jaiden please add cover image from juyongguan section from great wall of china

Before the Wall

We had our first hotel breakfast at the Holiday Inn. Breakfast was awesome and had tons of options both catered towards Chinese and Western tastes. I made sure to consume a bunch of calories for the Great Wall. I had buttery scrambled eggs, English style beans, fruit, I also had a fried plain dough stick.

On the bus Tony started to discuss with us the layout of China’s capital city. Despite its sleek and modern feel, Beijing is an old city. You can see it in its design, which is thoughtfully laid out. We drove past the Beijing drum tower and bell towers north of the Forbidden City. They are UNESCO World Heritage sites. In terms of housing, there is also a careful color-coding system with the older homes in the Hutongs of Beijing. The gray walls mean regular commoners live there. In these homes you will see one story tall stone single family homes. In these neighborhoods you might see some gates like you would see in a Chinatown. The size of the gate serves both practical and religious symbolic purposes. The wealthier someone was the larger the gate. More noble figures used yellow.

The Great Wall

On the way we also learned that Beijing is a city of walls. The second ring road used to be a wall, but it was removed as part of Beijing’s modernization and is now a highway. The terrain around Beijing is flat surrounded by mountains. This geography has necessitated these walls as defense against invaders. Sun Tzu the famous Chinese military strategist notes the importance of walls in his writings. This information was pertinent as we were on our way to the Great Wall.

We were told that the Great Wall is also called the largest cemetery in the world for the number of people who died in its construction. There are rumors that the bones and skeletons of people are in the wall. However, we were also told there has been no physical evidence of that. Additionally, it is a myth that you can see the Great Wall of China from space. China has sent astronauts to the International Space Station, and they have not been able to find the Great Wall from space.

Conflict and trade caused the expansion and continued renovation of the Great Wall. The Han dynasty saw the Silk Road extend China’s influence and territory. The materials in which the walls were built were particularly important. The walls that were built with clay eroded over time and were of inferior quality. The walls that were made from clay mostly do not exist anymore and have withered away to the elements. The Han dynasty did this. However, the Ming dynasty took a better strategy, though it was more expensive. They used bricks, they were the strongest, and the sections they built have survived. The Great Wall runs over 50,000 kilometers (about 31068.56 mi) in total length, although much of it has weathered away from wind, earth, and other natural events. Only certain sections exist today. When Japan invaded China in 1933 and during World War II was the last time the wall was used for defensive and military purposes. Since then, it has been restored for heritage and tourism purposes.

We arrived at a Juyongguan portion of the Great Wall. It is a sizable part of wall that has been supported through the years. Geographically we were at the bottom of a valley several miles outside of urban Beijing. Though we were still in Beijing Provence, I was sure after hiking up the Great Wall and the mountain that we could see another Provence (northern Hebei Provence) and urban Beijing. Before walking through the turnstiles, the zipper on my coat broke and it was a major inconvenience for the rest of the trip. Given Beijing’s chilly weather it just meant I had to layer up a bit better. The coat was already heavy and difficult to manage but I made it all work.

Some of us posed for a picture next to a quote and with a section of wall. It gave you a great glimpse of the steepness of the wall which was connected to a tower and mountains in the background.

While we were there, we hiked from tower seven to tower twelve. I started behind because I tried to fix my coat, but I figured since I would be moving, my body would warm up and I would not need it. I had brought my hat and gloves after all. I started off quickly trying to catch up with others from the group. I realized about halfway through to the first tower that this was going to be a challenge.

Each step was unlike the other. And they were not created equal. The paths on the wall narrowed and widened. Directionally it curved and straightened out. The wall’s steps went from steep and shallow. And with each step you were getting higher and higher in elevation. It was strenuous on my thighs and knees. It prevented me from getting a consistent rhythm as I hiked up these countless stairs. Though I was in better physical shape than most of the group. I ended up going at it alone for lots of it.

With everyone we stopped at each tower to catch our breath. While climbing each section of the wall, I could not help but notice how very well supported and clean it was. There was electrical wiring and trash cans all throughout. Most notably the wiring supported security cameras that were spread throughout the wall. And there were gift shops. The mountains also concealed sections of the wall. You would hike up and think you were there only to realize that you had plenty more hiking to do. Once everyone got to a tower, people used it as a checkpoint for a well needed break.

Once atop the tower 12, the top tower on this section of the Great Wall I met my first American tourist, thought he was native Chinese bro went “I’m from Florida”. He looked gassed as hell, probably because the flatness and the warmth of the sunshine state was not present here. Additionally, I had some adorable Chinese aunties take a whole bunch of photos for me.

Once at the top of the number 12 tower there were two cats. It really added to the reward of trek. Throughout walking up we were greeted with stunning views of the surrounding scenery and other sections of wall. When you looked to the south you could see some of the Beijing skyline. Looking north you could see more sections of wall farther out in the distance. Looking around there was not much vegetation around. The shrubs and trees had no leaves so the mountains looked very tan and gray in the winter weather. Regardless of the current weather and environment, the views were simply incredible.

On the descent I was nervous that I was going to slip. The wind was more noticeable, and I felt more strain on my knees. I made sure to go slow and take it easy. The inconsistencies of the steps were every more present going down. On the way down, we chatted with a foreign tourist (who was probably Spanish) and I took a picture for a group of Indonesians who were giggly and kind. On the way down I also ran into some Indonesian tourists who I took a group photo for.

Back at the base of the wall, I meet up with everyone else. I took it slower to get more pictures and to take in the view. Once down, I entered a gift shop and bought some postcards and a magnet. The woman upcharged me so I negotiated to get a lower price. It was also one of the few times where I used cash during the trip. Overall, the Great Wall met my elevated expectations.