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

The most popular and scenic western segment of Mutianyu Great Wall (慕田峪长城), from Towers 14 to 20, offers panoramic views of the Great Wall as it rides on the ridges of the mountains. This segment offers a steep Hero Slope (好汉坡) near Tower 20, the highest tower, to one end of the open section. Towers 21~23 are not open to visitors.

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. Majority of visitors will use the cable car to ascend the mountain to the upper Cable Car Station located near Tower 14 for the hike to Tower 20.

Exiting from the upper Cable Car Station, visit the restrooms before beginning the hike as there are no other restrooms between Tower 14 to Tower 20.

To the west, Mutianyu Great Wall rides on the ridges of mountains before disappearing off the peak of the highest mountain. Five large words can be seen on the side of a tall 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 in the morning depending on the season, with very few days of clear morning sky in a year.

Heading towards Tower 20, the first structure encountered is not No. 14 Watchtower, neither is it one of the designated "20 Towers" of Mutianyu — the "roofed structure", or pavilion, could have been used for any purposes in the old days. It is an easy downslope walk from the entry point (from Cable Car Station) to the pavilion. Tower 14 is not far away but in the opposite direction (see middle segment).

Exiting from the pavilion, the walk continues down a steep flight of steps to a gateway along the inner parapet wall. This is a shortcut to the Cable Car Station to skirt around the steep steps to the pavilion on the way back. Then, the walkway leads to Tower 15, perched on the top of the next peak.

The flat, wide walkway of the Great Wall is also known as "carriageway" — so called as horse carriages were used to transport troops and supplies in the old days.

Watchtowers are fortified structures and usually squarish or rectangular with two tiers — in the Mutianyu section. The lower-tier has complex layout for defensive purpose and to limit damages from attacks. The top-tier is usually an open platform with embrasures, or "Archer Holes", in the battlement walls for archers to shoot at enemies while being protected by the stone walls. The watchtowers also function as beacon / signal towers although there are dedicated beacon towers.

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 — be aware of the closing time of the scenic area.

The distance between Tower 15 and Tower 16 is probably the longest along the western segment of the Mutianyu Great Wall. When hiking on the Great Wall in the morning of early winter season, forward views are usually brightly-lit by the sun and clearer. Looking back will stare into the sun but it offers different views.

In the photo below, take note of the silhouette of Tower 14, and a sharp mound — an outer beacon tower (烽火台) — to its left, on the furthest mountain in the left side of the back drop. Use it as a reference to identify the tower when taking in the wide view from Tower 20 later.

Standing before Tower 16 is a built-in beacon tower used for signalling purpose. It is not one of the "numbered towers" of Mutianyu — although it is very similar to Tower 20.

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 on 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 serpentine passageway and uneven floors — even though the watchtowers may have similar design and construction. By the way, the four white poles standing on top of the towers are lightning arrestors.

No. 18 Watchtower (十八号敌楼) is an interesting tower offering two additional 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 probably belonged to the Jia'erling section of the Great Wall.

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

Tower 18 gives a splendid view of the inclined Great Wall from Tower 19 to Tower 20. The inclination does not look as steep as imagined.

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

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

A stone marker about one-third of the way up the flight of steps identify the inclined slope as "好汉坡" — translated as "Hero Slope". It is a steep upslope walk and time to be a "hero". However, this is the steepest part of the western segment, not of the whole Mutianyu Great Wall. The steepest part is in the eastern segment.

Tower 20 stands at the top of the steps and is the highest point along the Mutianyu segment of the 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 (二十号敌楼)", also called Hero Platform (英雄台), 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 parapet 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 early winter but the Great Wall is like a stone dragon sleeping on the misty mountains. It will be lying in beds of lush green and blossoms in spring and summer, gold in autumn and cotton-white in late winter.

When the mist cleared, visitors will be able to see the western segment of Mutianyu Great Wall from Tower 20 to Tower 14 (with its beacon tower). Those with sharp eyes will be able to pick out Towers 1 and 2 siting on the ridge of the next tallest mountain — Towers 13 to 3 have lower elevations and not possible to be seen from here.

To get down from Tower 20, use the side path for safety, instead of walking down the steep steps with trembling legs, and also to avoid hindering others from coming up. During peak travel seasons when it is crowded, it is advisable — may be mandatory — to take the side path down to Tower 19.

The hike from Tower 14 to Tower 19 is generally easy on gentle slopes with the only steep climb on the "Hero Slope". Among the western, middle and eastern segments of Mutianyu Great Wall, this western segment is considered "medium" in difficulty level.

It takes about 1 hour to stroll from the Cable Car Station to Tower 20 and another hour to stroll back without too much effort. The noon sun will clear the mist (in early winter) and offer another opportunity to have different views of the Great Wall on the way back.

Before reaching Tower 14, look back to take in a clear full view of the western segment of Mutianyu Great Wall before continuing to the middle segment.

And this completes the hike from Tower 14 to Tower 20 and back.

There are two options to proceed from here:

1. Take a break here before continuing to the middle segment (Towers 14~6). There are restrooms and food stalls beside the upper Cable Car Station.

2. Skip the middle segment by descending using cable car to the North Ticket-checking Gate and ascend again using chairlift, via the Cableway & Slideway Station, to Tower 6 for the eastern segment (Towers 6~1) — however, this is the most expensive option.

For general information on Mutianyu Great Wall, read:

Beijing See: Mutianyu Great Wall (北京.慕田峪长城)