The Great Wall Of China

When visiting China, be sure to befriend your hotel concierge. They will make your life a lot easier. English is pretty much spoken in most countries. But in China, it is very rare. The concierge has arranged for a cab to drive us to and from the Great Wall for around $40 CAD. (Included in that price, he drove us around Bejing for the day as well.)

The Mutianyu Great Wall is located in the Huairou district of Beijing, which is about a 2 hour drive from the hotel. It is the most popular stretch of the Great Wall because it is in good condition. After exiting the expressway, we drive through the rural areas of China. It is like we have traveled back in time. Chickens cluck at the ground in front of the modest homes that line the narrow road. In some patches the road turns into a dirt path. Finally we pull up the Mutianyu Great Wall. It seems a bit theme-park-ish. There are men dressed up as Chinese foot soldiers who will ask for money in exchange for a picture with them.

According to the historic record, this part of the Great Wall was built up by General Xuda who served the Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang during the Ming Dynasty (in the year 1404). To get to the top of the mountain we take a running start on to a rickety 2 person chairlift. The chairlift dangles us just above the tall evergreens for about a half a kilometre.

We walk up and down the stairs through each tower along the walkable stretch of the wall. It seems surreal to be at the top of the Great Wall. It is an engineering marvel. The steps are steep and uneven, but manageable. The washroom facilities are sub-par, but available. (Bring toilette paper with you.) But the view from the watchtower is out-of-this-world!

There are a few options to get off of the mountain. One being the chairlift, and the other is a toboggan-like run. The choice is yours.