Jiankou, China

Where Mutianyu was beautifully restored, Jiankou is completely wild and ruined. Traversing steep ridges through dense vegetation, Jiankou is one of the most dangerous sections of the Wall. The bricks are broken, the walls collapsed and the path often vanishes before it reappears again. It is a wildly adventurous section, almost on par with Simatai. 

The most exciting part of this Wall is the Eagle Flying Tower. Built on steep cliffs, the Wall has near vertical steps on both sides of the peak. On the left side the path requires scrambling up crumbled walls and endless sections of rubble. On the right side the descending stairs, known as Heavenly Ladder, lean at 85-degrees angle.

They are so narrow at the top that only one person could pass at a time. Each step is shallow horizontally and deep vertically, making it difficult to climb down. It would be easier getting down in a sitting position than standing up.

Several towers are engulfed by trees, their canopies peeking through the broken rooftops that once served as battlements. Once again I marvel at the structure and try to imagine the many workers that toiled in all kinds of weather conditions building this.

So much of Jiankou has been dilapidated that between 2015-2019 a huge repair project was undertaken. A half mile (750m) long section was faithfully restored, focusing on strengthening the walls, fixing broken bricks and clearing the dense thicket. A few trees that have grown through the bricks have been left there whilst others were removed to clear the path. 

What raises my curiosity though are the two Mandarin signs that say “No Tourists” whilst at the same time there are signs dotted along the path directed at tourists. Another question is, why do the restoration if it’s not geared at tourism? The answers are elusive but there is no doubt that Jiankou is an explorer’s paradise.