Great Wall at Simatai, Beijing, China

Standing: High
Rank: Rank 476 of 15,250

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

About Great Wall at Simatai

Simatai is a section of the Great Wall in the north of Miyun District, about 120 kilometres north-east of central Beijing, guarding the approach to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the wall. First built under the Northern Qi dynasty (550–577) and rebuilt in the reign of the Ming Hongwu Emperor, it runs for 5.4 kilometres with 35 beacon towers. It is part of the Great Wall UNESCO World Heritage Site. The section closed in June 2010 and has been open to visitors again since 2014.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source

What's inside

A valley divides the wall into two parts. The western part slopes gently, with 20 well-preserved watchtowers; the eastern part is much steeper, following cliff edges and peaks around a kilometre high, and open-air gondolas carry visitors part of the way up. The Heavenly Ladder climbs at an 80-degree gradient to the Fairy Tower, and the Sky Bridge, a 100-metre stretch as little as 40 centimetres wide, links it to the Watching-the-Capital Tower, the summit at 986 metres. Tower 12 is generally the last accessible tower.

Checked 2026-11-10 · Source