Jiankou

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jiankou (Chinese: 箭口，箭扣; pinyin: jian kou) is a section of the Great Wall of China located in the Huairou District 73km north of Beijing. The Jiankou section of the Great Wall of China is located between the Mutianyu--ten kilometers to the east--and the Huanghuacheng sections of the Great Wall of China. This section of the Great Wall of China has fallen into disrepair and this, along with its location along a mountain ridge bordered by jagged cliffs and steep drop-offs, makes the Jiankou segment of the Great Wall of China potentially dangerous to climb.

The Jiankou section of the wall was constructed in 1368 during the period of the Ming Dynasty. It is made of large white rocks which can be seen from a great distance.

There are many scenic sites along the Jiankou Great Wall of China, one of which is the enemy observation tower known as "The Eagle Flies Facing Upward". This observation tower was built on a mountain which forms the highest section of the Jiankou Great Wall of China. The "Sky Stairs" are another famous scenic spot. At this location of the Great Wall of China the stairs go practically straight up, and they are so narrow that it is barely possible to obtain a foothold. Other scenic areas include: the Beijing Knot, where three different sections of the Great Wall of China converge; the Nine-Eye Tower, so named because of the nine observation holes in it; the Zhengbei Tower (sharp north tower), the Cloud Stairs, and many other enemy observation towers.