Great Wall at Juyongguan

Located 37 miles (59 kilometers) northwest of Beijing, the Great Wall at Juyongguan is at once the most conveniently located to the city and the most historically significant. Because of its position near Beijing, the section of wall at Juyongguan was of great strategic importance, and battles were fought here against invading Mongols, Jurchen and Japanese invaders over the years.

The renovated section of wall at Juyongguan requires climbing up steep and often uneven steps, but the views of the Badaling portion of the wall winding along the hilltops make it worthwhile. It is at Juyongguan that you’ll find Cloud Platform (Yun Tai), a white marble platform built during the Yuan Dynasty as the base for three stupas. While the stupas and the Buddhist temple built on the platform after them have since burnt down, you can still see carvings and inscriptions inside a tunnel in the platform.