Jiankou, meaning “Arrow Nock,” is the most dramatic and dangerous section of the Great Wall. Built on ridges with 70-degree slopes, much of it has crumbled into a precarious ribbon of brick and stone.
The name comes from the wall’s shape — it curves like an arrow nocked in a bow. The “Ox Horn Edge” and “Eagle Flies Facing Upward” sections are so steep that even birds struggle to fly over them. Despite official warnings, it remains a magnet for adventurous hikers and photographers.