Historic site · BEIJING · UNESCO
Great Wall — Simatai
司马台长城 · Sīmǎtái Chángchéng
About
The only Great Wall section open at night, illuminated for atmospheric photography. Combine with Gubei Water Town. Wilder, ladder sections.
Simatai sits in Miyun District about 120 kilometres northeast of Beijing, on a ridge that drops steeply on both sides into forested valleys. The section was originally built during the Ming dynasty under General Qi Jiguang, who introduced innovations in Great Wall design including the dense watchtower placement and improved brick construction that characterise this part of the Wall. Simatai closed for restoration in 2010 and reopened in 2014 with a substantially rebuilt surface in combination with the purpose-built Gubei Water Town resort constructed below the ridge.
The most distinctive feature of Simatai, and the reason it occupies its own category among Wall sections, is its night opening. It is the only Wall section in China operated with evening illumination — lights run along the accessible portion of the ridge from dusk to 10pm, and the reflection of the lit Wall in the river channel below is the most frequently published night image of the Wall near Beijing. The night experience was created partly to serve Gubei Water Town, a heritage-themed hotel and restaurant resort modelled on a Qing-era water town, where many visitors stay overnight specifically to see the illuminated Wall.
The daytime Wall is also physically demanding — Simatai retains some of the steepest ladder-assisted sections of any accessible Wall segment, and several towers are accessible only via steep metal stairs. The westernmost sections are the most restored; further east the Wall becomes increasingly wild and eventually fenced off. A cable car serves the lower portion of the ridge. Combining an afternoon visit to the Wall with the night session and an overnight at Gubei is the conventional itinerary; day-trip visitors arriving after 3pm can catch sunset and the evening illumination.
How to get there
Direct tourist bus from Wangjing West to Gubei Water Town. Or hire driver from Beijing (~2.5 hours each way).
When to visit
Sunset to night for the illumination — combine with Gubei overnight.
Other attractions in Beijing
Other historic sites in China
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- Anqing Zhenfeng Pagoda安庆振风塔
A seven-storey Ming Dynasty pagoda standing on the bank of the Yangtze River in Anqing, considered one of the finest riverside pagodas in southern China and long used as a navigation landmark by Yangtze river pilots.
- Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City良渚古城遗址
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Hangzhou preserving the remains of a 5,000-year-old city with a sophisticated water-management system, jade ritual culture and social hierarchy — regarded as one of the earliest state-level societies in East Asia.
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬
UNESCO · UNESCO-listed capital cities and royal tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom in Jian, Jilin — the Chinese portion of a transnational heritage property shared with North Korea, representing one of the most powerful states of ancient East Asia.
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou (UNESCO)苏州古典园林
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- Danba Tibetan Watchtowers丹巴碉楼
Clusters of ancient stone watchtowers rising above Tibetan village complexes in the Dadu River valley, said to be among the oldest surviving examples of Tibetan defensive architecture.
- Drum Tower and Bell Tower鼓楼钟楼
Yuan-dynasty drum and bell towers that kept official time for imperial Beijing. Climbable; daily drum performances.
- Dujiangyan Irrigation System都江堰
UNESCO · 2,300-year-old irrigation system on the Min River. Still in use. UNESCO-listed jointly with Mt Qingcheng. Engineering rather than architecture, but one of the great works.
Other UNESCO World Heritage sites in China
- Ancient Villages of Southern Anhui — Xidi and Hongcun皖南古村落—西递、宏村
UNESCO-listed pair of Ming-Qing Huizhou merchant villages in southern Anhui, renowned for whitewashed walls, inky horsehead gables and moon-shaped ponds.
- Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City良渚古城遗址
UNESCO-listed archaeological site in Hangzhou preserving the remains of a 5,000-year-old city with a sophisticated water-management system, jade ritual culture and social hierarchy — regarded as one of the earliest state-level societies in East Asia.
- Badain Jaran Desert — Lakes and Dunes巴丹吉林沙漠—沙山湖泊群
UNESCO Natural World Heritage site in Inner Mongolia — the third largest desert in China, featuring some of the world's tallest stationary dunes and a unique network of freshwater and saline lakes sustained by a still-unexplained subterranean water system.
- Capital Cities and Tombs of the Ancient Koguryo Kingdom高句丽王城、王陵及贵族墓葬
UNESCO-listed capital cities and royal tombs of the Koguryo Kingdom in Jian, Jilin — the Chinese portion of a transnational heritage property shared with North Korea, representing one of the most powerful states of ancient East Asia.
- China Danxia中国丹霞
UNESCO Natural World Heritage site — a serial property of six Danxia landscapes across six provinces, representing China's defining red-cliff-and-pillar sandstone landform type, including Danxia Mountain, Zhangye, Taining and Langshan.
- Classical Gardens of Suzhou (UNESCO)苏州古典园林
UNESCO-listed collection of private gardens in Suzhou — four inscribed in 1997 and five more added in 2000 — representing the pinnacle of Chinese garden design through the refined integration of architecture, water, rock and plant.
- Couple's Retreat Garden耦园
UNESCO-listed Suzhou garden organised symmetrically around a central residence. Less crowded than the four most-visited gardens.
- Drepung Monastery哲蚌寺
Once the largest monastery in the world (10,000+ monks). 8 km west of Lhasa. Active Gelugpa monastery; debating courtyard sessions in the afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does Great Wall — Simatai cost to visit?
- Adult entry to Great Wall — Simatai is ¥40, ¥20 for children. Night entry separate ticket; cable car ¥120.
- When is Great Wall — Simatai open?
- Great Wall — Simatai opening hours: 8am–10pm. Night Wall sessions 5pm–10pm.
- How long do you need at Great Wall — Simatai?
- Allow 4–6 hours for Great Wall — Simatai. Add buffer time if you plan to visit at peak season or include nearby sights in the same trip.
- When is the best time to visit Great Wall — Simatai?
- Sunset to night for the illumination — combine with Gubei overnight.
- How do you get to Great Wall — Simatai?
- Direct tourist bus from Wangjing West to Gubei Water Town. Or hire driver from Beijing (~2.5 hours each way).
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