Beijing See: Mutianyu Great Wall Towers 14 to 20 (北京.慕田峪长城.敌楼14~20)

Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), located in Beijing, is a well-preserved section of the Great Wall of China (万里长城). It features 22 watchtowers spaced closely along its 5Km length, with an average height of 7-8 meters. The most popular and scenic parts of Mutianyu Great Wall are generally considered to be between Towers 14 and 20, offering panoramic views as the Great Wall snakes through the mountains.

Tower 14 — officially "No. 14 Watchtower (十四号敌楼)" — is a popular starting point due to its ease of access via cable car. Many visitors use the cable car to ascend the mountain to the upper station located near Tower 14.

Outside the upper Cable Car Station, visit the washrooms before beginning the hike as there are no washrooms on the Great Wall.

To the west, Mutianyu Great Wall snakes through the top of mountains before disappearing off the peak of the highest mountain. Five large words can be seen on the side of a mountain. Laid out using white rocks, it reads "忠于毛主席" or "Loyal to Chairman Mao". The mountains in Mutianyu are usually engulfed in fog or mist depending on the season, with very few days of clear morning sky in a year.

Heading towards Tower 20 to the west, the first structure is not No. 14 Watchtower, neither is it one of the designated "20 Towers" of Mutianyu — the structure could have been used for any other purposes in the old days. It is an easy downslope walk to the structure along the "carriageway" — so called as horse carriages were used to transport troops and goods on the flat and wide floor.

Exiting from the unknown-function structure, the walk continues downslope to an exit that is a shortcut to the Cable Car Station. Then, the carriageway leads to Tower 15, which is perched on the top of a nearby mountain.

Watchtowers are reinforced structures and are usually squarish with two floors. The lower floor has complex layout for defensive purpose and to limit damages from attacks. The top floor is usually an open space with embrasures, or "Archer Holes", in the side walls for archers to shoot at enemies while being protected by the stone walls. The top floor also functions as a beacon / signal platform.

No. 15 Watchtower (十五号敌楼) was used as a filming location for the Chinese movie <非诚勿扰II>, or "If You Are the One II", starred by Shu Qi (舒淇) and Ge You (葛优), in a sunset scene. This is a favourite spot for lovers to take photos of themselves at sunset.

The distance between Tower 15 and Tower 16 is probably the longest along this stretch of the Great Wall. When hiking on the great wall in the early morning, forward views are usually brightly-lit by the sun and clear. Looking back will look into the sun but it offers different scenic views.

Before reaching Tower 16 is a beacon tower used for signalling purpose. It is not one of the "numbered towers" of Mutianyu.

The top of the beacon tower offers a clear view of all the remaining towers from No. 16 to No. 20 — the last tower is up the side of a steep mountain. No. 16 Watchtower (十六号敌楼) is just 3 minutes' easy walk away.

After passing through Tower 16, look back again at the silhouette of the Great Wall against the sun.

At No. 17 Watchtower (十七号敌楼), visitors will probably notice that no two entryways leading to the watchtowers look identical due to the snaking walls and uneven floors — even though the watchtowers have similar design and construction. By the way, the four white poles perched on top of the towers are lightning arrestors.

No. 18 Watchtower (十八号敌楼) is an interesting tower offering two things to see.

One, it has a "Boundary Marker / Tablet" (界碑), a 80cm x 50cm white stone plague embedded in the wall. It was supposed to read "To the east lies the territory of Mutianyu and to the west lies the territory of Jia'erling (贾儿岭)" but the words are illegible now. Historically, both Tower 19 and 20 belonged to the Jia'erling section of the Great Wall.

Two, the "exit" of Tower 18 (leading towards Tower 19) is partially-blocked by a side wall — no reason is offered as to why the side wall was not properly-aligned with the doorway.

The view from Tower 18 gives a splendid view of the inclined Great Wall from Tower 19 to Tower 20.

No. 19 Watchtower (十九号敌楼) is a little different from other watchtowers so far. The lower floor offers splendid views of the Great Wall. To continue to Tower 20, visitors have to ascend to the top floor.

The final lap to Tower 20 is accessible from the top floor of Tower 19. It has steps all the way up to the top.

A stone marker about one-third of the way up the flight of steps identify the inclined walk as "好汉坡" — translated as "Hero Slope". It is a really steep climb and time to be a "true hero".

No. 20 Watchtower (二十号敌楼), also called Hero Platform (英雄台), stands at the top of the steps and is the highest point along Mutianyu Great Wall. The final flight of steps up the tower is about 60-degree inclined and many visitors have to climb on all four to get up. Once on the tower, look back down at the steep steps and feel the legs buckling.

Despite being designated as "No. 20 Watchtower", Tower 20 is actually a beacon tower rather than a watchtower. Behind the tower, further passage is sealed off with a security guard stationed here to ensure compliance. Looking at the steeper steps and lower side walls along the closed section, it makes sense that Mutianyu Great Wall ends here.

At elevation of 1,039 metres above sea-level, Tower 20 offers a splendid scenic view. The view may be misty in winter but the Great Wall is like a stone dragon sleeping on the misty mountains. In summer, it will be lying in a bed of lush green or gold in autumn.

To get down from Tower 20, use the sidewalk for safety, instead of walking down the steep steps, and avoid hindering others from coming up. During peak travel seasons when there are large crowds, it is advisable to take the sidewalk.

It takes about 1 hour to stroll from the Cable Car Station to Tower 20 and another hour to stroll back without working out a sweat. The noon sun will clear the mist and offer another opportunity to have clearer views of the Great Wall on the way back.

Before reaching No. 14 Watchtower (十四号敌楼), look back to see a clear full view of the western segment of the Great Wall before continuing to the middle segment (Towers 14 to 6).

There are two options to proceed from here:

1. Take a break here before continuing to Towers 14~6. There are washrooms and food stalls beside the Cable Car Station.

2. Descend by cable car and ascend again using chairlift to Tower 6 to skip the middle segment (Towers 14~6) — this is an expensive option.