T Climbing the Great Wall
What can be said about The Great Wall that hasn’t been covered a thousand times before? It’s one of those sights that everyone has at least heard of and thinks about with some sense of wonder. At different times, to different people, it has been protection from enemies, a means of trade, transportation and communication, a cemetery for those who died in its construction, a marvel of human construction, and a bucket-list-worthy tourist destination.
On the two hour ride north from Beijing, we and the small group from the hostel we were traveling with, were shown a Discovery Channel-type documentary on the Wall’s history. The original Great Wall sections were made from packed earth, and date back over 2000 years. At that point, different sections of wall made by different regions, and leaders were linked under the command of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It wasn’t a perfect deterrent, but served well as a means of transport and trade. Later, during the Ming Dynasty, the wall was revamped with bricks and stone, an arduous task taking 100 years to accomplish. From the beginning, most of the work was done by forced labor of local farmers, prisoners and soldiers, and an estimated million people died in the process. After the Manchu armies stormed through, the wall was forgotten for many years. There are pieces of wall still being rediscovered and explored today. Some sections have been restored and developed for tourists.
Going Down!
We had heard some disappointing stories about battling for elbow room and being harangued by vendors while visiting the Great Wall, so we chose to visit an alternate section. The part we saw wasn’t too far from the popular Badaling gate, but in an area not yet developed. The first three stretches of wall, each between two towers, had been restored, or was in the process. After tower three, there were no real stairs or guardrails, just loose stones and grassy spots here and there. Our group leader told us what time to be back, and about how long to expect the hike to take, and we were on our way.
Great Wall Turret Ruin
The wall looked like a white snake, slithering over the dark green, rolling mountains as far as the eye can see. It was a bright, sunny day, and everything seemed to sparkle. As soon as we put some space between us and the others in our little group of 15 or so, we had the Wall to ourselves, not another soul in sight. Heavenly. The hike was steep, and challenging for the lungs, but each ascent left us at a tower with a new, amazing view, each as beautiful as the last. Here and there a pink or purple flower poked out from a crack in the stones, or a window in a watchtower framed a mountain view perfectly. We made it to tower six, after which a steep slope of crumbling rock mostly covered in grass marked the end of our road. We took our time on the way back, stopping for photo and rest breaks.
Click HERE for photos.
