Jiaoshan

Chinese: 焦山
Pinyin: Jiāo shān
English: Horned mountain
Coordinates: 40°1'59"N 119°47'41"E

Heading northwest from Shanhaiguan, the first mountain in the path of the Great Wall is called Jiaoshan. The Great Wall ascending this mountain is known by the same name.

Starting near the base of the mountain, where you will purchase a ticket to enter Jiaoshan, you will find a span of about 0.6 kilometers (0.4 miles) of restored Great Wall. At 40° 2'20.5"N 119°43'48.1"E, you will reach the end of the restored span. You must exit the wall here. There is a path where you can walk alongside it and soon you will find the opportunity to get back onto the wall if you wish. However, this area is not open officially. It is also fragile and care is needed not to cause any damage. If you continue you will find more barricades but none of them are completely secure.

The end of the restored Great Wall at Jiaoshan

Once you reach the summit of Jiaoshan, you will enjoy a fantastic view if the weather is clear. You can see all the way past Shanhaiguan to the ocean to the southeast. To the west you can see much of the Yansai lake reservoir. And to the northeast, you can see the Great Wall as it makes its way towards Sandaoguan. Continuing to hike from here to Sandaoguan is difficult and dangerous, but possible.

Location summary: Jiaoshan is about 286 kilometers (178 miles) east of downtown Beijing. The path of the Great Wall from Jiaoshan to Sandaoguan is about 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles).

Driving directions: From Shanhaiguan, take North Street to Jiaoshan Road and drive north for 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) to the Jiaoshan Great Wall.

Shanhaiguan hike: Walking from Laolongtou to Jiaoshan

Laolongtou (Old Dragon's Head), Shanhaiguan, and Jiaoshan are all within walking distance of each other. They cover the span across the coastal plain from the sea to the first mountain range to the west. Walking along the Great Wall from Laolongtou to Jiaoshan is very interesting. The walk is on level ground until you reach Jiaoshan, and is not particularly difficult or dangerous.

The path of the Great Wall from Laolongtou to Shanhaiguan is about 6.4 kilometers (4 miles) in length. The path of the Great Wall from Shanhaiguan to Jiaoshan is about 3.3 kilometers (2.1 miles). So the total distance to walk from Laolongtou to Jiaoshan is about 9.7 kilometers (6.1 miles). The walk can easily be completed within one day, so you can feel free to take extra time to explore at either end of the hike or at points along the way.

You will be walking on and alongside original, unrestored walls for most of this hike. As always, it's important to be careful not to damage the structures in any way.

Most people will want to start at Laolongtou and walk to the northwest, since this makes your starting point the well-defined end (or beginning) of the wall at the sea. But there is no good reason not to take this walk in a southeastward direction.

Starting from Laolongtou and walking along the top of the wall, the path to the original wall is blocked, and so you have to reach the old wall by leaving the Laolongtou area, walking across Haikou Road, and then rejoining the wall on the northwest side of the road. The road tunnels through the wall, and here you can walk up to the wall on the side of the road opposite the sea and Laolongtou. There are paths to allow you to walk up onto the wall from either side, although the northeast side is somewhat easier. There is a small parking lot across from the beach where taxis park right up alongside the wall. Walk to the back of this parking lot to find the easiest trails that access the wall leading towards Shanhaiguan. The paths here actually go through the location of an old fortress. If you look closely, you can detect the walls of this fortress. You will reach the wall at 39°58'20"N 119°47'40"E, and from there you will begin walking to Jiaoshan via Shanhaiguan.

After walking about 600 meters (2000 feet), you will reach a point where a road crosses the wall, at 39°58'36"N 119°47'27"E. Beyond this point, the wall is too highly deteriorated to walk on comfortably. Walk along the road along the left (southwest) side of the wall. Walk along the roads closest to the wall for about 450 meters (1500 feet). You will bypass about 290 meters (950 feet) of the wall and rejoin at the next road crossing at 39°58'44"N 119°47'19"E. From here you can walk along the top of the wall for about 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) until you near the railroad tracks. Exit the wall just before you reach the tracks, at 39°59'56"N 119°46'15"E, where the wall actually dead ends. Walk on the right (northeast) side along the road and cross the bridge over the railroad tracks. Don't try to rejoin the wall on the other side of the tracks. Walk along Guancheng East Road for about 900 meters (2950 feet) and then turn left and walk southwest on the S048 Guancheng South Road. Proceed alongside the Shanhaiguan city wall for 950 meters (3120 feet) and then turn right and walk through the gate in the city wall. Go north on South Street and walk for 1350 meters (4430 feet) to the north gate. The street becomes North Street at the roundabout in the center. After you pass through the north gate, it becomes Jiaoshan Road. Continue for about 300 meters (980 feet) and then turn right on Guancheng North Road. After about 225 meters (740 feet), the road crosses the wall. Just before reaching the wall, you will find a path on the left (north) side of the road that leads up onto the wall. After 600 (1970 feet), you will reach a short restored section that includes a bridge over the highway. Beyond the highway, you can continue for about 1350 meters (4430 feet) before the wall is fenced off when you reach the Jiaoshan area. Here you will need to turn left (west) and enter Jiaoshan through the tourist gates.

Walking up the Jiaoshan Great Wall, you will eventually reach a point where the wall is blocked and you must exit to a trail alongside. You can call this the end of your walk, or you can continue, although the danger level increases as you proceed. Follow the trail and you will find a way to rejoin the wall. Soon you will reach another fence which was previously the end of the tourist area before the end was moved south to its current limit. You will need to climb around this old fence on its right side to continue along the wall. From here, you can walk all the way to the summit of Jiaoshan. Walking further, towards Sandaoguan, is possible but is significantly more dangerous. The wall is very narrow and the terrain is extremely steep.

Jiaoshan Great Wall map