5 Days in Beijing: Day 5
5 Days in Beijing: Day 5
All-day: the Great Wall of China
The thing with the Great Wall is there are sections so you will not see all of it. Here I am recommending two different sections. One is the most famous section, that being said it’s best to go when it is not the tourist season. While the other is a great section as well but not as popular as the other. Both sections are well preserved or restored and easy for tourists of all ages to explore due to restored steps, cable cars, and pullies.
First Option: Badaling
If you are coming during the spring or autumn and not on a national Chinese holiday then Badaling is probably the section you want to go to. Other than those times it is far too crowded for an enjoyable experience. I went during the Chinese national holiday and it was standing only on the train there and back while I was not able to get on to the wall it's self due to the number of people.
Some points of interest for Badaling are
North Section:
·
It
has twelve watchtowers.
·
The
Wall winds up and down the mountain ridges, offering more magnificent scenery,
but requiring more energy to climb.
·
The
stone stele engraved with “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a
true man” is along this section, close to No. 8 North Tower; it is also the
highest point in this area, offering a great bird’s-eye view.
·
The
path through No.9 North Tower to No.12 North Tower is not easy, think before
climbing.
·
After
reaching the furthest tower, No. 12 North, it is not necessary to return the
way you came; there is an easier way to get to the exit by Bear Garden. It
generally takes about 3 hours to complete this visit on foot. But upon
descending via the convenient way, another ticket will be required if you want
to climb the south section.
·
Between
No. 6 North Tower and the exit, there is also a convenient path for descending.
Another ticket is also required to ascend the south section.
South Section:
·
has seven watchtowers.
·
The
slopes are gentle and less energy-consuming.
·
Compared
with the north section, there are fewer visitors here and one can enjoy it at a
more leisurely pace.
·
After
arriving at the furthest No.7 South Tower, return to No.3 South Tower for a
quick exit. This visit takes about 2 hours on foot. If visitors want to cover
the north section, they can go back to the starting point and then continue to
the north section; in that case, no extra ticket will be required.
Getting to Badaling is easy enough, just go to Quinmen Station on line 1. From there take tourist bus 1 to Badaling, it’s about an hour and a half, it’s better than the train trust me. The trip will set you back about 3 dollars one way.
There are restaurants at Badaling, even some western restaurants so just plan on having all of your meals there.
Second Option: Mutianyu
Coming to China at any other time during the times I mentioned before then plan on coming to Mutianyu. It’s as nice as Badaling just not as famous for movies and TV.
Some points of interest for Mutianyu
· It has a total
length of 3.4 miles (5,400 meters)
.
·
It was first built in Northern Qi Dynasty
(550-557). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Tan Lun and Qi
Jiguang, two famous patriotic generals, rebuilt it to strengthen its defensive
potential when they guarded the strategic pass. It served as the northern
protective screen, guarding the capital and imperial mausoleums for
generations.
·
It is mainly made of slabs of granite. It
measures 23 feet (7 meters) to 26 feet (8 meters) in height and 4 yards (4
meters) to 5 yards (5 meters) in width.
·
Both sides of the Great Wall have parapets to
defend against enemies. Some parapets are sawtooth-shaped instead of the
regular rectangular form. Below the parapets, there are square embrasures, the
top of which are designed in an arc structure, different from the traditional
round embrasures.
·
There are 23 watch towers distributed at close
intervals along the wall. They are located not only in the main wall but also
at the distinctive "branch city". Branch cities are built on the hill
ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall. For example, No. 11
Watchtower can be found on the branch wall.
·
Zhengguan Terrace (No. 6 Watchtower) is 44 yards
(40 meters) long, 33 yards (30 meters) wide, and 66 feet (20 meters) high. The
gate is not designed in the middle but is on the eastern side. The
two-story terrace is comprised of three hollow watchtowers, a large one in the
middle and two smaller ones on two sides. It has many rooms to store grain and
station troops.
·
Big Corner Tower (No. 1 Watchtower) is connected
with Mutianyu in the west, with Gubeikou in the east, and with a branch city
wall in the south. The tower looks like a corner from each angle, so it is
called Big Corner Tower.
Again buses are available at Qianmen bus station, the trip takes 2-3 hours and costs around 4-5 dollars. Again there are restaurants so just plan on eating at his section of the wall.
This concludes five days in Beijing. I hope you follow this guide and have a great time. As always please support this blog and if you have any questions or comments please do not hesitate to ask in the comments section below.
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