China has never been on our dream travel list. Probably, more for a preconception than anything else. A bit like India: we have always said that it was a journey that was too strong and impactful. But then one day we woke up with the irrepressible desire to discover this incredible country.
The same happened for China. All of a sudden, the 7 wonders of the modern world came to us. Only three were missing: Christ the Redeemer of Rio de Janeiro, the Chichén Itzá Mayan complex in Mexico and finally the Great Wall of China.
So, the Great Wall of China was the main reason why we began to open our eyes for the first time on the so improbable China. Faced with this extraordinary engineering work feels really small and unarmed.
Obviously, China is not only the Great Wall, but it is something else. However, even just walking on one of the 7 wonders of the world is worth the trip.
Which section of the Great Wall to choose?
The Great Wall is articulated for more than twnty thousand km as a long snake among the mountains that stand out on the horizon. The most famous and fascinating sections are located around Beijing and therefore easily accessible in the day if you are in the capital.
The main sections in the vicinity of Beijing are 5. Choose the section that best suits your tastes and the time available.
1. Badaling
The section of the Great Wall of Badaling receives the majority of tourists and is therefore the most crowded, as confirmed by several local guides. It should not be surprising: it is the nearest section and easily accessible from Beijing; without considering that nearby are the Tombs of the emperors of the Ming dynasty, allowing you to combine the visit of this site with that of the Great Wall.
2. Huanghuacheng
This section gives the most particular view of the Great Wall: the walls are surrounded by a lake and in some places are submerged by water
3. Mutianyu
This section is the best known and is the background to the postcards of the country. Here, the Great Wall is totally restored.
4. Jinshanling
It is one of the less crowded areas of the Great Wall as it can be reached from Baijing on a 2.5-hour journey. Here alternate areas restored to the original.
5. Jiankou
In this section the vegetation that seems to “swallow” the Great Wall left in the wild and more authentic state is dominant.
Take a look at the link https://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/section/ where you can find other sections with a description of the main characteristics and the ways to reach them.
Our tip: trekking from Mutianyu and Jiankou
If you love walking we suggest the 8 km path from Mutianyu Jiankou, which offers a unique 360 ° experience of the Great Wall: from the restored section of the walls you can find the wild and authentic features of the walls.
Normally, tourist guides propose the reverse route, advising to face first the wild section of Jiankou when you have more energy and you are less tired and then conclude with the easy part of the route, arriving at the section of Mutianyu.
We decided to proceed in the opposite version for one main reason: avoid the queue of tourists piled on top of each other. We then woke up early in the morning and arrived shortly after the site opened: this allowed us to enjoy the famous area of the Great Wall in relative solitude.
The route that we propose is not easy: you’ll walk for about 3/4 hours and some points of the route are exposed and require caution. This excursion, however, offers beautiful landscapes, in complete solitude: the wild area of the wall is hardly beaten by tourists and away from the typical squalls instead of the restored section. At the end of the day, it was devastated by fatigue but it felt like having conquered the Great Wall.
How organize the trekking from Mutianyu and Jiankou?
- Wake up early in the morning and head to the Dongzhimen bus terminal; here, the bus 867 runs regular journeys towards Mutianyu, reaching the wall in about 1 hour and a half (ticket price 12 yuan).
- The site is a sort of tourist trap where western-style bars and souvenir shops dominate. You can choose between two solutions: use the gondola lift to pay the price or go through the myriad steps that take you to the top of the Great Wall. Needless to say, we opted for the second (and more economic) option! Following the narrow uphill path immersed in a pine forest, we arrived in just under an hour at the top of the wall.
The pedestrian path that leaves in 1 hour at the top of the Great Wall Mutianyu
- When you reach your destination, enjoy the restored section and continue the walk by turning left.
The Mutianyu section
- After about an hour’s walk, you arrive at the last stall that sells water. From here on, the most authentic (and in our opinion, the most fascinating) section of the Great Wall begins. The journey is very steep and the terrain is slippery. The path is in some places marked by yellow and red ribbons that indicate the exact point where to pass, especially in the most risky points.
- You will boot a lot trying to make your way through the redundant vegetation until you get to the cd. Horn of Ox, a 180 ° U-shaped curve.
- After this point, a steep descent in front of you appears, collapsed on one side. Instead of continuing, straight turn right out of the walls and continue in the direction of the forest path.
- You will arrive at a sign where it is indicated in English “This section of the muaglia is not open to the public”; continue along the path and you will arrive at the Huairou village. To return to Beijing you can wait for the passage of a local bus: however, keep in mind that the last ride is around 16 and therefore, considering the hours of trekking to be covered by Mutianyu, you will arrive too late. Ask for a ride to a villager who will take you to the nearest bus terminal.
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