2 Days Chenjiapu and Yangbian Great Wall Hiking
About 120 kilometers west of Beijing, there are pieces of the ancient Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as well as the country's largest ancient post station. With fewer visitors and a less commercialized feel, this area offers traces of the past without the crowds that constantly remind you that you're stuck in the present. This great hike covers two very remote and wild sections of the Great Wall: Chenjiapu Great Wall and Yangbian Great Wall. Chenjiapu Great Wall is located in Yanqing County, near to the border of Hebei Province. This is a really nice section of the Great Wall that is much less known than many other parts. Usually we will only meet a few hikers on the wall, sometimes nobody in sight. Yangbian Great Wall, located in the southeast of Huailai County, near Guanting Lake in the north, is built up in the early years of the Ming Dynasty by the Ming troops and basically constructed of stone. It was built to set template for the construction of the Great Wall, which is 2.5kms long and considered one of the best examples of the Ming dynasty Great Wall, hence the name "Yangbian".
Note: All the time and distance shown here are approximate and indicative only, if there is inconsistency, it will depend on the weather, local road condition and other actual situation.
We will meet at 8am and will arrive at the Chenjiapu Great Wall at about 11am.
Start our hiking from the first Tower named Dahei Lou in the Upper section of Chenjiapu Great Wall westwards to Daheigou in the Lower Chenjiapu. On the way we will pass through the General Tower, the Mandarin-duck Tower, and be amazed by the famous Hunchback curve (Luoguocheng). Some parts are completely overgrown, we have to bushwack through the growth on top of the wall to go ahead and stairs are dangerously crumbling, other parts have been fully restored. There are alternate routes around the steepest climbs allowing the hiker to adapt their activity to suit their hiking level. We`ll take our time climbing up and down and make sure that we have a relaxed and enjoyable visit. Sitting atop the watchtowers along the way, we could hear nothing but the wind.
This hike also offers excellent views of the surrounding mountains and the chance to see native wildlife in its natural habitat.
This is a great hike combine the best preserved Great Wall with fantastic mountain views and the countryside field with tiny villages. Located in the mountain near Miaogang village, Yangbian Great Wall is also called the Miaogang Great Wall. We will start the hike from Miaogang village. Get out of the village we will climb slowly along the abandoned country road up the mountain to the Yangbian Great Wall. Compared to the Great Wall around Beijing, Yangbian is comparatively "wild." It was built using stones and rocks in irregular shapes from the mountainside. After hundreds of years though, some parts of the Wall are broken, by both the weather and people who needed stones to build houses. We have time to take in the intriguing rock formations of the wall before trekking to view a huge dilapidated water gate. We stop for some lunch before continuing in the afternoon trekking through canyons and then up the country field until we arrive at a very small village called "Dayingpan". Here we have a chance to meet some of the local villagers before trekking down the mountain to meet our bus.
-End of Tour-
| Cancellation in advance | Cancellation penalty |
|---|---|
| More than 30 days | No Cancellation Fee |
| 30-10 days | 50% of the full payment |
| 9-0 days or no show | 100% of the full payment |
Enough films and batteries, Sun-cream with the protection index of 40-60, sunglasses with a sun protection factor of 15, the lip creams and balms with SPF rating, towel, toothpaste, electric torch, Snack foods.
Cloth that you bring must be warm enough and can be removed easy enough according to the weather, including Jacket, hat, Cotton underwear, Socks, Long-sleeve Shirts, T-shirts and Pants (Shorts are not appropriate at any time while hiking), comfortable shoes, rain gear (long rain coat is better)
Medicine: In addition to the normal medications for traveling, just like the Aspirin and medicine for diarrhea, siriasis，sunstroke and carsickness.
US$ is acceptable only in a very limited range, e.g. tips. However, for convenience, Chinese currency is the best choice. If you want to change US$ to Chinese currency in the tour, you can change it in the Hotel you stay or in the Bank of China. You could draw cash only from Bank of China in the big city, the ATM there doesn't always work properly and the bank is not easy to find. Please bring some cash at hand to use.
a) Eating is an important part of your China experience. Generally breakfasts are included in the itinerary and offered by hotels. CAT recommends local Chinese restaurants that are popular with local people for lunch. You can order dishes with the help of your guide. We usually leave dinner for your own choice — Western food can be found in most large cities.
b) We have tried to arrange various food in different cities. But you may still think the food is simple and not as delicious as in the big cities especially while trekking in the mountains and villages. If you have any priority of the food (eg. If you are vegetarian or you are allergic to MSG, peanut oil, fish and peanut, etc) please inform us early, we will try to alternate the food accordingly. At the same time please prepare some of your favorite snacks and substitution food in case of need.
c) Meals in the home stays will be different from the cities but clean, which leave you a good chance to experience the ethnic minority culture. We will pack a breakfast for you of cold cereal, milk, toast, fruit, and jam for the home stay.
d) It is very important to drink a lot of water and eat enough fruit in your tour especially while trekking in the mountains and villages. You are advised not to drink tap water.
Hotels in China are bound by Government laws which mean that air conditioning is switched on nationally in May and the central heating in November (this may vary slightly depending on the region).
In some remote areas, sometimes shower maybe not available in the home stay. A married couple is not allowed to share a room in the Miao's home-stay due to the local customs.
It is customary to tip service providers in the travel industry in Asia, depending on the service. Tipping is expected — though not compulsory — and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Recommendations for tipping drivers (5-8 USD per person per day as a guideline) and local guides (8-15 USD per person per day as a guideline) would depend on the quality and length of the service.
We use comfortable sedans or vans with air-conditioning. The comfort and safety of our customers is of utmost importance, so we ensure that all of the vehicles we use are well maintained and always very clean. Our drivers take pride in their vehicles.
In some provinces with many minorities (like Guizhou, Guangxi, Tibet, Xinjiang and etc.), the customs and habits of local people are different from place to place. The local guide will inform you what should care. Respect the local customs and religions. The people are very kind and hospitable. You can feel free to talk with them. But there are some rulers you should go by!
a. Do not photo them without getting the permit, please show the respect to them!
b. Don't talk the sensitive topics like the political and the religion matters!
When you sign up for the trekking tour, you acknowledge that there are risks involved in trekking in high altitude and confirm that you are fully aware of and accept these risks. It is customer's responsibility to determine whether the tour he/she choose is suited to his/her physical condition. Customers are responsible for the cost of any medicines or medical care they may require during the trip for any reason. Please make sure you have adequate personal medical insurance to meet any medical emergency which might arise. In some cases, if you need medical care during the tour, you may be required to pay for it at the time it is rendered and seek reimbursement from your insurer after you return home. Please check with your medical insurer for details. In the event of a medical emergency, we will make every effort to assist you in obtaining necessary care. Also, please tell us in writing if you suffer from any allergies or other physical conditions which might affect you during the tour (if you hasn't tell us in writing before going, you are supposed to be healthy enough to take the tour). Finally, please check with your doctor to find out what inoculation may be recommended for the areas you will be visiting. It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary inoculations. We reserve the right to decline to accept any person as a member of the tour, or to decline to retain any person, if such person's physical condition, mental well-being or behavior interferes with the operation of the tour. There will be no refund in such cases.