The most dangerous section of the Great Wall will inaugurate the first tourist route

BEIJING — The Jiankou Great Wall, one of the most dangerous sections of the Great Wall, will launch its first tourist route this year, opening a segment previously off-limits to the public, according to authorities in Beijing’s Huairou district, where it is located.

The route that will be opened to the public is the segment between defense towers 141 and 145. Zhang Tong, an official with the Huairou Culture and Tourism Bureau, said the route was opened to show archaeological and restoration achievements and to guide to the public in “legally visiting the Great Wall.”

The Jiankou section is one of the most dangerous parts of the Great Wall, attracting daredevil hikers. Its name, “Jiankou”, is derived from its aerial shape, which resembles a drawn bow. However, occasional casualties of hikers have been reported over the years.

Since 2016, the Jiankou Great Wall has been undergoing protective restoration and has not been open to the public.

Originally built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and restored in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Jiankou Great Wall connects with the Mutianyu Great Wall to the east and the Huanghuacheng Great Wall to the west.

The Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with many interconnected walls. The Great Wall is China’s largest-scale cultural heritage site, with walls spread across 15 provincial-level regions, some sections dating back 2,000 years.