If you were to ask me the one thing that must be done while visiting China (other than the pandas in Chengdu :) it would be to visit the Great Wall. It is breath-taking beyond words.
The Great Wall is over 6,200 km long and construction started over thousands of years ago. Several walls were started and they were all joined together to form the Great Wall. It was initially built for protection against intrusion, and later used for the purposes of border control (trade) and control of immigration/emigration.
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Parts of the wall are in good condition, while others are in decay. The most visited portion of the wall is called Badaling and it is located just outside of Beijing. This section of the wall is the first part that was opened to tourists, it is also the youngest, at only 600-ish years old. It took hundreds of thousands of people to build this and when you see it, you wonder how it was ever done.
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| The mountain views are stunning |
We took the train to Badaling, and the view was beautiful. Once you left the city, you approached the mountains, and then before you knew it, you could see parts of the Wall. I got a little teary eyed when I first saw it, I could not believe I was there seeing it!
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| Small section of the wall on the way to the peek |
If you are not up for the walk, you can take a cable car or pulley car up. We knew we had to walk the Great Wall. The day we went it was very windy, but it worked well for us as the little bit of fog/smog we had in the morning lifted as time went by. We went to the highest point on the North side, the 8th or 9th tower. I would guess it is a couple kilometers away. It is the peak most people aim for, with a few brave ones continuing further down the Wall. The walk is steep and uneven. Some sections have stairs because it is really steep and the rise of each step varies greatly. We read that some people have counted about a thousand stairs you have to climb. I didn’t count, I was just focused on the walk. It's a challenging and rewarding climb if you can make it.
In autumn, the mountains are yellow-ish in color, there were some red leaves, the sky was blue (lucky day) and the clouds were white. Simply amazing. Pictures and words cannot explain how it felt to be there at that moment.
Here’s how to see the Great Wall at Badaling:
Take Subway Line 2 or 4 to Xizhimen Station, then follow the signs to the North Railway Station
Head to the ticket office UPSTAIRS to buy tickets for the S2 trains - just keep following any signs you see that say S2 .When facing the ticket wickets, head to the one on the far right, there is a small S2 sign above the little wicket opening. You will not see the sign if people are standing there. The ticket will make no sense to you (all in Chinese) but you will see S2 written on it. 6Yuan one way.
Exit ticket area and turn right, head towards the path with the blue awning above it and the S2 train schedule to the right of it. Show your ticket, go through security and wait in line. They do not open the doors to let you wait on the platform. Instead everyone stands in line and once the doors open, a lot of people run for the train to get a seat. The ride is about an hour and from what we could see, seats can run out and you will be left standing.
We took the S205 train at 8:34 to Badaling, and the S216 train at 13:40 back to Beijing. You will want to check online for all the train times. No reservation required, and you can hop on any S2 train.
There are a few stops along the way to Badaling, you will be heading to the last stop (most people will be getting off here). Following everyone else (and the signs), walk about 800m to the ticket office. Admission will vary depending on time of year of your visit. For us, it was 40Yuan each (Nov1-Mar31). There is a cable car or pulley you can take up (fee applies) or you can walk.
To return to Beijing, head back to the Badaling station and purchase a ticket inside (after you go through “security”). Then get in line with everyone else. Again people will be running to the train when the doors open.
TIP: bring a hat and maybe gloves (vendors are prepared to sell these to you as you walk toward the entrance to the Wall if you forget). Also wear good shoes!
~ Christine
Experienced 05 November 2013
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