Compiled by Heather Hopkins Clement
One of the major “must see” destinations near Beijing is The Great Wall, and there are several areas from which it can be accessed. Below is a sampling of what some travel guides have to say on the subject:
WIKIPEDIA:
The Great Wall of China (simplified Chinese: 长城; traditional Chinese: 長城; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "long city/fortress") or (simplified Chinese: 万里长城; traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里) is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.
PETER GREENBERG:
The Great Wall isn’t actually in Beijing, but it’s within reasonable traveling distance and is inevitably on every Beijing traveler’s itinerary. Most people end up going to the section at Badaling, which has been fully restored and outfitted with cable cars and other tourist trappings. Badaling offers really nice views and it’s easy to get to from Beijing, but it’s choked with people and certainly isn’t going to offer anything approaching a private experience.
But there’s no reason you have to visit the wall at Badaling, or at other developed sites such as Mutianyu or Simatai. Remember that the Great Wall is really, really long, and that most of it remains in a ruinous state.
If you want to go to a non-touristed section of the Wall, it’s as simple as finding a driver who will take you there. You should be able to locate a willing chauffeur anywhere taxis congregate. You could ask to go to Huanhuacheng, an un-restored section of the wall popular with hikers, or you could get out a map and point your finger randomly at someplace that looks remote.
Remember that crumbled sections of the wall can be very dangerous to climb on, and beware of local “entrepreneurs” demanding illegitimate tolls around the wall’s periphery (no matter what they say, they’re probably just making it up). If you hire a driver for the day, pay no more than half the fare up front to ensure he doesn’t take off without you, and if he’s reasonably pleasant to be around, invite him to lunch with you.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC:
Great Wall at Simatai or Jinshanling
Two rugged, relatively unrestored places to view the Great Wall, about 70 miles (113 kilometers) northeast of Beijing. Simatai has steep climbs on crumbling stones, often without handrails; you're rewarded with stunning vistas. Jinshanling is less gravity-defying, but visitors can camp there overnight. It's 5.6 rugged, lovely miles (9 kilometers) between the two stations—doable in about four hours. tel. 86 10 6903 5025.
FODOR’S:
Great Wall at Jinshanling
- Address: 110 km (68 mi) northeast from Beijing, Beijing
- Phone: 031/4883-0222; 0138/3144-8986
Though it lacks the rugged adventure of Simatai, Great Wall at Jinshanling is perhaps the least restored of the major Great Wall sections near Beijing, as well as the least visited. Besides being the starting point for a fantastic four-hour hike to Simatai, Jinshanling also serves as one of the few sections of the Great Wall on which you can camp overnight. A starry night here is a gorgeous and unforgettable—go with a tour group such as Cycle China. Don't forget to pack a piece of charcoal and paper to make rubbings of bricks that still bare the stamp of the date they were made.
- Cost: Y30; Y50 for overnight stays. If you hike to Simatai, you will have to buy another Y5 ticket at the border.
- Open: Daily 8-5
Great Wall at Jinshanling
- Address: 110 km (68 mi) northeast from Beijing, Beijing
- Phone: 031/4883-0222; 0138/3144-8986
Though it lacks the rugged adventure of Simatai, Great Wall at Jinshanling is perhaps the least restored of the major Great Wall sections near Beijing, as well as the least visited. Besides being the starting point for a fantastic four-hour hike to Simatai, Jinshanling also serves as one of the few sections of the Great Wall on which you can camp overnight. A starry night here is a gorgeous and unforgettable—go with a tour group such as Cycle China. Don't forget to pack a piece of charcoal and paper to make rubbings of bricks that still bare the stamp of the date they were made.
- Cost: Y30; Y50 for overnight stays. If you hike to Simatai, you will have to buy another Y5 ticket at the border.
- Open: Daily 8-5
FROMMER’S:
Even after you dispense with the myths that it is a single continuous structure and that it can be seen from space (it can't, any more than a fishing line can be seen from the other side of a river), China's best-known attraction is still mind-boggling. The world's largest historical site is referred to in Mandarin as Wanli Changcheng ("10,000-Li Long Wall" or simply "Very Long Wall"). The Great Wall begins at Shanhai Guan on the Bo Hai Sea and snakes west to a fort at Jiayu Guan in the Gobi Desert. Its origins date back to the Warring States Period (453-221 B.C.), when rival kingdoms began building defensive walls to thwart each other's armies. The king of Qin, who eventually conquered the other states to become the first emperor of a unified China, engaged in large-scale wall building toward the end of his reign, although tales of 300,000 conscripted laborers are embellishments of subsequent dynasties. During the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), the Wall was extended west, and additions were made in completely different locations, according to the military needs of the day.
Although many tour guides will try to persuade you otherwise, the Ming Wall you see today is unrelated to the Qin Wall, which lies far to the north. The Ming even went to the trouble of calling their wall Bian Qiang (Frontier Wall) to avoid comparisons with the tyrannical first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huangdi. The original Wall was built almost entirely from tamped earth, and often crumbled away within decades of being constructed. Talk of satellite mapping the current Wall is fanciful -- for most of its length, the structure is barely visible from the ground. This, and the fact that there is no single "Great Wall," makes it impossible to pin down the Wall's precise length.
Those with an interest in exaggerating Chinese xenophobia portray Wall building as an essential part of the national psyche, but after the Han, few dynasties bothered with Wall construction, and relied mostly on trade, diplomacy, and the odd punitive expedition to keep the peace. Even during the inward-looking Ming dynasty, the Wall was viewed by many at court as an ancient version of the Star Wars missile-defense idea -- ineffective, absurdly expensive, and successful only in antagonizing China's neighbors. With the Ming wracked by internal rebellion, the Qing armies simply bribed the demoralized sentries. The Qing left the Wall as a monument to folly, and while early Western visitors were awed, it became a source of national pride only recently. Sun Yat-sen was among the first to view it as a symbol of national strength, an idea the Communists adopted, including it in the National Anthem.
The Wall's most easily visited sections are Ba Da Ling and Juyong Guan, while Mutianyu, Jin Shan Ling, and the vertiginous Simatai require a full day's outing. Appealing options for overnight stays are The Red Capital Ranch at Mutianyu and the more basic Simatai YHA.
On the Wild Wall -- Travelers with time and the inclination to explore beyond the typical tourist haunts are strongly encouraged to join a trip to the crumbling "unofficial" sections of the Wall that snake through more remote areas north of Beijing. William Lindesay, a Briton who has been walking along and writing about the Great Wall since the mid-1980s, organizes excursions for the company Wild Wall. Joining one of his tours is the best way to learn about the Wall's construction and destruction, both by human and natural forces, from a knowledgeable source.
Wild Wall is based out of two modernized farmhouses, the first and more fully outfitted just north of Beijing, and the second somewhat more primitive (but still comfortable) in Hebei. Wild Wall's most common weekend trips run 3 days (Fri-Sun) and cost $450 (prices are quoted in U.S. dollars), including guided hikes, two nights' accommodations in a farmhouse, six meals, drinks and snacks, research and conservation contribution and book. Although pricey, these weekend trips are highly recommended and typically take place two or three times a month. Day hikes and strenuous "Extreme Treks" are also available. For details see www.wildwall.com.
The Great Wall at Juyong Guan
59km (37 miles) NW of Beijing
Just before you get to the madness of Ba Da Ling, the most touristed and tacky section (we don't recommend it), lies this relatively peaceful stretch of the Wall. The most conveniently accessed section of the Wall is also the most historically significant. Guarding one of the two crucial passes to Beijing (the other is to the northeast, at Gu Bei Kou) and the vast North China Plain, Juyong Guan (Dwelling in Harmony Pass) was the site of pitched battles, involving Jurchen, Mongol, and, more recently, Japanese invaders. There may have been fortifications here as early as the 6th century, before Beijing existed. Climbing the steep section to the left offers marvelous views of Ba Da Ling, snaking up the mountains to the north, and south toward Beijing (in the event of a clear day). Restorations from 1993 to 1997 created over 4km (2 1/2 miles) of wall, but railings mar the effect; there's little feeling of antiquity. All the construction must have eaten into the advertising budget, as crowds are thinner here than at Ba Da Ling.
It's worth stopping at Juyong Guan to view the ancient and remarkable Yun Tai (Cloud Platform), which once stood astride the old road running northwest into Mongol territories. Dating from 1342, it was the base for three Tibetan-style stupas, which were toppled by an earthquake and replaced during the Ming dynasty by a Chinese-style Buddhist temple, also destroyed (by fire) during the early Qing. The central tunnel is carved with elephants, Buddha figures demonstrating different mudra (hand positions), the four heavenly kings, and six different scripts. Facing north, the languages on the right-hand wall are Chinese, Xi Xia (the script of a vanished Tibetan race, decimated by Genghis Khan's armies during the 14th century), Uighur, and Mongolian. The top script is Sanskrit, with Tibetan below.
Visitor Information -- The ticket office at Juyong Guan (tel. 010/6977-1665) is open daily from 8am to 5pm. Admission is ¥45 ($6/£3) in summer, ¥40 ($5.35/£2.65) in winter.
Getting There -- A round-trip taxi should cost less than ¥200 ($27/£13).
Where to Stay -- Giving the Red Capital Ranch a run for its money is the newly opened The Commune (tel. 010/8118-1888; www.commune.com.cn). This hotel's stunning architecture and location near the Great Wall make it a perfect place to retreat from the city. The 12 original villas designed by international architects are often rented for lavish parties while copies of the homes have been subdivided into more affordable hotel rooms. A large kids' club offers free babysitting and an outdoor wading pool. Doubles run for ¥1,650 to ¥2,600 ($220-$347/£110-£173) and include breakfast. Exit at Shuiguan, Ba Da Ling Highway.
The Great Wall at Mutianyu
90km (56 miles) NE of Beijing
The Great Wall at Ba Da Ling proved so popular that authorities restored a second section of the Wall to the east in 1986. Mutianyu is slightly less crowded than Ba Da Ling, but it does have its own traffic jams in summer. Located in a heavily forested area, it's especially photogenic in rainy, misty weather. You can hop over a fence to see more tempting, unrestored sections, but those planning to survey the entire length of restored wall will find themselves with little energy remaining. There is a cable car to help those who need it.
Travelers with Disabilities -- Exploring the Great Wall is tough enough for people in good shape. For those with disabilities, the Wall is a nightmare. At Mutianyu a cable car provides access, but there are still steps to negotiate up to the cable car, and steep steps up to the Wall. There are no elevators or wheelchair assists at any of the sections.
Visitor Information -- The ticket office (tel. 010/6162-6505) is open from 7:30am to 6:30pm. Admission is ¥40 ($5.35/£2.65); the cable car costs ¥50 ($6.65/£3.35) round-trip.
Getting There -- Mutianyu is not as easy to reach as Ba Da Ling. Most hotels can arrange guided group tours for around ¥250 ($33/£17). The you no. 6 combines a trip to Mutianyu with visits to a temple and a lake; it leaves from the northeast side of the Xuanwu Men (206) metro stop (Sat-Sun 6:30-8am, every 30 min.; ¥50/$6.65/£3.35). The bus stops at Mutianyu for about 3 hours. A taxi will cost between ¥200 and ¥400 ($27-$53/£13-£27).
Where to Stay -- A popular Great Wall resort lies in a quiet river valley close to Mutianyu at the Red Capital Ranch (tel. 010/8401-8886; $190-$200 including breakfast, plus 15% service charge; Apr-Nov). Similar to the Red Capital Residence, all 10 rooms are thoughtfully decorated with antique furnishings. The oddly shaped Yan'an room has considerable charm and a very firm bed. The Ranch sits next to a dramatic section of the wall that is good for a challenge; there's a steep drop towards the end to the last tower that should only be attempted by advanced hikers. (Tip: You may also choose to hike this section of the wall without staying at the Ranch -- arrange your own driver and grab a post-hike tea in the Ranch's lodge.) Fishing, bike riding, and even a Tibetan essential oil massage are offered. A twice-daily shuttle bus connects with the Red Capital Residence.
The Great Wall at Jin Shan Ling
130km (81 miles) NE of Beijing, 90km (56 miles) SW of Chengde
Located in Hebei Province, this is the least visited and least spoiled of the Wall sections listed in this chapter. Jin Shan Ling is 10km (6 1/4 miles) east of Gu Bei Kou (Old Northern Pass), through which Qing royalty passed on the way to their summer retreat at Chengde (Jehol). The Wall here is in good condition, as it was a recent (after 1570) rebuild of an existing Ming wall, and construction was overseen by the outstanding general, Qi Jiguang. The defensible pass, whose heart lies to the west at Gu Bei Kou, was 27km (17 miles), stretching all the way to Simatai in the east. Bricks are smaller, reflecting advances in wall-building technique. The Wall features unusual circular towers and elaborate defensive walls leading up to towers. Management dreams of tourist hordes -- a cable car has been built, along with gradually rusting amusements -- but the remoteness of the site makes large-scale tourism unlikely. The walk to Simatai is reason enough to visit.
Visitor Information -- The ticket office (tel. 010/8402-4628) is open 24 hours. Admission is ¥50 ($6.65/£3.35).
Getting There -- Appealingly, Jin Shan Ling can be reached by train from the Beijing Bei Zhan (North Railway Station), just north of the Xi Zhi Men metro stop (201, exit A). A special tourist train for Gu Bei Kou, the L671 departs daily from mid-April to October at 7:25am (2 1/2-hr. trip; ¥20/$2.65/£1.35). The rest of the year, the slower L815, departing at 8am, will take you there (4-hr. trip; ¥10/$1.35/65p). Returning trains depart at 3:05pm and 4:15pm, respectively. Walking down from the station, you can either find lodgings in the village of Gu Bei Kou Hexi Cun, or take a minivan directly to the Wall (25-min. trip, ¥20/$2.65/£1.35). From Xi Zhi Men bus station, some buses to Chengde (daily 6am-5:30pm, about every 20 min.; 2 1/2-hr. trip; ¥46/$6.15/£3.05 for an Iveco or similar) also pass the turnoff, where you face either a 6km (3 1/4-mile) hike or haggling for a minivan (¥10/$1.35/65p).
Where to Stay -- Standard rooms start at ¥140 ($19/£9.35) in the dull but clean Jin Shan Ling Binguan, to the right just inside the entrance of the wall. Staying at one of the simple courtyard houses in Gu Bei Kou Hexi Cun, just below the railway station, is a cheaper and more appealing option; accommodations are usually ¥10 ($1.35/65p) per person, and home-cooked meals are similarly priced.
The Great Wall at Simatai
124km (77 miles) NE of Beijing
Somewhat tamed after a series of deaths led to the closing of its most dangerous stretch, Simatai nevertheless remains one of the best options for those who want more of a challenge from the Great Wall. The most harrowing portion, steep and unrestored, is on the east (right) side of the Miyun Reservoir. Several gravel-strewn spots require all four limbs to navigate. The endpoint is the Wangjing Ta, the 12th watchtower. Beyond this is the appropriately named Tian Qiao (Heavenly Bridge), a thin, tilted ridge where the Wall narrows to only a few feet -- the section that is now off-limits. Despite the danger, Simatai can get rather crowded on weekends, especially since a cable car was installed, and souvenir vendors can be a nuisance. Those who speak Chinese would do well to pretend otherwise, or risk listening to hard-luck stories ("I've walked all the way from Mongolia."). The round-trip hike to Tian Qiao takes 3 hours at a moderate pace. The section of Simatai west of the reservoir is initially better restored and connects to another section of the Great Wall, Jin Shan Ling, in Hebei Province.
Visitor Information -- The ticket office (tel. 010/6903-1051), a 10-minute walk away in a village south of the reservoir, is open 8am to 7:30pm in summer and 8am to dusk in winter. Admission is ¥40 ($5.35/£2.65). The cable car runs from 8am to 5pm, April to November; a round-trip ride to the no. 8 Tower costs ¥50 ($6.65/£3.35), or ¥30 ($4/£2) one-way. Those walking west to Jin Shan Ling will be charged ¥5 (65¢/35p) to cross a bridge.
Getting There -- The best no-hassle option is to visit with one of the Youth Hostelling International tours (tel. 010/8188-9323); these leave the YHAs daily between 7 and 8am and cost ¥150 ($20/£10) for simple transportation. The you no. 12 travels to Simatai from northeast of the Xuanwu Men (206) metro stop (Apr to mid-Oct Sat-Sun 6:30-8:30am, every 30 min; ¥70/$9.35/£4.65); you get about 3 hours at the site. A round-trip taxi ride should cost less than ¥400 ($53/£27).
Where to Stay -- Responding to the popularity of the Jin Shan Ling to Simatai hike, Simatai YHA (tel. 010/8188-9323; standard room ¥288/$38/£19) opened in 2004. Courtyard-style rooms are basic, but the coffee is world-class, and the view of the Wall from the patio is wonderful.
The Great Wall at Jiankou
70km (44 miles) NE of Beijing
This is our favorite part of the Wall. Few tourist buses make the journey here, and there is no cable car shuttling out-of-shape tourists to the top. Even more amazing, there are no touts selling knickknacks and there is no admission fee (though it's possible that unscrupulous villagers may try to collect one). We've spent plenty of time near here, since we rent a house in the nearby countryside. This section is for serious hikers only. Start at Xin Zhai Zi Cun where the road dead-ends into a parking lot, following the trail up to the Wall. Turn left once you reach the wall, and prepare yourself for an intense five-hour hike. The tallest watchtower in the distance is Jiankou, and just before you reach it, there is a turn-off point that is marked by a flat, paved section of the Wall that leads you back down to the road. From the road, it's a 20-minute walk back to the parking lot.
Visitor Information -- This is pure, unadulterated Wall, so there is no ticket office. Villagers charge ¥5 (65¢/35p) for parking, and may tack on ¥10 to ¥20 ($1.35-$2.65/65p-£1.35) per person, but you can decline to pay all but the parking fee. Open 24 hours. Bring your own lunch. Bottled water is usually available at the parking lot -- bring plenty of water for the hike.
Getting There -- Since it's a remote location, you'll have to arrange a private car. Have your hotel concierge arrange a driver, or have them call one of two drivers: Mr. Liu (tel. 0/13661162308) or Mr. Zhang (tel. 0/13501189730) (neither speaks English, so you may need your concierge to help ring them up). The return trip takes 4 hours (plus figure in 5 hours of wait time for your hike) and will cost ¥500 ($67/£33), more if arranged by your hotel.
Where to Stay -- Many small peasant homes at the base of the mountain (near the parking lot) offer accommodations, but we don't recommend any in particular as the area is rather rustic. If you'd like to overnight, your best bet is to head to Mountain Bar Lodge (tel. 010/8989-7738; Hong Zun Yu Yi Tiao Gou; www.ourshanba.com), 30 minutes away from Jiankou, on the return trip to Beijing. The Chinese resort offers small chalets perched on a hill and excellent fare at its massive, meandering restaurant that serves up to 1,000 people per night. Try the excellent barbecued pork ribs (kao zhupai) and the mixed eggplant, potato, and green peppers (disanxian).
LONELY PLANET:
China’s mandatory, must-see sight, the Great Wall (Chángchéng) wriggles fitfully from its scattered remains in Liáoníng province to Jiāyùguān in the Gobi Desert.
The ‘original’ wall was begun over 2000 years ago during the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC), when China was unified under Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Separate walls that had been constructed by independent kingdoms to keep out marauding nomads were linked together. The effort required hundreds of thousands of workers – many of whom were political prisoners – and 10 years of hard labour under General Meng Tian. An estimated 180 million cubic metres of rammed earth was used to form the core of the original wall, and legend has it that one of the building materials used was the bones of deceased workers.
The wall never really did perform its function as an impenetrable line of defence. As Genghis Khan supposedly said, ‘The strength of a wall depends on the courage of those who defend it’. Sentries could be bribed. However, it did work very well as a kind of elevated highway, transporting people and equipment across mountainous terrain. Its beacon tower system, using smoke signals generated by burning wolves’ dung, quickly transmitted news of enemy movements back to the capital. To the west was Jiāyùguān, an important link on the Silk Road, where there was a customs post of sorts and where unwanted Chinese were ejected through the gates to face the terrifying wild west.
During the Ming dynasty a determined effort was made to rehash the bastion, this time facing it with some 60 million cubic metres of bricks and stone slabs. This project took over 100 years, and the costs in human effort and resources were phenomenal. The investment failed to curb the Manchu armies from storming the Middle Kingdom and imposing over two and a half centuries of foreign rule on China.
The wall was largely forgotten after that. Lengthy sections of it have returned to dust and the wall might have disappeared totally had it not been rescued by the tourist industry. Several important sections have been rebuilt, kitted out with souvenir shops, restaurants and amusement-park rides, and formally opened to the public.
The most touristed area of the Great Wall is at Bādálǐng. Also renovated but less touristed are Sīmǎtái and Jīnshānlǐng. Not impressed with the tourist-oriented sections, explorative travellers have long sought out unrestored sections of the wall (such as at Huánghuā) for their more genuine appeal. The Chinese government periodically isolates such sections or slaps fines on visitors. The authorities argue that they are seeking to prevent damage to the unrestored wall by traipsing visitors, but they are also keen to direct tourist revenue towards restored sections.
The wall has suffered more from farmers pillaging its earthen core for use on the fields, and for its bountiful supply of shaped stone, stripped from the ramparts for use in road and building construction. A recent outcry over drunken summer raves and ‘orgies’ at Jīnshānlǐng has upped public concern over the fortification’s sad decline.
When choosing a tour, it is essential to check that the tour goes to where you want to go. Great Wall tours are often combined with trips to the Ming Tombs, so ask beforehand; if you don’t want to visit the Ming Tombs, choose another tour.
Far more worrying, some tours make painful and expensive diversions to jade factories, gem exhibition halls and Chinese medicine centres. At the latter, tourists are herded off the bus and analysed by white-coated doctors, who diagnose ailments that can only be cured with high-priced Chinese remedies (supplied there and then). The tour organisers receive a commission from the jade showroom/medicine centre for every person they manage to funnel through, so you are simply lining other people’s pockets. When booking a tour, check such scams and unnecessary diversions are not on the itinerary. As with most popular destinations in China, try to avoid going on the weekend.
NEW YORK TIMES:
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