Simatai Great Wall, Section of the Great Wall in Luanping County, China.

Simatai Great Wall is a 5.4 km section of the Great Wall in northern Miyun District, Beijing, split by a valley into a western part with 20 watchtowers and a steeper eastern part. It has 35 beacon towers in all, and the eastern stretch includes the 80-degree Heavenly Ladder and the 100-metre Sky Bridge, only 40 cm wide at points.

Initial construction of this section began in the 6th century, but major reinforcements occurred during the Ming period when military needs intensified. These expansions transformed the wall into a critical defensive structure.

This wall section displays the distinctive construction style of the Ming period, with steep staircases and narrow passages connecting the watchtowers. Visitors walk the same routes that guards once traveled daily to defend the frontier.

The ascent is demanding and requires good fitness plus solid footwear with strong grip. Visitors should arrive early to allow adequate time for exploring and tackling the steepest sections under better conditions.

The Sky Bridge between Tower 15 (Fairy Tower) and Tower 16 (Watching-the-Capital Tower) is a 100-metre stretch of wall only about 40 centimetres wide in places, with a cliff on its south side. Because of this, visitors may climb no higher than Tower 12.