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Simatai Great Wall and Jinshanling Great Wall

Brief Introduction of Simatai Great Wall
Simatai Great WallThe Simatai section of the Great Wall,  is located in the northeast of MiyunCounty, Beijing, 120 kilometers from the city center. Its construction started in Ming Dynasty. Simatai Great Wall is 5.4 km long with 35 beacon towers. Ingeniously conceived and uniquely designed, this section of Great Wall, inimitable and diversified, has incorporated the different characteristics of each section of the Great Wall.  There are many people considered that the Simatai Great Wall is the best section in the Great Wall.

The Great Wall Simatai is 5.4 km long with all together 35 watchtowers. As the east section of the Gubeikou defense line, this magnificent section features great strategic significance. Built hundreds of years ago, the Simatai Great Wall still retains all its original appearance. It not only incorporates a variety of styles of other parts of the 10, 000-li-long wall, but also displays some unique characteristics. This section of the Great Wall is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, ingenuous, and peculiar.

In the valley, the Simatai Great Wall is separated into two parts by the Simatai Reservoir, over which a chain bridge runs through east to west. Like two huge golden dragons, the two parts of the Great Wall wind down from the east and west mountains into the reservoir, forming a wonderful reflection of the magnificent Great Wall in the clear blue water.

Simatai Great WallThe Simatai Great Wall, with densely-dispersed watchtowers snaking along the mountain ridges, looks spectacular. On the hills with gentle slopes in the west, twenty watchtowers are well preserved. However, the west part of Simatai, where fifteen watchtowers densely cover the mountain peaks almost one thousand meters high, appears to be more breathtaking.

The watchtowers on the Simatai Great Wall exhibit a refined design and various structures, among which the most celebrated are the Wangjinglou(Watching Beijing Tower), where one can enjoy lights of Beijing at night in the distance, and Xiannulou(Angel's Tower), which is characterized by its exquisite structure,with no reference concerning its name origin.


Brief Introduction of Jinshanling Great Wall
Jinshanling Great WallJinshanling Great Wall is about 133 kilometers(82.5 miles) away from downtown Beijing, On the right is the full view of the Jinshanling Great Wall. Its east end connects to the Simatai Great Wall. Jinshangling Great Wall got its name because it was built on the bigger and the smaller Jinshan Mountain.

The Jinshanling Great Wall has two unique features: First, the density of the watch-towers. The Jianshangling Section Great Wall is 13 kilometers(8 miles) long but with 90 watch-towers. Such a density of the watch-towers is rarely seen on the entire length of the Great Wall.

The other feature is the "Barrier Wall". The Barrier Wall was built on the top inside the Great Wall, verticaland parallel to the battlements. The barrier Wall is 2.5 meters high with peep-holes and arrow holes on it. It served as the second barrier when the enemy had climbed up the Great Wall.

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