortable all over. The sunlight shines through the window and slants onto the ancient bricks, giving people a trance-like feeling, as if they were a general guarding the border, commanding thousands of horses and mountains. "Reporting your favor on the Golden Terrace, I will die for you with the Jade Dragon." In this environment, one can't help but feel a sense of lofty ambition. Leaning out the window and looking at the mountains below, the mountains are full of green, and the mountains are full of vitality, as if they are dragons about to take off, waiting beside this giant dragon of the Great Wall.

I went there when it opened at 8am. It took a long walk up the mountain to the second tower. The paths between each tower had their own characteristics. In short, I felt weak in the knees when I looked back. People with acrophobia should be careful.

The trees along the road in Simatai Great Wall Scenic Area have been painted in autumn colors, red, yellow and green, very beautiful, and you can enjoy the scenery while walking, but there are too many people! It's full of people! We need to check our tickets to enter Simatai Scenic Area. The tour guide repeatedly told us not to lose the tickets after checking them, because we need to check them again when we come back.

Simatai Great Wall is the only Great Wall in China open for night tours. Before sunset, many people have already waited here and sat on the stone steps of the Great Wall. As dusk deepens, the lights gradually light up, and the mist is thick, but it still can't hide the bright lights of Gubei Water Town at the foot of the mountain. In the town, the blend of lights and water makes the night here even more charming.

Simatai Great Wall was definitely worth a visit! It was exciting enough to look at the Simatai Great Wall from the foot of the mountain. There was a white wall winding up and down between the peaks like the back of a crucian carp, and there were small but majestic watchtowers on the top! But now it is tied to Gubei Water Town, which is like a thorn in the throat. It's like buying a pearl and being sold a box made of artificial crystal that is more expensive than the pearl! Firstly, to go to the Great Wall alone you can only make an appointment with a specific person and at a specific time, and there are only three waves a day, while there is no limit on the number of people and time for those who enter Gubei Water Town; secondly, if you have bought a ticket to Gubei Water Town, the other fees (Great Wall + cableway) are very cheap, but if you have not bought a ticket to the water town, the other fees are very high; and it is useless even if it is very high, you must exit the Great Wall at 4:30 (the time of the last shuttle bus through the water town to the outside), otherwise you need to buy a ticket to the water town to get out, because the entrance and exit of the Great Wall must go through the water town scenic area to the parking lot outside, and there is not even a simple detour trail; in addition, the number of watchtowers that can be climbed on the Great Wall has been reduced from 13 to 10, let alone walking to the most essential part, you can't even see it now, but the water town has arranged a sightseeing helicopter, which rumbles through the tranquility of the mountains. This is a blatant act of kidnapping. Without the endorsement of the Great Wall, the man-made Gubei Water Town would not be of high value. However, Gubei Water Town uses the Great Wall as its own and treats people who truly love the Great Wall unfriendly. It treats the Great Wall as corporate private property. Its practice of creating a prison on its own and collecting money without any support is really disgusting!

Take the cable car to the Simatai Great Wall at night and overlook the unique scenery of Gubei.

In Gubei Water Town, the cable car goes up and down for 360 degrees for two people with tickets. Once you get to the top, you don't have to climb much before going down. It's very steep, and there's a sense of historical incompleteness.

Next to Yuanyang Lake in Gubei Water Town, I went there late and didn’t climb to the top. The steps were so narrow that I couldn’t even put one foot down. . .

Due to the limited flow of visitors to the Great Wall, it is best to book tickets online in advance during holidays.
The ticket price for the Great Wall is 40 yuan per person, the one-way cable car ticket is 90 yuan per person, and the round-trip ticket price is 160 yuan per person.
I booked the ticket + one-way cable car online, 115 yuan per person.
If you have enough energy, you must experience the fun of climbing the Great Wall yourself. The sense of accomplishment brought by the fatigue and stimulation is really not just talk.
After taking the cable car up the mountain, you still need to climb two flights of stairs to reach the top, so don't be lazy and climb up step by step.
The scenic spot has developed a night tour of the Great Wall. I don’t recommend night tours. The dangers of the Great Wall are beyond your imagination. Try to travel during the day. Safety first.
It is advisable to wear non-slip sports shoes!!!
It is advisable to bring water!!! (Don’t be afraid of the water being heavy, because you will finish drinking it halfway up the mountain. Don’t be afraid of going to the toilet, because the water you drink will be excreted from the body through sweat. If you don’t bring water, you will hallucinate that there is a cold drink shop around the corner! Don’t ask me how I know!! I won’t tell you!!)
Don't wear a coat!!!
The Simatai Great Wall is a relatively well-preserved Ming Great Wall, and many sections are not as well-built as those of the Badaling Great Wall.
Many of the stairs were so narrow that they were only half a foot wide, and the walls on the sides had mostly fallen into disrepair and were inevitably dilapidated.
I am a person who is afraid of heights, and I almost climbed to the fourth floor using all four limbs.
The steepest section of the road is basically straight up and down, and many steps have been worn flat.
When climbing, don't look back or to the sides, focus on your feet, climb up, and pay attention to safety.
Just when my bestie and I were complaining that no one would build a water station on the Great Wall, we came across a water station.
Not surprised or unexpected.
8 yuan/bottle, the price is really acceptable and reasonable.

Twenty years later, I revisited Simatai Great Wall. The ancient and desolate impression of the mountain was replaced by the unique Gubei Water Town. The rugged and magnificent mountain scenery of the past was no longer as brilliant as it is today. In fact, the real driving force that drove me to come here for sightseeing with all kinds of twists and turns and travel was not the monotonous water town scenery, nor the magnificent and majestic northern mountains and forests, but the night view of the Great Wall that I had been thinking about for a long time.

This section is not well preserved, but it is precisely because of the remaining walls that it gives people a special sense of time.

Compared with Mutianyu and Badaling Great Wall, it is more precipitous, but better than Juyongguan.

住客專屬的夜登長城服務，到古北水鎮遊玩建議在景區住上一晚，才能體驗夜晚長城的魅力

↪↪Currently, only 10 beacon towers in the eastern section of the Simatai Great Wall are open. The ticket price is ￥40/person. The ticket stub must be kept well, and you need to scan the QR code on the ticket stub to enter and exit the scenic area.

↪↪The scenic area provides cable car service for tourists who want to save time and effort. The cable car ticket is ￥90/person for a one-way trip and ￥160/person for a round-trip trip. However, the cable car cannot reach the highest point, but only to the halfway point between the East 5th Floor and the East 9th Floor.

↪↪Compared with the famous Bala Ling Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall is farther away from the city, more steep, and not on holidays, so there are very few tourists! In addition, the air quality is so good, so we naturally choose to climb up on foot!

↪↪After making up my mind and setting the goal, I had the motivation to climb the Great Wall. It took me about 15 minutes to walk quickly from the entrance of the scenic area to the East 2nd Floor, and then it took me less than an hour to climb from the East 2nd Floor to the East 10th Floor without stopping!

↪↪The Great Wall looks so high from the bottom of the mountain, but it is not too difficult to climb it! The slope from the 5th floor to the 7th floor is indeed quite steep, but it is almost flat when you go up to the 10th floor!

↪↪As for the "precipitous", it is only slightly more steep than Badaling, and is far from being "dangerous"! There is a section of the road that requires you to go down the Great Wall and climb up along the mountain road. There is a fence on the side for protection. If you are a little careful and walk along this side of the Great Wall, you will soon be able to pass safely!

↪↪One more thing about safety! Since the steps of the Great Wall are narrow, you must step firmly on each step before taking the next one; it is best to wear hiking shoes with high friction. There are many pebbles along the way, so avoid slipping and falling!

Tickets are 40 yuan, and the cable car is 160 yuan round trip. I went there on January 1, New Year's Day. There were limited people, so I didn't go for the night tour. I climbed during the day. I took the cable car at 11:30 am and got off at 1:30 pm. The weather was fine, and I could take good photos. The dangerous places were closed and I was not allowed to go. I just walked around the places where I could walk. The air was good. This kind of Great Wall is much better than Badaling, where there are people everywhere. Gubei Water Town should be better in spring, summer and autumn. Next time, I will go there on weekdays when there are fewer people, not during holidays.

The ticket to the Great Wall is 40 yuan, and if you buy it together with the ticket to the water town, you can save 20 yuan. The round-trip cable car to the Great Wall is 160 yuan, which is still very expensive.

Night tour of Simatai Great Wall is a special activity of the scenic spot. However, during the night tour period, tourists can reach fewer areas. Simatai Great Wall is the most dangerous section of the Great Wall. The highest point of the Great Wall is the "Fairy Tower", which requires climbing the "ladder to heaven". The ladder is 100 meters high, with a slope of 85 degrees, almost vertical. And there are several sections without crenels, which is very dangerous.

The enemy tower No. 5678 is more original and has a sense of vicissitudes. The steps are narrow and there are no walls on both sides to hold on to. It is recommended to bring a hiking stick to overcome the fear of heights. The enemy towers below No. 5 are well maintained. Although it is steeper to climb, the scenery is not as good as the higher enemy towers. You can hold on to the walls on both sides. The bathroom is very clean and the cable car is fast and good.

This section of the Great Wall is really steep, especially the last two towers. Be careful when going up~~

I went to Simatai Great Wall and Gubei Water Town with my friends in late August. I found some information online before. I am very grateful to the netizens for sharing it enthusiastically, but there is a lot of information lagging behind, especially the bus routes and fees. So as lazy as I am, I also want to update you with some useful information about Simatai Great Wall.
Bus [two ways]: ① Take the "Dongzhimen-Gubei Water Town" special line from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub. From Monday to Friday, there are four trips from Dongzhimen: 8:00, 9:00, 12:00, 15:30, and four trips from Gubei Water Town: 11:00, 12:00, 16:00, 21:00. There are six round trips on Saturdays and Sundays. The earliest and latest trips are the same from Monday to Friday, and two trips are added in the middle. The price is about 48 yuan (found online). It should be noted that the parking lot of the Gubei Water Town special line is not inside the Dongzhimen Transportation Hub. You need to go around to the parking lot outside. You can ask the staff you meet for details.
② Take the 980 express bus from Dongzhimen Transportation Hub to Miyun, get off at Miyun West Bridge Station, and take the bus to Miyun Bus Station, but it will take a lot of time (because you will return to Miyun West Bridge Station). After getting off the bus, go across the road to transfer to Miyun No. 51 bus, the stop sign is "West Bridge Gas Station", and take it to the terminal station, the Great Wall Ticket Office. The 980 express takes about 40 minutes from Dongzhimen to Miyun West Bridge, and the Miyun No. 51 takes about 1.5 hours. My bus card has a total of about 3.6 yuan (student card). So this transfer is much more economical than option ①.
In addition, the ticket entrance of Simatai Great Wall (inside Gubei Water Town) must be opened no later than 2:30pm. I went there at this time, without taking the cable car. It took me less than two hours to climb from the entrance to the tenth floor of the east building. The last time to catch people was 4:30pm, so I needed to climb as much as possible before 4:30pm. My physical fitness was a little better than my companions, so it is not very useful for reference. It is generally recommended to climb for 3-4 hours, so it is safer to go earlier.

Figure 1 Description: Dongzhimen-Gubei Water Town special line departure timetable, outside Dongzhimen transportation hub

Figure 2 Description: Route table of Miyun Route 51, Miyun West Bridge

The cable car ticket + entrance fee is expensive. The last section is difficult to climb and it is difficult for the elderly to go up. The scenery is excellent and worth seeing.

Simatai Great Wall is very close to Gubei Water Town, and people usually go to climb Simatai Great Wall when they go to Gubei Water Town.
The difference of Simatai Great Wall is that it retains the original appearance of the Great Wall. Unlike Badaling Great Wall, which was well repaired in the later period, it is also because the later repairs have changed the original appearance of the Great Wall, while Simatai Great Wall retains the traces of history, which is also advocated and recommended by the World Cultural Heritage. The guardrails of Simatai Great Wall are very low, and some ground is not even flat without stairs; Simatai Great Wall has 10 towers, from East 1st Floor to East 10th Floor. You can also take a cable car from the foot of the Great Wall (round-trip fee of 160) directly to the vicinity of the 8th floor, and then climb a mountain road (about 15 minutes) to the East 8th Floor. If you don't take the cable car, you can start climbing directly from East 1st Floor and climb all the way to East 10th Floor. East 10th Floor is the farthest and the highest.

When I went to Jinshanling Great Wall five or six years ago, this place was not open yet, and I always had a thought in my heart. This time I went to Gubei, known as the Wuzhen of the North, and climbed Simatai Great Wall by the way. I felt that I had finally gotten rid of a wish. Simatai is not that difficult to climb, but the scenery is not to be underestimated. There is no excessive commercialization, no guardrails on the steps, and the majesty and grandeur of the Great Wall can be seen at a glance.

Compared with other sections of the Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall is not well-known, so not many tourists visit it. However, this does not mean that its scenery is any worse than other sections of the Great Wall. It is just as spectacular. It is just that the development efforts are not as great, so the number of people going up is limited every day, and reservations must be made online in advance.

Simatai Great Wall is located at the junction of Miyun County, Beijing and Hebei, and is connected to the "Jinshanling Great Wall" in Hebei. It has always been a battleground for military strategists, and a dangerous pass that is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Many domestic and foreign tourists have chosen to hike from the Jinshanling Great Wall to the Simatai Great Wall, and then take a bus back to Beijing after leaving Simatai.
Now, after many repairs and the addition of a cable car, Simatai Great Wall has become a mature Great Wall scenic spot. However, there are still many dilapidated places that reveal the vicissitudes and dangers of history.

A place with few people is a good place with beautiful scenery. It is worth going. In addition, I deeply feel that the service industry level in Beijing is much higher than other places~

Personal experience, detailed comments~
Simatai Great Wall is now managed by the company of Gubei Water Town. If you only want to go to Simatai Great Wall, you need to make a reservation at least one day in advance because the number of visitors to Simatai Great Wall is limited to 1,200 people per day.
The reservation website is the official website of Gubei Water Town. You will receive a text message after the reservation is completed. You can go to the Great Wall ticket exchange office to exchange the ticket the next day.
We were two people, my friend and I. We set out from Liuli Bridge in the morning and took the Beijing-Chengde Expressway. There was a traffic jam on the road at 6:40 when we left, and it was around 9:00 when we arrived. The toll was about 100 yuan. Since we were students, we paid 20 yuan each and took the bus.
Arriving at the entrance of the Great Wall, we walked for a while to the foot of the Great Wall (it was written on the stone tablet that it took about 45 minutes, but it actually took me less than half an hour) and then started to climb the mountain. Because the Great Wall is on the ridge line, there is a section of uphill road first.
Since the Simatai Great Wall is under management, only the east 1-10 watchtowers are open. I happened to meet a guide at that time, and he explained in detail, from the different uses of the north and south walls to the specific functions and uses of various gaps on the wall, as well as the division of watchtowers. And the price of a guide is 100, which I think is very suitable. Several travellers can rent a guide to take them together.
The tour guide stopped at Building 5ヽ('⌒´メ)ノ. Because there are two cable cars, the first one is at Building 5 and the second one is at Building 8. But I think there is really no need. Because the open area is not dangerous at all!
It doesn't require much exercise. As long as you have the perseverance, most people can climb down.
We climbed back and forth without taking a break and finished the climb in less than two and a half hours. There were no steep places except for some small stones that needed to be watched carefully. Don't worry too much. But you must wear! Travel! Shoes! Otherwise, it will be really uncomfortable.
I saw many Chinese people climbing the Great Wall along the way. I thought that Simatai Great Wall was very famous, so there should be many foreigners like Mutianyu. But it turned out that Chinese people still made up the vast majority.
During the climb, you can get a bird's eye view of Gubei Water Town, which is an overly commercialized place with nothing interesting to do. Everything has to be bought with money.
But the fresh breeze on the top of the mountain cannot be enjoyed by those who have not climbed the mountain.

The overall feeling is OK. It is easier for the elderly and children to take the cable car because the slope is more dangerous.

The Simatai Great Wall is still very spectacular. If you don't go to Gubei Water Town and only go to Simatai, you must make an appointment on the official website in advance. You need to fill in your identity information when making an appointment, but the specific person was not checked when exchanging the ticket... Haha... Go when the weather is good, the scenery is still good, but it is steep. At present, Simatai only opens the "tower" at the back, and this section is enough to walk for a while. The supporting facilities of the scenic area are still quite complete. It is said that it is easy to go up the mountain but difficult to go down the mountain. For friends who don't want to return by the same route, you can take a road next to the 8th "tower" and take the cable car down the mountain.

Simatai Great Wall is behind Gubei Water Town. You can buy a combined ticket or go alone. Tickets are sold after 10 o'clock. Because it is very dangerous, people are divided into groups each time. There are a total of ten beacon towers. The further back you go, the more dangerous it is. It is a challenge for the brave. I went down at the sixth one. There is a cable car between the fifth and sixth. It costs 90 yuan per person. If you are lazy, you can take the cable car and go down in five minutes.

A precipitous wonder with good facilities. Don't take the cable car on windy days.

The time for online booking of Simatai Great Wall electronic tickets is 2 pm. This is the window for redeeming online booked Simatai Great Wall tickets. You can negotiate with the staff to go up the Great Wall in advance and take the shuttle bus up the mountain at 12:15. Here you can take the free minibus to the foot of the Great Wall.

You need to make a reservation to visit the Simatai Great Wall. We also made a reservation in advance. The batch booked at 2 pm, we arrived at the ticket office of the Great Wall at the entrance of the Gubei Water Town Scenic Area, 10 minutes before 3 pm, and watched the "last bus" leave. The staff at the ticket office said that it was time and there was no bus. We asked them if we could go in, and they said no. This made us very disappointed, thinking that we couldn't go. But in fact, after we walked into the Gubei Water Town Scenic Area, there was a battery car to the end of the water town, which is the entrance to the Great Wall Scenic Area. In this way, we spent 10 yuan to sit at the entrance of the Great Wall Scenic Area and buy tickets there to go in. This made us very emotional. Many scenic area staff have poor service awareness. They are unwilling to explain to tourists clearly what they can do. Their transportation bus does not pass through the water town scenic area, but they are also unwilling to tell you that you can go from the water town.
The Simatai Reservoir divides the Great Wall into two sections, the west section is not open, and the east section has 16 towers, but only 10 are open. There is a cable car to climb the Simatai Great Wall, which is more labor-saving. Because it is winter, which is the off-season, the cable car is not open, so I can only climb up. I walked for about 2 hours, of course, I walked all the way, took pictures all the way, and panted all the way to the No. 5 tower. The management staff did not allow us to go on. The mountain is closed at 4:30 pm in winter and tourists are driven down the mountain. It seems that the road above is steeper. If you walk to the No. 10 tower, it is estimated that it will take at least more than 3 hours. I wanted to take pictures of the sunset on the mountain, but I was driven down the mountain before 5 o'clock. The administrator kept urging everyone to go down the mountain. They also drove everyone down the mountain early so that they could go home after work. It is understandable that they went up the mountain in the morning and stayed on the mountain all day.

The one-arm Great Wall at Simatai is very dangerous! Be careful with your backpack when traveling!

It is recommended to take the cable car up, otherwise it takes a long time to climb... It feels quite dangerous, there are no guardrails, and some places are very steep, but it is very beautiful and spectacular.

Very good place, recommended to go. If there are elderly people, you can choose to take the cable car.

It is steeper than the Badaling Great Wall and there are fewer people. It takes about one and a half to two hours to climb the entire platform. You can see the clouds and mist, and the reservoir is beautiful. The air is super good.

The scenery is more beautiful than Badaling. It is more difficult to climb the 10 towers, but it is more enjoyable for those who like mountain climbing.

The dance on the unilateral wall is like flowing clouds, standing on the high hill and proud of China; could it be that Sifan was banished and ended up looking at the Wangjing Tower alone.
Wangjing Tower, Fairy Tower, single-sided wall, the most dangerous of all!
If you love the Great Wall, you can't miss it.
Also remember to take the side roads and don’t take the risk of going one way!

Simatai Great Wall is now part of Gubei Water Town Scenic Area, at one end of the water town scenic area. The Great Wall ticket is not included in the water town scenic area ticket, you have to buy a separate ticket, 40 yuan per person. There is a ticket office outside the entrance of the Great Wall, buy tickets here. After leaving the ticket office, go forward to the ticket inspection. There are two entrances inside, one entrance, you need to check your ticket, and the other is the exit. You have to check your ticket again when you leave the Great Wall scenic area. So you must keep your tickets.
We went there at around 8:00. The visitor center was not open at that time, so tourists who stayed outside the scenic area could not enter. Most of the tourists who stayed in the inn in the scenic area were still sleeping in, so when we entered the Great Wall scenic area at 8:20, there were not many tourists inside, and it was very quiet, which is also a big advantage of staying in the water town scenic area.
After the beginning of autumn, the mountainous areas in Beijing are particularly beautiful, and the beauty lies in the colorful forests. The road leading to the Great Wall is particularly beautiful. After walking for a while, you can see the map of the scenic area. After that, it is still a flat road with beautiful scenery. The Simatai Great Wall is divided into 10 sections, that is, 10 beacon towers.
You can choose to walk or take the cable car to climb the Simatai Great Wall. The one-way ticket of the Great Wall cable car is 90 yuan/person, and the round-trip ticket is 160 yuan/person. Guests staying in the inn in the scenic area have a discount for the round-trip ticket, which is 120 yuan/person.

I went there with the ticket to Gubei Water Town, which was good. It was not as high and difficult to climb as I imagined.

This is the most interesting part of the Great Wall I have climbed. It is dangerous, strange and steep. Come and try it once~

Simatai Great Wall requires reservations. Due to the rugged road and its dangerous reputation, in order to ensure the safety of tourists and reasonably control the flow of tourists visiting the Great Wall every day, reservations must be made at least one day in advance. We booked a 10am reservation, and there was a special car to pick us up at the ticket office of the Great Wall in the scenic area.
If you are afraid of getting tired when climbing Simatai Great Wall, you can take the cable car up for 160:00 yuan/person, and then walk down from No. 5 enemy tower to No. 8, 9, and 10 enemy towers. You can also go up to No. 8, 9, and 10 first and then go down to No. 5 building, and finally return to the cable car station.
One more thing: bring your own lunch!
Since there are no guard walls or handrails on both sides of the Simatai Great Wall, don't go up the Great Wall on windy days. It's very dangerous.

I booked a group ticket. It takes about 1.5 hours to go up by manpower. I didn't have enough time, so I had to take the cable car up and down. It is recommended to climb by yourself if you can. The scenery is still spectacular. Tickets are 40 yuan for adults and 20 yuan for children. The cable car is 160 yuan for adults and 80 yuan for children.

Simatai Great Wall is famous for its steepness and danger. If you are not in good physical condition, it is recommended to take a cable car to visit it, which is worth recommending.

The Little Great Wall is OK for occasional climbing, but I don't think the cable car is worth it. The price of the cable car, which takes less than five minutes, is more expensive than many attractions.

I've been there several times. It's a very nice scenic spot and worth a visit.
A very nice scenic spot, including Jiangnan Water Village and the Great Wall outside the Great Wall

After returning from Simatai, I only had one feeling: this is not climbing the Great Wall, it is playing with life! Before I start, I would like to give you some advice: cherish your life and stay away from the non-open areas of Simatai! In particular, do not try the single-sided walls on both sides of the Fairy Tower!
The Simatai Great Wall is located in the north of Simatai Village, Gubeikou Town, in the north of Miyun County, Beijing. The wall was built along the steep mountain and is famous for its uniqueness, uniqueness and danger. The Simatai Reservoir divides the Great Wall into two sections, east and west.

The best preserved Ming Great Wall, steep and spectacular. Make an appointment at least one day in advance to go to Simatai Great Wall. You cannot buy tickets without an appointment. ***This is the official website address of Shuizhen, where you can make an appointment for the Great Wall tickets. The maximum real-time tourist capacity of Simatai Great Wall: no more than 1,200 people (real-time) in normal weather, no more than 600 people in strong winds (wind speed ≥ 15 m/s), no more than 450 people in rainy and snowy weather, and no more than 220 people in thunderstorms.
The first group arrived at 10 o'clock. We exchanged tickets at the ticket reservation office and took a free minibus to the entrance of the Great Wall. There is a cable car at the entrance.

5 points for scenery, 2 points for service, and zero points for management! It took 30 minutes from buying tickets to getting on the scenic spot bus. There was only a 19-person minibus that was completely occupied by the scenic spots. The cable car was 90 yuan one way, which was too expensive! Going down the mountain was even more of a rip-off! If you don't take the scenic spot bus and walk down the mountain through the newly developed Gubei Water Town, you must buy a 150 yuan ticket. Otherwise, you have to wait for the scenic spot bus, which runs every half an hour to an hour...

Simatai Great Wall is close to the water town, and the gates on the left and right lead to different scenic spots. At the foot of the Great Wall, you can see the whole view of the water town, and there is a faint glow of the sunset.
Wangjing Tower is an excellent place to overlook the capital city. It is said that if you have a telescope, you can see Jingshan Park on clear days.

There are no walls on both sides. Some places are very steep and the width of some steps can only accommodate half a foot. When you climb to the No. 10 watchtower, there will be security guards watching and not letting you go because it is too dangerous and it is forbidden. I met a couple on the road. The girl hugged the boy and cried and climbed up and didn't dare to come down! If you don't go to the ancient town and only climb the Great Wall, you need to make an appointment one day in advance. If you buy a package ticket for the ancient town and the Great Wall, you don't need to make an appointment. It feels a bit like a bundled sale!

Although the colors of the Great Wall in winter are a bit monotonous, its momentum can be faintly seen through the ice and snow.
Simatai Great Wall is the only section of the Great Wall in my country that retains its original appearance from the Ming Dynasty. It has 20 watchtowers. Visitors can take a cable car, then walk to the East 8th Tower, walk from east to west to the East 2nd Tower and walk down the mountain. You can also choose to climb on foot, from the East 2nd Tower from west to east to the East 8th Tower, and then return the same way or take the cable car down the mountain.

Simatai Great Wall. Tickets are 80 yuan, student tickets are 40 yuan, there is a cable car, the cable car is 120 yuan per person, those who have never taken the cable car can do it.
The entrance to the Great Wall is more than 2,000 meters away from the real Great Wall. It is very far. I was exhausted after climbing the first beacon tower. I must save my energy to climb down. The steps are very small and very steep.

Compared with Jinshanling, Simatai is steeper but slightly shorter in total. I don't know if it's because of the off-season, but only the 8 beacon towers on the Simatai Reservoir side are open, and the other side of the reservoir, which is connected to Jinshanling, is completely closed.

Simatai Great Wall is just behind Gubei Water Town. You can climb the Great Wall directly after visiting the water town. There are two routes to climb the Great Wall, one is hiking, from Dongtai to Dongshitai; the other is a cable car, which goes directly to Dongbatai. The Great Wall retains a lot of "wild" appearance, with broken walls and ruins, and has not been repaired too much. In some places, the steps are steep, which is really dangerous. Climb to the top of the mountain, the view is excellent, and it should be better if you come in autumn. The reservation ticket is 40 yuan. You can buy tickets at the entrance of Gubei Water Town, and there is a shuttle bus to the foot of the Great Wall. The only problem is that the service is not good. We are a company group tour and take the cable car, but the cable car entrance ticket is only for individual tourists, and group tickets are only sold at the place where the reservation tickets are bought. When we bought the tickets, we asked specifically that they could be bought at the cable car entrance, but we were cheated, which resulted in a waste of an hour of our time to buy tickets back and forth.

There are almost no people here, which is a hundred times better than Badaling! But it is still difficult to climb, so please take a detour if you are not very mobile.

First of all, remember that you need to make an appointment at least one day in advance for the Simatai Great Wall. Otherwise, you can only buy a package ticket for the Great Wall and Gubei Water Town, and the water town is not very good.
I went there this time (April 5, 2015), and went back and forth within one day. The specific itinerary is as follows:
1. Take bus No. 980 from Dongzhimen to Miyun West Bridge (the whole journey takes about one and a half hours if there is no traffic jam)
2. Take bus 51 across the road to Shuizhen (the whole journey takes about one and a half hours). You can find the place to exchange tickets at the Shuizhen Tourist Service Center.
3. It took about one hour and twenty minutes to climb to Building No. 10 of the Great Wall.
4. It took forty minutes to return along the same route.
5. Take bus No. 51 back to Miyun Bus Terminal.
6. Arrive at Miyun Terminal at around 5:30 pm, and you can still take the 980 bus back to Beijing. (I don’t know if it will be later)
Most of this section of the Great Wall is very steep and not well developed, with no guardrails in many places. It was very windy on the Tianshan Mountain, and the wind made people stagger, which looked very dangerous.
The elderly, children and people with poor physical strength can just stroll around the water town and bask in the sun.