箭扣长城

This guide opens on a June afternoon when five hikers, a newlywed couple in front, are strung along a meter-wide stretch of this unrestored Ming dynasty wall near Beijing as the sky darkens over the ridge. It traces the wall's name, Jiankou or arrow nock, to the bow-like bend of the ridge, and its origins across the Tang and Ming dynasties as an unpolished stretch with no handrails, cable car, or gift shop. You'll hear how locals describe the risks hikers still take here every year. Watch your footing on the steepest tilted sections as you walk it.