This water town is situated in Gubei Township of Miyun County northeast of Beijing, hence the name of Gubei Water Town. It has a charming location with a massive backdrop of the world famous Simatai Great Wall with the romantic Yuanyang Lake (Mandarin Duck) below. Gubei Water Town surrounds the beautiful Mandarin Duck Lake Reservoir and leans against the Simatai Great Wall, the most dangerous and majestic section of the entire Great Wall. Regarded as ‘Wuzhen in Beijing’, Gubei Water Town boasts a combination of mountains, water and ancient villages. The town is characterized by the northern architectural style, and the history and culture of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China historic period. Most buildings are reconstructed in the traditional courtyard style. Based on five ancient villages and a water resource, this water town has developed into a large-scale sightseeing and holiday destination. Covering an area of 3.5 square miles (9 square kilometers), the holiday resort includes two scenic districts, the Gubei Water Town and the Simatai Great Wall.
The Simatai section of the Great Wall is one of the few sections to retain the original appearance of the Great Wall. It’s very varied in makeup. Simatai has many characteristics of other Great Wall sections, and some unique features of its own. It is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, artful, and peculiar. Now, The Simatai Great Wall has been partially restored and opened. The tourist area is limited to its east section, so the hiking from west Simatai to Jinshanling is not allowed. The Great Wall at Simatai is also the only section opened for a night tour. As one needs to go through the Gubei Water Town to reach Simatai, a reservation is required if you only plan to visit the Great Wall itself.
