The Great Wall

Today I will talk about the Great Wall in Beijing, which includes some famous sections: the Badaling, Huanghuacheng, Mutianyu, Jiankou, Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai sections. But I want to introduce the Badaling section here.

As we all know that the Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese civilization, and one of the wonders that the Chinese people have created. Badaling Great Wall is virtually the most representative part. So if you want to experience the culture and enjoy the beauty of the Great Wall, meandering along the bricks of the Badaling Great Wall is your first choice.

Badaling Great Wall is situated in Yanqing County, over 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of Beijing. It is the most well-preserved section of the Great Wall, built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This section with an average altitude of over 1,000 meters (3,282 feet) is the outpost of the Juyongguan Pass. The mountain slope is very steep and the roads are tortuous. These features made it a military stronghold. Badaling Great Wall is like a strong dragon winding its way along the mountain ranges.

The Great wall originally functioned as a fortification. As early as the Qin Dynasty (221BC-206BC), Qinshihuang, the first emperor of Qin Dynasty unified the whole nation and began to build the Great Wall to protect China's borders from the intrusion of the northern nomadic tribes. Most parts of the preserved Badaling Great Wall were built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty to defend the capital against the intrusion of these Mongolian people. The structure of the wall consists of huge bar-stones and bricks. The inside of the wall has been formed by tampering earth and small stones, which makes the wall very firm and strong. Internally, the wall is about six meters (20 feet) wide, which would allow horses to gallop five abreast. A number of small holes have been drilled on the wall to allow archers to shoot arrows. There is a barrel-drain and a moat both inside and outside the wall. In a word, military fortification has been paramount in the consideration of every wall detail.

Badaling Great Wall was the earliest part of the great Wall opened to tourists. It has drawn tens of millions of tourists both from home and abroad. More than 370 foreign leaders and celebrities have visited there.

Travel Tips:
1. The cable car can take the tourists to the fourth balefire tower, 40 Yuan/ person for one trip and 60 Yuan/person for a return trip. If you do not want to enter the Great Wall Park and want to take the cable care only, buy the round way ticket, namely, the 60 Yuan ticket for the cable car, because at the end of the cable trip on the mountain you will not get off the cable car except you go through the park.

2. The Badaling Great Wall was built on a very sharp and sheer slope. In such a windy place where temperature is normally a few degrees lower than in the city, t is highly suggested that bring a good windproof jacket along and put your high heels away. Best shoes for climbing the Great Wall are apparently good quality sneakers.