Time ：Oct-20, 2026, 11:12
Since the start of 2026, Mutianyu Great Wall has received a total of 1.06 million inbound tourists, exceeding the annual milestone of one million inbound visitors for the first time, representing a year-on-year increase of 77%. It has emerged as one of the top choices for international travelers coming to China to visit the Great Wall, and the brand influence of the “Great Wall International Reception Lounge” keeps growing.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Great Wall stands as an iconic Chinese cultural IP and a core cultural tourism landmark that inbound visitors must experience during their trip to China. Located in Beijing, Mutianyu Great Wall benefits from the capital’s strategic positioning as the Four Centers — the national political center, cultural center, center for international exchanges and center for technological innovation. Known as Beijing’s window for international engagement and the Great Wall International Reception Lounge, it regularly hosts diverse international events and has welcomed hundreds of foreign heads of state and senior dignitaries. Boasting outstanding reputation and travel quality, the site consistently features on TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice global landmark rankings, lifting its international influence to new heights. Over the years, Mutianyu Great Wall has benchmarked world-class scenic area standards and established a development philosophy focused on building a cultural, business-enriched, tech-enabled and ecologically-friendly Great Wall. It consistently balances heritage conservation and dynamic utilization. Meanwhile, it precisely caters to the demands of inbound visitors and continuously optimizes travel experiences with convenient, visitor-friendly services.
Leveraging favorable inbound tourism policies including China’s unilateral visa waiver, mutual visa exemption, the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, and instant tax refunds for departures, together with the coordinated development of Beijing’s Great Wall Cultural Belt, Huairou District is fully advancing the construction of an east-west connected Great Wall cultural tourism corridor and deepening the integration of culture and tourism. The scenic area takes this opportunity to continuously upgrade its international services. For entry procedures, the site supports multi-channel online and offline bookings and direct passport verification for admission. Bilingual signs, multilingual self-service devices and AI tour guides are deployed across the whole area. In terms of payments, Mutianyu has launched China’s first Visa International Friendly Payment Zone at a World Heritage Site, enabling payments with foreign bank cards, overseas wallets and camera QR code scanning. For tourism products, the attraction moves beyond simple wall-climbing experiences and launches five flagship events: New Year’s Day sunrise viewing, mountain flower festival, Great Wall night tours, red leaf season and ice & snow season. Complementary offerings include live performances, XR immersive screenings and tech-assisted hiking. On the service front, the scenic area features multi-national cuisines, themed accommodation and diverse cultural and creative merchandise. It also improves departure tax refund services and upgrades restrooms and other infrastructure to fully match the travel habits of overseas guests.
While strengthening its cultural tourism hardware and international services, Mutianyu Great Wall follows an integrated development path that systematically promotes cultural relic preservation, cultural tourism growth and shared prosperity among local villagers. Supported by steady tourist flows, the scenic spot drives the development of boutique homestays, characteristic farm catering and Huairou chestnut production and sales in surrounding villages such as Mutianyu Village and Beigou Village. It forms a cluster of “Great Wall International Cultural Villages”, enabling villagers to secure jobs and income locally. The cultural heritage is thus transformed into a sustainable industry that benefits local residents, fulfilling the vision of “one scenic spot lifting the prosperity of a whole rural region”.
To mark the milestone of one million inbound visitors, the unveiling ceremony of Mutianyu Great Wall as a world cultural tourism landmark was held on October 18, alongside a Tai Chi performance at the Great Wall, showcasing traditional oriental culture to visitors from home and abroad. The scenic area also prepared multiple exclusive perks: arriving visitors receive commemorative badges and local Huairou chestnuts. Limited-edition collector badges have been released, together with grand prizes for lucky tourists, allowing overseas visitors to create unique memories while hiking the Great Wall, enjoying red autumn leaves and tasting local chestnuts.
The one-million inbound visitor milestone marks not only an achievement but also a new starting point. Moving forward, Mutianyu Great Wall will seize opportunities brought by inbound tourism policies, keep improving international supporting capabilities including multilingual services, overseas payment solutions and global communication. It will enrich immersive cultural tourism products such as red leaf season celebrations, harvest festivals and traditional cultural performances, continuing to tell the Great Wall’s story to the world. At the same time, it will further deepen the linkage between the scenic zone and villages, boost the in-depth integration of agriculture, culture and tourism, convert tourist traffic into growth for rural industries, and drive high-quality development of villages around Bohai Town in Huairou District. The goal is to achieve coordinated progress in Great Wall cultural preservation, international cultural exchange and increased rural incomes.