Dr. Mark Nan Tu

This man made dam is the reason this section of the Wall is under water

The sign says: Unrepaired Great Wall, No climbing (but camping is allowed according to the park guards)

Xiaoxihu, just over 60 kilometres northwest of Beijing, is one of the few places where the GreatWall is under water. What was once a forested valley is now a drowned landscape where only the highest hilltops survive and ruined sections of the Great Wall sink beneath its dammed waters, .

It’s this compact combination of hills and history in a lakeside setting that make this area so good to walk, especially where the forest thickens. There are two trails in the park. The first is a round the lake trail which goes around the lake in the wooded forest. The other one which starts near the guard’s station on the dam wall promises two hours of hike which leads to the watch towers of the greatwall on the hill top. This trail offers hikers spectacular views of the surrounding area, including a connecting creek that deserves a few hours’ exploration. I once met a French girl who was interested in camp on the watch towers. After asking the park guards, she was allowed to camp but live fire is banned thus no cooked meal up there.

The entry fee was used to be free through some farmers fields and broken sections of the Great Wall. Some local farmers will charge 2RMB for the passing fee through their