Great Wall in Beijing

Great Wall - The Eighth Wonder of the Modern World

"In 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. "--by UNESCO, ref: 438;

 

The Great Wall was created by joining several local walls in the Warring States Period ("Zhanguo" Period) without a blueprint. The construction of the Great wall began during 770-476 BC. Ducal states at that time built walls to defend their own territories. In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the six ducal states s and unified China to become its fist emperor. To consolidate the country and ward off invasion by ethnic minority tribes in the north, he had the separate walls joined together and extended to form a united defensive system. This is a very complicated question as how many dynasties in Chinese history built, modified or extended the Great Wall. The latest construction took place in Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and most of the walls we see today were built in the Ming Dynasty.

 

Enjoying the reputation of being the Eighth Wonder of the Modern World, the Great Wall contains the ancient Chinese people's wisdom and work. It's a myth and was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages. The Great Wall is also said to be the only man-made project that can be seen with the naked eye from the moon as Richard Halliburton said.

 

"If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. Many people come to China just to admire the amazing Great Wall. It is, indeed, an experience of lifetime. The Great Wall lies across the northern part of China. If you want to go on a Great Wall tour, Beijing is the best place to

Great Wall in Beijing

The Great Wall is accessed by most at Badaling, but increasingly by tourists at Mutianyu and even Simatai (right on the border with Hebei province), but there are many quieter stretches of the Great Wall that snake across the ridges in between these known access points. The mountains to the north of Beijing are a great escape from the city to enjoy the fresh air.

All the Great Wall areas are forested, but much of this has been through reforestation program. In fifty years, it will all be cloaked in cypresses, junipers, larch and beech, but for now, it is mainly low shrubs and clusters of older trees. It is a wonderfully pastoral area, with small villages.

Factors, such as season, accessibility, safety, health condition, should be taken into account when visiting the Great Wall. Different sections of the Great Wall present different features and different scenery. Badaling and Juyong Pass is the most visited and most easily accessible part of the Wall. At China Odyssey Tours, you can choose to visit any section you like. However, compared with the Badaling-Juyong Tour, other Great Wall Tours cost a little bit more because of the distance and accessibility. The scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall is extremely beautiful in autumn while the section between Jinshanling and Simatai requires more physical stamina to climb.

Juyong Pass

Juyong Pass, located in a valley around 50 kilometers from Beijing City, is one of the three greatest passes of Great Wal. (The other two passes are Jiayuguan Pass and Shanhai Pass). The valley where Juyong Pass lies is steep and precipitous. Thus, Juyong Pass won the reputation of the most steep and dangerous pass. Juyong Pass and Badaling in the south are vital gateways in the northwest region of ancient Beijing City.

Badaling

Badaling, 60 miles away at the northwest of Beijing, is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall. Badaling has most tourist facilities, easy to get to, being reachable within minutes of the roadside. In Chinese, 'Bada' means 'giving access to every direction'. The name itself suggests its strategic importance. The wall here filled with solid rocks and earth with huge stone, with an average height of 24 feet, 19 feet wide of the bottom, and 16 feet at the top. It is wide enough to allow ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The highest point here is more than 2,400 feet above sea level.

Mutianyu

The Great Wall from a different view! Mutianyu Great Wall, located 70km from the center of Beijing, is much steeper than Badaling Great Wall, and a more challenging climb. This section, older than Badaling, is considered by Chinese and foreign tourists as the best part of the Great Wall. There are fewer people about because the location is less accessible than Badaling. Surrounded by woodland and streams, this section takes on different looks in different seasons, blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn and white snow in winter at this photogenic spot.

Simatai

The Simatai Great Wall (a favourite for foreign hikers especially), 120 kilometers from the city center is often described with the following three words: perilous, diverse and peculiar. This stretch of wall is in slightly derelict style but still magnificent. Much of the section is in a state of ruin with exposed bricks and incomplete structures. A famous specialist of Great Wall says: "The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai section is the best of the Great Wall." This section was said to be "people's excellent cultural relics of the world" by UNESCO.

Jinshanling

The Jinshanling Great Wall, 130 km at the northeast end of Beijing City, features complicated and well preserved fortification systems. It is unspoilt: absolutely no restoration, no tourist facilities at all, and the views of the wall sweeping around the valley to the north are spectacular.
The walls are more solid, and the watchtowers taller and it retains its original Ming Dynasty outlook. Here you can see the Wall relatively undisturbed and in its slightly more original condition. The wall goes up and up along the ridge and stretches on endlessly. The wall is slightly in ruins and thereby has a special beauty. It is the section that foreign visitors like most.