Walk the longest surviving stretch of Beijing's Ming inner city wall (built 1419), about 1.5 km from Chongwenmen to the Southeast Corner Tower at Dongbianmen, then north along the second ring road to the Ming-Qing astronomical instruments on the Jianguomen observatory platform.
Best time: Morning or late afternoon, April-October (visitbeijing); opening days of the Ancient Observatory and the corner tower not verified 2026.
The route, stop by stop
- 1Chongwenmen
Start from Chongwenmen station (Lines 2 and 5). 5 min
- 2Ming City Wall Relics Park
The longest surviving section of the inner city wall, about 1.5 km, with old trees and lawns along Chongwenmen East Street. 30 min
- 3Ming City Wall Relics Park
The Southeast Corner Tower of the Ming wall; the ticketed tower and wall area cost CNY 10 (visitbeijing). 40 min
- 4Ming City Wall Relics Park
North section of the wall by the railway. 10 min
- 5Beijing Ancient Observatory
Ming and Qing observatory on a surviving wall bastion; bronze instruments (armillas, altazimuth, sextant) on the roof platform. 45 min
More walks in Beijing
- Central Axis north: Jingshan to the Drum and Bell Towers
- Shichahai lakes loop: Yinding Bridge, Yandai Xiejie and Houhai
- Nanluoguxiang side hutongs to the Lama Temple
- Dongsi hutongs: Zhihua Temple to Dongsi Sitiao
- Qianmen, Dashilar and Yangmeizhu Xiejie to Liulichang
- Temple of Heaven at 7 am: east gate to Circular Mound
- Beihai to Jingshan at sunset
- Summer Palace: East Palace Gate, Long Corridor and Seventeen-Arch Bridge
- Niujie and Fayuan Temple: the Hui quarter and Xuannan hutongs
- 798 Art Zone and 751 D-Park