China Day 6 - From Beijing to Mutianyu Great Wall of China

Assalamualaikum. Ni Hao!

Previous post here.

17 Jan 2016

Beijing, China

This time we've got our bearing set right the moment we arrived Beijing. Went out the train, and headed straight to the subway station. Considering we'll be taking the train from Beijing Xi (West) Station, we went there first to put our backpacks in the locker. No more confusing between Beijing Railway Station & Beijing Xi (West) Station this time around. Fuh!

#1 Our train from Harbin arrived at Beijing Railway Station

Settled with the locker things, we then took the subway to Dongzhimen Station. Today we're going to see with our own eyes the Great Wall of China (Mutianyu). Why Mutianyu you asked? Well, we learned from too many sources because Badaling Great Wall is the easiest to reach & always the favourite option for travel companies, it could get crowded even in low peak season. We dislike crowded places, hence Mutianyu it is. 

Basically this is our route to Mutianyu Great Wall, take note that this trip was in 2016. I got almost all the important information of how-to from my friend; Syieda (her blog). She went there Dec 2015, so the information was still valid back then as our trip was in Jan 2016 (only a month gap). 

Yet I'm happy to share that this DIRECTION IS STILL VALID because she went back to Mutianyu in 2018 via the same route (entry). 

1. Dongzhimen Station (subway) ---> Dongzhimen Public Transport Hub = Walkertapaki

2. Dongzhimen Public Transport Hub ---> Huairou North Avenue (Huairou Beidajie) Station = Bus No. 916 (Express)

3. Huairou North Avenue ---> Mutianyu Great Wall = Taxi 

For No. 3, another option is to take the bus number H23 / H24 / H35 / H36 to Mutianyu Roundabout. But taking this option will need us to walk nearly 3 kilometers to reach the ticket office. So yeah, a big NO NO for us.

#2 From Dongzhimen Station (subway), just take the escalator up. Follow the Bus Transfer Hall / Airport Express signage to exit the subway station

Once outside the station, you will see the KFC (picture below). Follow the yellow arrow.

#3 That route will lead you to Dongzhimen Bus Terminal (Public Transport Hub)

Continue following the arrow (picture below), keeping McD on your left. 

#4 The yellow arrow will lead to the buses / coaches parking bays

Syieda told me from the underground subway, there's a long escalator that will lead straight to this McD (inside the transport hub) but we didn't see that escalator. Hence explains why we entered this transport hub from its main entrance (picture #3 KFC as landmark).

#5 Just follow the signboard for Bus No. 916 

Journey will take approximately 2-2.5 hours (few stops in between). The 916 (Express) has less stops than the 916 East (Local). We rode the 916 Express as it was already at the parking bay when we arrived. 

#6 Apparently Beijing city snowed the night we're on the train from Harbin

#7 Always a fan of snow

I didn't sleep on the way to Huairou because I was too afraid we might missed the stop. Little did we know that this is the main bus stop (also the last stop) so everyone has to hop off the bus here. 

Please take note that on the way to Huairou Station, there is this one stop where all the taxi / minivan drivers will tell you to get off the bus. They will be saying something like "Mutianyu Great Wall, here". Even the bus driver will stop longer at this stop. DO NOT get off the bus. Mutianyu is farther down (it is much nearer to Huairou Station) & taking the taxi / minivan from there will cost you more. 

Get off the bus when all passengers do or better; when the driver told you to. Because it was the last station. 

#8 Huairou North Avenue (Huairou Beidajie Station) taken from the main road

From the bus station, there were already many drivers awaiting ready to take you to Mutianyu gate. So here is where the negotiation will take place. Sesi jual mahal I called it. Show the fare you want to the driver(s), do not ask them how much they offer. Or you can ask first, and still show them the fare you're willing to pay.

Taxi (private car actually) will cost around CNY 20-40 per pax while minivan normally will charge you CNY 30-60. That's what I read online. We tried our luck when a taxi driver approached us. Initially he offered us CNY 40 (us both), but I said we will go with him if its CNY 30. Immediately, sold! He can't be picky though as it's low season & the fact that only 4 people get off from the bus terminal; it was either him or other driver. 

#9 I saw a halal eatery opposite the bus terminal (right side of this picture)

#10 Our ride to Mutianyu Great Wall; took around 20 minutes to reach the ticket gate

#11 Buy the ticket entrance here; also shuttle bus & cable car / chairlift / toboggan tickets

We're lucky indeed as the taxi driver is so kind. He parked his car very near to the gate & brought us to the counter. Showed us how to purchase ticket. 

I was so excited to ride the toboggan; but alas it wasn't my rizq as yet. Toboggan close in winter due to safety reason (no information on this online). Track can be slippery & dangerous. 

Ticket Information (per pax) :

1. Entrance Fee : CNY 40

2. Shuttle Bus : CNY 15

3. Chairlift + Toboggan OR Cable Car (Return) : CNY 120

Total we paid : CNY 175 (RM 102.00)

Well you can omit the 2 & 3 if you opted to hike. For No.3, you can either choose to ride chairlift + toboggan OR cable car. You cannot choose chairlift & cable car (as per the lady counter) at once as both rides operated by different company. 

Confuse sikit bab ni sebab ada jual one way ticket for those rides. Maybe orang tu malas print banyak tiket or memang itu rules sedia ada? If yang ambil one way, habis macamana orang tu naik or turun? By foot? Ok stop pening.

#12 Sempatlah ambil gambar tickets

From ticket counter, we walked to the shuttle bus parking. Passing by all those souvenir shops & restaurants / coffee shops. We planned to stop by after descending from the Great Wall. Macamlah berat sangat seketul fridge magnet tu kan.

#13 Memang kena lalu jalan ni untuk naik shuttle bus

#14 So what's your choice? Cuppucci or Carmel Mcchiato?

During low peak season, first shuttle bus will depart at 8am while last bus will depart at 6pm. Low season is from 16 Nov to 15 Mac. Bus frequency is every 20 minutes.

#15 Belum naik pun muka aku sudah hangus terbakar. Ni lah hadiah Harbin untuk aku. Wind+sunburn!

My advice, please 'showered' your body (face especially) with loads of sunscreen. You'll thank me for that later, trust me. *smirk*

#16 Way to the cable car station. Need to walk a little bit more from where the shuttle bus dropped you

Those taking the chairlift don't have to walk further as the shuttle bus will dropped you right in front of the station. Well, kena naik few steps up jaklah.

#17 Where you should take the chairlift ride

#18 Acah-acah no-gayat ladies

Lama juga naik chairlift ni, sempat aku & Jea imagined macam-macam benda. Endless what-ifs. Adoilah perangai meminta kan.

#19 No snowfall only remnants from the night before. Oklah, no need to be disappointed & all. No snowfall means we're blessed with wonderful bright blue sky

#21 Penat selca, ambil sel-foot pula. Memang killing time sungguh

#22 Toboggan track; cuma mampu melihat. Manatau next visit merasa turun with this pula kan

Annnnnd....highlight of the day! Subhanallah! Great Wall before my very own eyes!!

#26 Kasi chance si Err posing

#37 Memory sake

Alhamdulillah we managed to hiked+walked until 4 watch towers, and walked back to where we came to take the chairlift down. 

It was such a marvelous experience. I cannot recite my grateful enough to You, Ya Rabb. Cliche as it may sound; all this while I only get to see this magnificent wonder of the world via movie, blogs etc...and eventually set my own feet upon it in 2016. Walau selalu ambil ringan perintah Dia, tetap ditunai impian aku yang seketul ni. Allahu akbar. 

Anyway, we took the same route to go back to the ticket counter. From there, we joined another 3 visitors & rented a minivan to the nearest bus stop where we later took the bus No 916 back to Dongzhimen Bus Terminal. At first I thought the minivan will drop us at Huairou Terminal, so siap-siap plan mau early dinner at the halal restaurant I saw earlier. Tapi ntah bus stop mana driver tu dropped kami, jadi cancel lah plan untuk mencekik. Ndak lama tunggu bus 916 muncul, melompat terus semua naik bas. Tiada terfikir pasal makan masa tu sebab takutlah kena conned by the driver kan. 

Alhamdulillah, we hopped on the right bus. Reached Beijing late in the evening (around 6pm). Cepat-cepat ambil subway pi Beijing Xi Station. Walhal our next train to Xi'an jam 9pm! Biar awal; at least ndak kelibut masing-masing di station. Once at Beijing Xi, barulah cari makanan. 'Menanak' ramyeon lagi, and as usual, aku memborong buns untuk bekalan dalam train nanti. 

Aktiviti cuma pi Great Wall kan tapi entry al-panjang gitu. Still excited I am albeit 4 years has it been. 

I will share more in the next entry.

Till then, wassalam.

eryantierdabdulkarim