One of the best things about Asia? The historical sites are ridiculous. Here’s a repost of my experience hiking the Great Wall of China on a school field trip to Beijing last April.
How do you adequately explain the sheer beauty and immensity of such an epic and historic site? Pictures do not even do it justice. Excuse the lack of blogging, but this past week found me in Beijing, on a field trip with 140 7th graders, and a lovely set of hard-working, dedicated teachers trying to ensure that the trip ran smoothly.
We left grey, humid Hong Kong behind bright and early on Monday morning, unsure of what awaited us in Beijing. The buzz and hum of excitement from the students (most gearing up for what was going to be their first long trip away from their parents, and subsequently their first taste of semi-independence) was palpable. We boarded the plane and landed in Beijing and were dismayed to see that the weather there was much of the same: just as grey and wet as Hong Kong-but a lot colder. I was grateful for all my layers, and vowed to purchase a set of gloves as soon as the opportunity became available.
Thankfully, though, the next days were bright and crisp, very much like autumn in Canada. So it was with beautiful blue skies and brisk winds that we found ourselves on the wall. And that’s where I think I’ll have to let the photos do most of the talking since I don’t realize have words to explain what I saw!
First, the basics: we hiked the Jinshaling to Simatai portion of the Great Wall, which is a 3 hour drive outside of Beijing’s city centre. I would highly recommend hiking this portion of the wall, because: 1) it is practically devoid of tourists (as most go to more popular sections of the wall closer to Beijing and 2) it is still highly authentic (read: steep walkways and un-refurbished), meaning that you are essentially getting the “real deal”.
I enjoyed the lack of tourists because it really gave me the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of all that was around me without all the drama and loud talking annoying-ness of others. It also meant that I got some pretty cool pictures. As for this portion of the wall being authentic? It just means that you have practice extreme caution while walking since there are absolutely no railings and many parts of the path and steps are severely eroded. The hike, which spans a 10km portion of the wall, is mostly uphill, with a few extremly treacherous down-hill sections which are not for the weak of heart. I consider myself to be in good physical shape, but still had to pause at times to take a breath.
The weather in Beijing at this time of year is also extremely dry ( a huge switch from humid Hong Kong) and thusly I was always equipped with my requisite bottle of water, because it is very easy to get dehydrated. As this particular part of the wall is not heavily frequented by tourists, people selling water, and other beverages and snacks are extremely few and far between, so make sure you come prepared.
There were, however, a number of people along the wall who were trying to hawk their wares (postcards, etc) and could be very aggressive. The one pictured below followed me for most of the walk, despite my protests. It can become stressful as their frequent haggling can often make you lose your balance, which is absolutely necessary when hiking this part of the wall since much of it is jagged and uneven. A fall could be fatal.
Also, make sure you bring lots of moisturizer! And, for those of you who don’t wear lipstick, bring chapstick is highly recommended. Lots of students and teachers alike complained about how dry their hands and lips got. My hands, despite frequent moisturizing, turned a horrible ashy shade of grey and were very rough to the touch. A number of students also had nosebleeds due to the dry air, so take heed!
As Beijing is just coming off of a long, cold, snowy winter, much of the trail was pretty brown and barren except for this small section where I encountered a lovely set of cherry blossoms:
Which was pretty timely as we were nearing the end of our nearly 4-hour hike up steep hills and down treacherous, nearly-eroded brick steps. At the end of all our hard labour, we had a treat: a zip-line down the remaining part of the trail and over some body of water that I did not get the name of. Always the skeptic, I was unsure about the zip-line, but I figured that, if 140 7th graders could do it, so could I (despite my fear of heights)! I unfortunately didn’t manage to get a picture of me on the zip-line, but here are a few of my students…
All in all, an amazing experience and one that I will not soon forget. The Great Wall rocks! And I’ve got all the pics to prove it.
41 Comments
Thanks for the tips! My goal is to see all 7 wonders of the world and this one is next on my list.
slightly off topic but…if you ever go to Egypt, vendor sellers (those with licensees near all major tourist areas) must stay behind a thick line painted near their booths. I noticed some local police nearby strictly enforced the rule. i noticed beggars were also prevented from following tourist to close to popular sites.
How cute are those kids!
@Rene- I would love to do that, too! In time… About Egypt, I think that's a good idea, because being harassed really gets annoying after a while.
@Aritul- I know! They are sweethearts.
Was that zipline down the Great Wall? I’m considering a trip to China. Ziplining down the great wall would definitely be on my “to do” list.
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