How to get to Hefangkou Great Wall

Hefangkou Great Wall is located at Hefangkou village, Huairou county, about 75km (46miles) away northeastern of Beijing. Hefangkou is quiet, easily accessible, yet it attracts far less visitors than Badaling Great Wall. It’s a ideal site for hiking and short excursions. Originally built during the North Qi Dynasty (550-577), most of the Walls were rebuilt during the Jiaqing reign of the Ming dynasty. It’s about 20km (13miles) in length with 23 watchtowers. Hefangkou is famous for its jagged cliffs and steep drop-offs. This kind of ‘wild’ bit of the Wall is best done via a tour, or hiring a vehicle. If you are adventurous, you do it by public transport. In my opinion, how you actually do it probably depends on your budget.

By Car

Hiring a private car getting to Hefangkou is a good choice if your budget is not tight and want to avoid the crowds and traffic. If you are travelling with 3 or 4 people, this way is really good value for your money.

By Bus

Alternatively, Bus 936 is a good option to visit Hefangkou Great Wall. Bus 936 from Dongzhimen Outer that runs daily between 7:00am-19:00pm is the fastest, most direct way to reach Hefangkou by bus so far. It takes around 2 hrs or 2.5 hrs from Dongzhimen Outer to Hefangkou and it costs around 4.8RMB by using Beijing IC Card/commuter pass and the full price is around 14RMB. Be sure to get off at Qinglongxiadaokou bus station where you can walk to Hefangkou.

Where is the 936 bus station in Beijing?

How to get by bus to 936 Hefangkou , Great Wall hiking, camping936 bus station is on the outside bus transfer depot at Dongzhimen Outer, which is also next to Mutianyu 867 bus station. The bus transfer depot is just outside of exit B of Dongzhimen Line 2 subway staion. There are signs, in English, throughout the subway station pointing you toward the bus transfer depot and exit B. Most of the buses are inside bus transfer depot in a massive building. 

While 936 bus station is on the outside bus transfer depot and a little bit difficult to find. The easiest way to find it is to go to the main entrance of Dongzhimen Outer bus transfer depot then walk anticlock wise around the block until you get to the another bus station. Luckily, you can get there from Dongzhimen subway station within 20 minutes on foot.

Related Tours: Gubeikou to Jinshanling Hike
                         Jiankou Hiking plus Mutianyu Toboggan Ride 
Related Links:  How to Get to Mutianyu by Bus
                         How to Get to Badaling       
                         How to Get to Ming Tombs and Sacred Way
                         How to get to Huanghuacheng
                         How to get to Wonderland            

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

936 bus sign

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

Hefangkou Great Wall is largely restored, but less crowded.

 

 Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

Telegraph poles on the Wall

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

The watchtower is in a good condition.

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

Miss Zhang seels water and cucumber at Hefangkou, she told me some interesting stories of Hefangkou Great Wall, What a change!

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

The trail towards Hefangkou Great Wall.

 

Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

The trail towards Hefangkou is near the guesthouse.

 

 Hefangkou Great Wall, Simatai, Jinshanlingl hiking ,camping guide

Your turn

Do you have a question? What do you think about it? If you’ve enjoyed this article, I’d ask that you share it with a friend or consider leaving a comment below. As always, your thoughts and opinions matter, so feel free to leave them below. We’d love to hear from you!

Beijing to open Huanghuacheng, Hefangkou Great Wall sections to tourists

Hefangkou Great Wall, great walll hiking, camping

Renovation at Hefangkou

Beijing authorities said on June 8, Saturday that the city will open two new parts of the Great Wall to tourists to accommodate the mounting number of tourists.

The Great Wall sections of Huanghuacheng and Hefangkou and further extend the lengths of Mutianyu and Badaling sections in the capital’s northern suburbs will be opened to public, said Kong Fanzhi from Beijing’s cultural relics bureau. No specific dates were given.

Hefangkou Great Wall is located at Hefangkou village, Huairou county, Northeasten of Beijing,  about 75km (46miles) away from Beijing proper. Hefangkou were built during the North Qi Dynasty (550-577), but most of the Walls we can see today were rebuilt during the Jiaqing reign of the Ming dynasty. With the length of 20km (13miles), 23 watchtowers, Hefangkou is famous for its jagged cliffs and steep drop-offs. It’s a ideal site for hiking and short excursions.

Kong said that the new measures were aimed at reducing the load on the existing four public Great Wall sections that are currently open to tourists in Beijing such as Badaling, Mutianyu, Shuiguan and Juyongguan. The existing four public Great Wall sections are in good condition and often overloaded on weekends and holidays.

The 21,196 kilometers of Great Wall in China is a series of fortifications built over many dynasties starting 2,200 years ago to protect the country’s ancient empire.

Hefangkou Great Wall

Among 629 kilometers long Walls in Beijing, 600 kilometers of them form part of the “Wild Great Wall” such as Jinshanling, Gubeikou and Jiankou. Unlike the restored Badaling Great Wall, Wild Great Wall remains steep slopes and majestic scenery that is a good option for adventurous tourists and photographers every year who want a “different” experience. They are the sites for excursions, hiking, trekking, climbing and shooting photos.

According to Wang, an official on cultural relics protection with the bureau, new sections were also found covered in bush or blocked behind higher walls during the survey. The city is building a Great Wall database, which will be open to the public.

Your turn

Do you have a question? What do you think about it? If you’ve enjoyed this article, I’d ask that you share it with a friend or consider leaving a comment below. As always, your thoughts and opinions matter, so feel free to leave them below. We’d love to hear from you!