Great Wall of China

Trail up the Great Wall of China at Badaling

From the Shanhaiguan Pass near the Bohai Sea, west to the Jiayuguan Pass in the Gobi Desert, the Great Wall covers some 6,000 kilometres (3,728 feet). This section shown here is at Badaling, and dates from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Increasingly, tours from Beijing visit the Great Wall at Juyongguan (also called Nan Pass), which is the same area as the more northerly Badaling, and should help ease congestion. Tours from Beijing typically stop at Badaling for about an hour and a half. If you have time, make it to the viewpoint near the top and have your photo taken to document this feat.

The Badaling Expressway runs northwest from Beijing about 50 kilometres (31 miles) to this section of the Wall. Tours to Badaling may be part of a full-day tour that also includes other attractions like the nearby Ming Tombs, the Temple of Heaven, and factory tours and demonstrations by artisans in jade, pearls and cloissonne. There's usually a retail outlet -- know your pearls before you go, and your guide can give pointers on buying jade.

Climbing the Stairs at the Chinese Great Wall Badaling

If you intend to climb the stairs at the Great Wall, do yourself a favour and get in shape before you travel. The stairway is quite steep, and one step may be just a few inches higher than the one before it, or as much as 12 inches higher, giving one's legs a good workout.

Fit travellers breeze up the heights. The vast majority are hauling themselves up by the handrail, pausing often, and breathing hard. With only a short time allocated for the stop, you won't make it very far unless you are in shape.

For my second visit -- in the chill winds of mid-February -- I packed a windproof and waterproof jacket, and a fleece jacket, fleece hat and fleece mittens. They didn't take up a lot of room in my suitcase or day pack, but added immeasureably to the enjoyment level of the climb.

Even hanging around the parking lot is interesting. Listen to the tour guides adressing their groups in whichever language is required. I heard Swedish, English, German and French. Hotel breakfast buffets are just as accommodating of foreign cuisines.

New and Old Section of Great Wall of China

This close-up photo shows a section of the original wall, and the rebuilt upper portion. As well as damage from wind and water over the years, sections of the Great Wall were damaged between 1970 and 1974, when stones were used to construct barracks and farm buildings. In 1979, a special commission was established to preserve this national monument.

You can go into the narrow sentry towers -- regularly-spaced battlements that were beacon towers -- and climb up tiny stairs inside to get a panoramic view from the top. There are no handrails on the stairs, so to keep my balance, I had to walk sideways, braced with one hand on the stair wall in front of me and my back against the opposite wall. On a chilly days only hinting at winter storms, it's hard to imagine the harsh conditions endured by long-ago sentries and soldiers.

Saving the Great Wall - Resotration at Badaling

The top part of the wall shows new concrete capping an old section to save it from crumbling further. In October, when I took this picture, the leaves on the trees in the valley below were just starting to change colour.

September, October and November often offer the best weather, making them busy months for tourists. As well, the Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival), a moveable feast, is celebrated in late September or early October. Many 'Overseas Chinese' travel to China for this 'Chinese Thanksgiving', and airport traffic is very heavy. And October 1 is China's National Day, a national holiday when many Chinese are travelling around the country as well.

Restored Great Wall Lookout - Badaling China

As you can see in the photo, this Chinese Great Wall lookout tower has been rebuilt.

I took this shot to remember the vast distances the Great Wall covers, as well as how high the vantage points are.

In the valley below, bright orange persimmons were ripe for the picking.

If you would like to spend more time walking the Great Wall at Badaling, hire a private tour guide/driver and car.

It may also be possible to come here with one group in the morning and return late afternoon with another. Most hotels have an on-site tour office to help with this.

Great Wall Developmentand Construction at Badaling China

The development at the base of the wall had easily trebled in the two year interval beween my visits. I imagine its vastly different than shown in this photo.

While there are other places to access and climb the wall, they are a greater distance from Beijing. There's a section of Great Wall across the valley as well. One day, I want to spend at least a full day here, and climb this further section to see into the valley beyond.

At the bottom of the Great Wall Stairs

At the base of the Badaling access to the Great Wall climbs, there are new tea houses and shops, and condo developments.

When China hosted the 2008 Olympics, construction proceeded rapidly and many more amenties are now available.

I have to wonder, though, if the small market vendors have been pushed aside, leaving only pricier options for buying mementos and snacks.

Great Wall Tea House at Badaling

This tea house is part of the new development.

Recommended Books : Paul Theroux's Riding The Iron Rooster is his account of a train journey through China (published in 1988). Theroux criss-crosses the country from Mongolia to Tibet.

As always, his work is well-researched and fun to read. If you're aware of the new high speed train line from Beijing to Tibet, you'll better appreciate its impact after reading about the final drive to Tibet, which took place before the opening of this rail line.
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