Simatai Great Wall

As a part of the Great Wall, Simatai Great Wall was listed in the World Heritage List in 1987. It is the only ancient architectural site in China that retains its original appearance from the Ming Dynasty.

Simatai Great Wall was first built in the early years of the Ming Hongwu period (1363) and rebuilt during the Ming Longqing and Wanli periods. It stretches 5.4 kilometers from Wangjing Tower in the east to Houchuankou in the west, with a total of 35 watchtowers. It is divided into two sections by the Yuanyang Lake Reservoir, with 16 watchtowers in the east section and 19 in the west section.

Simatai Great Wall belongs to the Jizhen Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty centered around Gubei Pass. It was built specifically to defend Gubei Pass, an important military pass. Speaking of Gubei Pass, it is located in the southeast of Gubeikou Town, Miyun County, Beijing. It has always been an important fortress between Shanhaiguan Pass and Juyongguan Pass on the Great Wall. It is the "throat" connecting the Liaohe Plain and Inner Mongolia to the Central Plains. It has always been a place of military importance. The ancient Great Wall system of Guobeikou Great Wall, consisting of the Wohushan Great Wall, the Panlongshan Great Wall, the Jinshanling Great Wall, and the Simatai Great Wall, is also the most complete Great Wall system in the history of the Great Wall of China.