# Great Wall at Juyongguan, Beijing

> Juyongguan is a Great Wall fortress on a mountain pass 50–60 km north-west of Beijing — the closest section to the city. The wall loops up both sides of the valley. Entry is ¥35, ¥40 April–October. Open daily from 8:30, until 17:00 in winter. Allow 2.5–3 hours for the loop and the Cloud Platform.

Web page: https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall

- City: [Beijing](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing), China
- YesGo score: 20/100 (Yes, if nearby)
- Time on site: 2 h 30 min
- With kids: Fine with kids
- Entry: ¥40 (1 April – 31 October), ¥35 (1 November – 31 March)
- Concessions: Full-time students up to 25 pay half; free for under-18s, over-60s and disabled visitors with ID
- Hours: Daily from 8:30, until 17:00 in winter (last entry 16:30); 16 March – 7 October two gates open 6:30–18:00
- Buying tickets: At the ticket office, no booking needed; online via the operator's WeChat account or mini-program 北京昌平文旅集团, or Douyin
- Cable car: None — stairs only
- Buses 879 and 昌20 (Chang 20): To the Juyongguan Changcheng (居庸关长城) or Juyongguan Cun stop; last 879 around 16:00
- Bus 昌68 (Chang 68): From Longze metro (Line 13) to the terminus by the ticket office
- Taxi / DiDi: About 1 hour from the centre; 20–30 min from Badaling Great Wall station
- Evening events: Some summer months only, on their own schedule; none the rest of the year
- Coordinates: 40.28778, 116.06861
- Facts checked: 04.11.2026

## Key facts

- **4,142 m** — length of the wall loop around the pass fortress (source: Beijing municipal government portal; Visit Beijing)
- **1342–1345** — the white-marble Cloud Platform (Yuntai) was built, under the Yuan dynasty (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **6 scripts** — on the Cloud Platform: Lanydza, Tibetan, 'Phags-pa, Old Uyghur, Chinese and Tangut (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **50–60 km** — north-west of central Beijing — the closest Great Wall section to the city (source: English Wikipedia (over 50 km); Visit Beijing (about 60 km))
- **18 km** — length of the Guangou Valley the pass guards (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **9.5 m** — height of the Cloud Platform; its passage is carved with the Four Heavenly Kings (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **Qin dynasty** — when the name Juyong was first used; the present fortress is Ming (source: English Wikipedia; Visit Beijing)
- **1992** — full restoration of the fortress; it opened to visitors in 1998 (source: Beijing municipal government portal; Visit Beijing (restoration))
- **Juyong Diecui** — “Juyong's layered green” — one of the Qing-era Eight Sights of Beijing (source: Beijing municipal government portal; Visit Beijing)
- **1987** — the Great Wall became a UNESCO World Heritage Site (source: Beijing municipal government portal; Wikipedia)

## Juyongguan Great Wall tickets and prices

Entry is **¥40** from 1 April to 31 October and **¥35** from 1 November to 31 March, according to the Beijing government portal and Visit Beijing. Full-time students up to 25 pay half. Under-18s, over-60s and disabled visitors go free — foreigners show a passport. Some guides still quote ¥45 / ¥40; those are older figures.

**No booking is needed**: tickets are sold at the office on the day. You can also buy ahead through the operator's WeChat account or mini-program (北京昌平文旅集团) or on Douyin — the same company runs the [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs). Tickets are real-name, so carry your original passport.

Payment: the ticket office must accept cash yuan, so bring some ¥10–50 notes. Otherwise, link a foreign Visa or Mastercard to Alipay or WeChat Pay before the trip — both work with foreign cards and a passport. In some summers the site runs evening events with the wall lit up; unofficially, the day ticket then covered the evening too.

## How to get to Juyongguan from Beijing

1. Easiest: **taxi or DiDi**, about an hour from the centre via the G6 expressway (unofficial). Show the driver “居庸关长城”. DiDi runs inside Alipay in English and takes foreign cards.
2. By metro and bus: Line 1 to Xidan or Fuxingmen, change for Line 2 to Xizhimen, then Line 13 north to **Longze** (龙泽). Unofficially, bus **昌68 (Chang 68)** waits across from the station and ends by the Juyongguan ticket office — check the sign shows the 昌 character.
3. Official route (Beijing Release): buses **879** and **昌20 (Chang 20)** stop at **Juyongguan Changcheng** (居庸关长城) or **Juyongguan Cun** (居庸关村), then it is a 1–2 km walk. Chang 20 starts at Juyongguan and runs via Nankou; 879 links Badaling, Juyongguan and the Ming Tombs.
4. Alternatively, ride the Changping Line to its end at **Changping Xishankou** (昌平西山口) and take a taxi from there. Older guides send you to bus 919 at Deshengmen; The Beijing News now describes 919 as a peak-hour feeder from Yanqing to Changping Xishankou metro. Allow 1.5–2 hours by public transport.
5. **Combined with Badaling**: take the high-speed train from Qinghe to Badaling Great Wall station, then a taxi for 20–30 minutes (unofficial) or bus 879. Bus 877 runs non-stop from Beitucheng to Badaling and does not stop at Juyongguan.
6. The **S2** suburban train now starts at Nankou rather than Huangtudian and stops at Badaling, but Juyongguan is not on its station list. There is no high-speed station at the pass either.

> **Steep west side, early last bus** The wall at Juyongguan is a loop with no cable car. On the west side the steps are tall and uneven, climbing, unofficially, about 300 m above the valley. If you are short on energy, take the shorter, gentler east side. Plan the ride back: officially, the last bus 879 leaves around 16:00; after that it is Chang 20 or a taxi.

## Juyongguan opening hours

Juyongguan is **open every day, Mondays included**. From 8 October to 15 March all gates open 8:30–17:00, with tickets and last entry until 16:30. From 16 March to 7 October, Entrance 1 (by the reservoir) and Entrance 3 (Beiguan, the north gate) open 6:30–18:00, last entry 17:30; Entrances 2 (Nanguan) and 4 keep 8:30–17:00.

That is the operator's schedule. The Beijing government page puts it more briefly — 8:30–16:30 off season, 8:30–17:30 in peak season — which matches the last-entry times. To walk the whole loop, start by midday: it takes about three hours.

## What is Juyongguan?

**Juyongguan** (Juyong Pass) is a fortified pass in the Guangou Valley, Changping District, and the closest Great Wall section to Beijing, 50–60 km from the centre. Chinese sources call it the “Number One Pass under Heaven”. The name goes back to the Qin dynasty; the present fortress is Ming, built to close the road from the Mongolian steppe to the capital.

What sets it apart is the shape. Instead of a single wall along a ridge, Juyongguan is a **4,142 m loop**: a fortress with gates and towers sits on the valley floor, and walls climb both slopes — Jinguishan to the west, Cuipingshan to the east — and meet at the top. You can walk the whole circuit without backtracking.

In the middle of the fortress stands the **Cloud Platform**, a marble arch from 1342–1345, older than the Ming wall itself. The fortress was fully restored in 1992 and opened to visitors in 1998. It is restored rather than wild, but usually far calmer than Badaling.

## What to see at Juyongguan

- **The Cloud Platform** (Yuntai, 云台) — 9.5 m of white marble. Inside the passage: reliefs of the Four Heavenly Kings and a Buddhist dharani in six scripts. Three white stupas once stood on top; they were gone by the early Ming.
- **The valley fortress** — the Nanguan and Beiguan gates, walls, a water gate and temples. This is the flat part, for a walk with no climbing.
- **The west side** — longer and steeper, up past the 13th tower, with views over the Guangou Valley and the whole loop.
- **The east side** — shorter and gentler, unofficially about 200 m of climb. The pick if you have 60–90 minutes.
- **The full loop** — about 4 km. Unofficially, the west branch takes around two hours and the east around one.

## Is Juyongguan worth it?

Yes, for a **short trip** with real history: it is the closest section to the city, the Cloud Platform is unique, and the loop is a proper workout in 2–3 hours. The downsides: no cable car, no direct train, and the bus route needs a change.

Pick [Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) if you want the high-speed train and a wide, easy wall — but expect crowds. [Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) is for forest views and the toboggan, as a full day. Simatai at [Gubei](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) is the one with a regular night wall, best with an overnight stay.

## Juyongguan vs Badaling, Mutianyu and Simatai

|  | Juyongguan | Badaling | Mutianyu | Simatai (Gubei) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| From the centre | 50–60 km, Changping | ≈ 60 km, Yanqing | ≈ 70 km, Huairou | ≈ 120 km, Miyun |
| Entry | ¥40, ¥35 in winter | ¥40, ¥35 in winter | ¥40–45 | ¥40; water town extra |
| Lifts | None | Cable car, ground cable car | Cable car, chairlift, toboggan | Cable car |
| Getting there | Bus with a change, or taxi | High-speed train | Tourist bus | Direct bus from Wangjing West |
| Opens | 8:30; two gates from 6:30 in summer | 6:30, 7:30 in winter | 7:30, 8:00 in winter | 9:00 |
| Evenings | Summer events only | Summer events only | No | Night wall |

Juyongguan prices and hours are official; the other columns come from YesGo's Badaling, Mutianyu and Gubei pages.

## Juyongguan tour or on your own?

Most tours pair Juyongguan with Badaling and the Ming Tombs: all three lie on the same road north-west, but only Badaling has a railway. With a car and guide you can comfortably fit two of the three into a day without worrying about bus changes or the last bus.

For Juyongguan alone, going independently is easy: the ticket office sells on the day, and a taxi from Changping Xishankou metro takes care of the bus question.

## Before you go: checklist

- [ ] Original passport — for the ticket office and concessions
- [ ] Cash yuan, or Alipay / WeChat Pay with a card linked
- [ ] Shoes with a good grip — the steps are tall
- [ ] Water and a snack — none for sale up on the slopes
- [ ] Time of the last bus 879 or Chang 20 noted
- [ ] Chinese names saved: 居庸关长城, 龙泽, 昌平西山口

## Beijing's historic sights compared

Historic places in Beijing, rated by YesGo.

- [Tiananmen Square](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-square) — YesGo score 68/100 (Yes, go) · 45 min · Free, passport booking
- [Forbidden City](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/forbidden-city) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 3 h 30 min · ¥40 Nov–Mar, ¥60 Apr–Oct
- [Chairman Mao Memorial Hall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/mao-mausoleum) — YesGo score 55/100 (Yes, go) · 30 min · Free, booking required
- [Temple of Heaven](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/temple-of-heaven) — YesGo score 52/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · ¥10–15, ¥28–34 with halls
- [Great Hall of the People](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-hall-of-the-people) — YesGo score 51/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · ¥30, students ¥15; WeChat booking
- [Tiananmen Gate](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/tiananmen-gate) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥15, concession ¥5, booking only
- [National Museum of China](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/national-museum-of-china) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free, passport booking
- [Wangfujing Street](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/wangfujing-street) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free
- [Beijing hutongs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-hutongs) — YesGo score 42/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free; rickshaw about ¥100–200
- [Nanluoguxiang](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/nanluoguxiang) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free, open 24 hours
- [Houhai Lake and Shichahai](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/houhai-lake) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free
- [Jingshan Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/jingshan-park) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 45 min · ¥2, ¥10 during exhibitions
- [Lama Temple (Yonghe Temple)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/lama-temple) — YesGo score 36/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ ¥25, booked in WeChat
- [Drum and Bell Towers](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-drum-and-bell-towers) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ¥30 for both towers
- [Old Summer Palace (Yuanmingyuan)](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/old-summer-palace) — YesGo score 34/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥10, ¥25 with the ruins
- [Beihai Park](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beihai-park) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ¥5–10, ¥15–20 with the island
- [Confucius Temple and Imperial Academy](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-confucius-temple) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ¥30, one ticket with the Guozijian
- [Summer Palace](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-summer-palace) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h 30 min · ¥20–30, ¥50–60 through ticket
- [Prince Gong's Mansion](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/prince-gong-mansion) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ¥40, book ahead with passport
- [798 Art Zone](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/798-art-zone) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · Free; some exhibitions charge
- [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
- [Beijing Zoo](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/beijing-zoo) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥10–15, ¥14–19 with pandas
- [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer
- [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
- [Great Wall at Mutianyu](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/great-wall-mutianyu) — YesGo score 19/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥40–45 entry; cable car ¥100–140
- [Gubei Water Town and Simatai Great Wall](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/gubei-water-town) — YesGo score 16/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 4 h · ¥140 entry; ¥170 with Simatai wall

## Two passes and the Ming Tombs in a day

Badaling by high-speed train in the morning, Juyongguan by taxi or bus 879 at midday, then on to the Ming Tombs along the same 879 line. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

1. [Great Wall at Badaling](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/badaling-great-wall) — YesGo score 27/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ¥40 entry; ¥35 November–March
2. [Great Wall at Juyongguan](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/juyongguan-great-wall) — YesGo score 20/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥35 entry; ¥40 April–October
3. [Ming Tombs](https://yesgo.io/china/beijing/ming-tombs) — YesGo score 23/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ¥20–40 per site, ¥30–60 in summer

## Good to know

Juyongguan is both the fortress and the village around it. Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan are also famous Great Wall passes, but in other provinces. The Juyongguan Changcheng and Juyongguan Cun bus stops are different stops, and there is no railway station at the fortress.

## Tips

- Arrive at opening time: on a clear morning the west side shows the whole loop and valley, and the steps are still quiet.
- No energy for the full loop? The valley fortress plus the east side takes 60–90 minutes.
- Chang 20 back to Nankou is the cheap way home: per Beijing Release its late run is around 19:00, against about 16:00 for bus 879.
- Avoid the first week of October and the May Day holiday — every section is packed.
- In winter the steps can be icy and the valley is windy — bring a warm layer.
- See the Cloud Platform from inside the arch: the carvings are in the passage, not on the outside.

## Questions

### How much is the Juyongguan Great Wall ticket?

¥40 from April to October and ¥35 from November to March. Under-18s and over-60s enter free; full-time students pay half.

### Do I need to book Juyongguan in advance?

No — tickets are sold at the office on the day. You can also buy online through the operator's WeChat account with your passport.

### How do I get to Juyongguan Great Wall by public transport?

Metro Line 13 to Longze, then bus Chang 68 to the terminus (unofficial), or buses 879 or Chang 20 to the Juyongguan Changcheng stop. A taxi from the centre takes about an hour.

### What are Juyongguan opening hours?

8 October – 15 March: 8:30–17:00, last entry 16:30. 16 March – 7 October: two gates open 6:30–18:00, the others 8:30–17:00.

### Is Juyongguan open on Mondays?

Yes. The operator's schedule has no closing day — the wall is open daily.

### Is there a cable car at Juyongguan?

No. There are no lifts — you climb the steps. The valley fortress is flat if you want to skip the climb.

### How long do you need at Juyongguan?

2.5–3 hours for the full loop, about 90 minutes for the fortress and the east side. With the trip from Beijing, half a day.

### What is the Cloud Platform at Juyongguan?

A 9.5 m marble arch from 1342–1345 in the middle of the fortress, carved with the Four Heavenly Kings and Buddhist texts in six scripts.

### Is Juyongguan or Badaling better?

Juyongguan is closer and usually quieter but has no train or lifts. Badaling has the high-speed train. They fit into one day together.

### Can I combine Juyongguan with Badaling and the Ming Tombs?

Yes: bus 879 links all three, and a taxi from Badaling Great Wall station to Juyongguan takes about 20–30 minutes (unofficial).

## How we checked

Prices, concessions and on-site sales come from the Beijing government's Juyongguan ticketing page; Visit Beijing confirms the price seasons (April–October, November–March). Some guides quote ¥45 / ¥40, taken from an older Visit Beijing page — we don't use it. Hours come from the operator's notice: the government page gives 8:30–16:30 and 8:30–17:30, which match the last-entry times; we found no newer notice. No official schedule lists a closing day. Buses 879 and Chang 20 are from Beijing Release; Chang 68 from Longze comes from guides, so it is marked “verifying”. Older guides run bus 919 from Deshengmen, but The Beijing News describes it as a feeder to Changping Xishankou metro, so we don't send you to Deshengmen. Taxi times and walking times on the slopes are unofficial, from guides. Payment notes are unofficial, from China travel guides.

## Sources

- Beijing municipal government English portal: Juyongguan ticketing page — prices, concessions, hours, on-site sales, wall length, restoration and opening
- Changping Culture and Tourism Group (北京昌平文旅集团), notice in Beijing Daily: hours by gate, online sales
- Beijing Release (北京发布) via Visit Beijing: buses 879 and Chang 20 to the Juyongguan stops
- Visit Beijing (Beijing tourism bureau): price seasons, history, Cloud Platform, Eight Sights of Beijing
- The Beijing News (新京报): S2 starting at Nankou; 919 as a feeder to Changping Xishankou metro
- Changping bus service notice (via Tencent News): Chang 20 terminus at Juyongguan, Chang 68 in service
- Beijing Bendibao: summer evening events
- English Wikipedia: Juyong Pass, Cloud Platform at Juyong Pass; Wikidata Q1330063
- chinahighlights.com, wildgreatwall.com: the loop and its slopes, bus Chang 68, taxi times

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