Located in the mountainous area of Tianjin's
northern Ji County, the Huangyaguan Great Wall was first built during the
Northern Qi Dynasty (550 - 557) and repaired in large scale with bricks
during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). When appointed as the chief commanding
officer in the Ji Garrison (one of the eleven garrisons of the Ming Dynasty),
Qi Jiguang added watch towers and other defensive works.
The Huangyaguan Great Wall comes out first in the ten most-visited sites in Tianjin. It is considered to be a miniature of the Great Wall. The entire section is built on an abrupt mountain ridge. Being endowed with both natural beauty and cultural interest, it has become famous as a natural beauty spot and a summer resort. The major scenic area is composed of Huangyaguan Pass and Taiping Mountain Stronghold.
Huangyaguan Pass: In 1984, the people of Tianjin spent three years repairing 3,308 yards of the main wall from Banlagang Mountain in the east to Wangmaoding Mountain in the west. They restored 20 terraces, the Huangyaguan Water Gate, and the Bagua Castle (the Eight Diagrams Castle). The defensive system of the wall is complete. Watch towers, frontier cities, drain holes, emplacements, barracks and other indispensable military facilities are arranged orderly along the wall. Besides, the stele forests of the Great Wall, Beiji Temple, the exhibition hall of famous couplets, the Great Wall Museum (the first museum along the Great Wall) and the Phoenix Fortress have been newly built within the area.
Taiping Mountain Stronghold: Six miles northwest of Huangyaguan Pass and built 437 yards to 547 yards above sea level, the stronghold is located in Xiaopingan Village. It controls the Chongshan Valley east of Huangyaguan Pass City. Qi Jiguang's stone statue and a tower were erected by twelve widows from this area.
Huangyaguan Great Wall welcomes tourists from all over the world, including many runners, who participate in the annual international marathon race.
Admission Fee: CNY 35 (Nov.1 - Feb.28)
CNY 40 (Mar.1 - Oct.31)