[2025 Shanyin Attraction] Travel Guide for Guangwu Great Wall (Updated Mar)

The Guangwu section of the Ming Great Wall is located in Shanyin County, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. Built in the seventh year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (1374 AD), it is 10,000m long, 6–8m high, 5m wide at the base, and 3m wide at the top. It is one of the most complete brick-covered sections of the Ming Great Wall still standing in China, and a truly authentic ancient Great Wall. It features the iconic "Moon Gate," the ruins of an enemy tower that has been restored using modern 3D modeling and printing technology.

It was a trip to Shuozhou, China 🇨🇳 While most people visit the main Yungang Grottoes in Datong, we explored the Northern Grottoes Group in Shuozhou, which offers a quieter but equally stunning experience 😍 The best time to visit is 8:00–10:00 AM ☀️ when the morning light softly highlights the intricate carvings and massive Buddha statues. We then explored Shuozhou Ancient City Wall, one of the best-preserved city walls in northern China 🙌 The structure’s imposing grey bricks and massive gates are best captured between 10:30–11:30 AM ⛅️ when the sunlight enhances the textures of the walls and the surrounding landscape. The views from the top are fantastic 💯 📍Shuocheng District, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China For breathtaking history and landscape shots 📸 we visited the Guangwu Great Wall, one of the wild, unrestored sections of the Great Wall. The rugged beauty of this section, combined with the 3:00–4:00 PM golden light ✨ made for some truly cinematic shots. It’s a must-visit for history and adventure lovers 😍 📍Guangwu Village, Youyu County, Shuozhou, Shanxi, China We ended our day at Zhenwu Temple, a beautifully preserved Taoist temple with intricate wood 🪵 carvings and golden statues. The 6:30–7:30 PM sunset bathed the temple in warm hues, creating a serene and picturesque scene 💯 #discoverchina #travel #Vacation

Hey guys! Here's a 6-day itinerary for exploring the wonders of Xinzhou, Datong, and Shuozhou! This is all you need to know to explore these three places! -- 🏃Itinerary: Day 1: Chengdu—Linfen—Pingyao Depart from Chengdu, arrive in Linfen, and then head to Pingyao. On the first day, you'll travel across three provinces and experience the customs of different regions. Enjoy free time in the evening in Pingyao Ancient City and experience the nightlife of the ancient city. Day 2: Mount Wutai Spend the whole day visiting Mount Wutai, visiting temples, experiencing Buddhist culture, enjoying the tranquility of the mountains, and feeling the cleansing of your soul. Day 3: Yungang Grottoes Head to the Yungang Grottoes to explore the thousand-year-old Buddhist art treasures, appreciate the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient craftsmen, and feel the weight of history and the inheritance of culture. Day 4: Guangwu Great Wall Climb the Guangwu Great Wall, enjoy the scenery of the frontier, feel the grandeur of the Great Wall and the vicissitudes of history, and experience a different kind of Great Wall tour. Day 5: Wang Family Courtyard Visit the Wang Family Courtyard, learn about Shanxi merchant culture, appreciate the exquisite architecture and ingenious layout of the courtyard, and feel the charm of traditional family culture. Day 6: Linfen—Chengdu Depart from Linfen, return to Chengdu, and end your pleasant trip to Shanxi. Return home with a wealth of memories. -- Tips: - Food: Shuozhou lamb offal and Datong knife-cut noodles are authentic Shanxi flavors you won't want to miss! 🍜 - Local customs: Experience Buddhist art at the Yungang Grottoes in Datong, and enjoy paper cutting and temple fairs in Xinzhou. 🎉 - Souvenir prices: Datong coal carvings are unique souvenirs, and Xinzhou Shenchi mooncakes are sweet and delicious. Both are reasonably priced, so take some home! 🎁 - Airport transportation: Datong Airport is convenient, so plan your route in advance for a more worry-free trip. 🚗 -- We left our footprints under the ancient city walls of Datong; our laughter echoed in the beautiful mountains and rivers of Xinzhou; and the customs of Shuozhou warmed our journey. 🎉 Although the journey is over, the beautiful memories will last forever! 🎉

|The unique "Moon Gate". The Guangwu Ming Great Wall winds along the mountain ridge, rising and falling with the twists and turns of the mountain, like a dragon with no visible head or tail. It is entirely made of brick and stone, with 16 enemy towers, 5 of which are still well preserved. It also has a waist gate and other buildings that are easy to defend and attack. It is located east of Yanmenguan, west of Ningwu Old City, south of Wutai Scenic Area, and north of Yungang Grottoes. It is a representative of the Ming Great Wall in Shanxi Province and a treasure among the Great Walls in China. The Guangwu Ming Great Wall has a beautiful relic called the "Moon Gate". It was originally an enemy tower. After hundreds of years of wind and rain, only an arch-shaped wall remains. Its shape is like a half moon, so it is called the "Moon Gate". The "Moon Gate" is a landmark of the Guangwu Ming Great Wall and attracts many tourists to check in. It not only shows the exquisite craftsmanship of ancient buildings, but also witnesses the vicissitudes of history. Free admission, but you need to take a "shuttle bus" to get there. Private cars are not allowed.

The Guangwu Ming Great Wall stretches over ten thousand meters in length, with a height of six meters, a base width of five meters, and a top width of three meters. It meanders along the mountain ridges, rising and falling with the undulations of the terrain. The entire structure is made of bricks and stones, with watchtowers on top, some of which are still well-preserved. Additionally, the wall features strategically advantageous structures such as waist gates. It is bordered by Yanmen Pass to the east, overlooks the old city of Ningwu to the west, connects to the scenic area of Wutai to the south, and reaches the Yungang Grottoes to the north, making it a precious part of the Great Wall in China. There is a Moon Gate on the wall, located above the enemy tower of the third section of the Guangwu Great Wall. It is named for its unique arch shape and the marvelous sight of moonlight passing through it. It was built by Li Jingyuan, the Inspector-General, in the thirty-third year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty.

Ming Guangwu Great Wall, less than a ten-minute drive from Yanmen Pass, features the famous Moon Gate and is a sacred spot for many outdoor enthusiasts. To get to Ming Guangwu Great Wall from Dai County, one must pass through the renowned Yanmen Pass Eighteen Bends, a route with magnificent scenery that is even better than that of Yanmen Pass. The road conditions are not difficult, but there are many large vehicles, and caution is needed when merging, especially in winter. I set out early in the morning, and when I reached the mountain, fog had set in, making for a heart-stopping drive. Later, I followed behind a large truck, placing myself under its 'protection'. Ming Guangwu Great Wall does not charge an entrance fee, but it feels like it won't be long before they do. In winter, the road up the mountain is covered with thick snow, and cars can only go as far as the parking lot. Beyond that, it's impossible to drive. It takes about fifteen minutes to walk from the parking lot to the Moon Gate, which is a scenic area road. From the Moon Gate, you can walk on the authentic Great Wall all the way to Baicaokou, about ten kilometers, which is quite challenging. It is not recommended to go alone, as there is no signal. If anything happens, you are truly in the vast wilderness. The Moon Gate is beautiful, even though it is a replica. The original one collapsed a few years ago due to erosion. Despite being a replica, it doesn't feel out of place at all. From the Moon Gate, you can see the huge statue of Emperor Wu of Han at the foot of the mountain, with Wei Qing and Huo Qubing beside him, and behind the statues is a group of Han tombs, burying the border soldiers from a thousand years ago. There are many enemy towers and beacon towers here, and some enemy towers can still be entered, especially the one at Baicaokou Village, also known as Changsheng Fort. Its history is even older than Yanmen Pass. Standing on the enemy tower and looking at the ancient beacon towers intersecting with the modern highway creates a unique atmosphere. Compared to Yanmen Pass, I personally prefer this place, the Great Wall that is even more fascinating than Yanmen Pass.

🇨🇳 • 《长城》(北齐·明朝) BREAD You know that, by the institution of nature, bread has been assigned him for provision and food; and that, as an addition to this blessing, he should never want the means to get bread. Accordingly, from the beginning he invented the smith’s art, and husbandry to manure the ground, that it might yield him corn; he invented arms and the art of war to defend corn; physic and astronomy, with other parts of mathematics which might be useful to keep corn a great number of years in safety from the injuries of the air, beasts, robbers, and pruloiners; he invented water, wind, and handmills, and a thousand other engines to grind corn and to turn it into meal; leaven to make the dough ferment, and the use of salt to give it a savour; for he knew that nothing bred more diseases than heavy, unleavened, unsavory bread. He found a way to get fire to bake it; hour-glasses, dials, and clocks to mark the time of its baking; and as some countries wanted corn, he contrived means to convey some out of one country into another. He had the wit to pimp for asses and mares, animals of different species, that they might copulate for the generation of a third, which we call mules, more strong and fit for hard service than the other two. He invented carts and waggons to draw him along with greater ease; and as seas and rivers hindered his progress, he devised boats, galleys, and ships (to the astonishment of the elements) to waft him over to barbarous, unknown, and far distant nations, thence to bring, or thither to carry corn. Besides, seeing that when he had tilled the ground, some years the corn perished in it for want of rain in due season, in others rotted or was drowned by its excess, sometimes spoiled by hail, eat by worms in the ear, or beaten down by storms, and so his stock was destroyed on the ground; we were told that ever since the days of yore he has found out a way to conjure the rain down from heaven only with cutting certain grass, common enough in the field, yet known to very few, some of which was then shown us. I took it to be the same as the plant, one of whose boughs being dipped by Jove’s priest in the Agrian fountain on the Lycian mountain in Arcadia, in time of drought raised vapours which gathered into clouds, and then dissolved into rain that kindly moistened the whole country. Our master of arts was also said to have found a way to keep the rain up in the air, and make it to fall into the sea; also to annihilate the hail, suppress the winds, and remove storms as the Methanensians of Troezene used to do. And as in the fields thieves and plunderers sometimes stole and took by force the corn and bread which others had toiled to get, he invented the art of building towns, forts and castles, to hoard and secure that staff of life. On the other hand, finding none in the fields, and hearing that it was hoarded up and secured in towns, forts, and castles, and watched with more care than ever were the golden pippins of the Hespe