The Great Wall 長城

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I have been waiting for the good weekend to go to the Great Wall. Wait too long for a clear sky and come the unexpected early snow, wipe out all the color leaves. When wait for the snow, and snow comes I do not have time to go.

It snow earlier during the week and has been very cold in the 30’. I figure the snow is not going to melt so soon. I look at the sky at Fri. night, I think this is the time to go, otherwise I will miss out again.

I can either take the train from the Beijing North station 北京北站 at Xizhimen 西直門 or express bus from Jishuitan 積水潭. Either station is accessible by subway line 2, and only one stop apart. The train is more comfortable but cost more and run less often. The bus is run more often, the longest interval may be 1 hour. As soon as the bus is fill up it will take off.

I arrived at the bus depot around 8:00am. It is a zoo there, many people and many buses. Worse of all there are many different lines 919. Why don’t they use a different number for each line. I need the express 919 to Badaling 八达岭. All the signs are in Chinese, it took me a while to find the correct bus. If you can not speak and write Chinese, you never can find it. When I got to the bus is fully packed and no room. The lady said the next one is in an hour. However the bus filled up in 20 min. and we took off. The cash bus fare is 12 rmb, transit card is something around 10rmb. It is a non stop express line, arrived in Badaling in an hour later.

The sky is nice and clear and very cold, must be in the 20’ or lower plus the wind.
Entrance fee to The Great Wall is 40 rmb, I guess is off season price. I got the student discount and the ticket is 17.5 rmb. The Mickey Mouse slide car to the middle of the hill for 60 rmb is a big rip off. If you do not want to walk, should not go to The Great Wall at the first place.

I think Badaling part of The Great Wall is the most beautiful part and not too steep. If you go to the left side in the morning can see the other side under perfect lighting. It happened are the icy side right now, and few people taking that route. I took the challenges and does the up hill ski with my shoe. It is very windy and cold, but that is how you get the clear sky. It cannot have both clam and clear.

In 221 BC, the Emperor Qin in order to defend the Huns in the north, he ordered connecting the walls once built by the other states as well as adding some sections of his own. Thus was formed the long Qin's Great Wall which started from the east of today's Liaoning Province and ended at Lintao, Gansu Province.
The Ming Dynasty is the peak of wall building. The Ming court from its first emperor to the last ceaselessly built walls in the north. The main line started from Jiuliancheng near the Yalu River in the east to the Jiayuguan Pass in the west and measured over 4,600 miles.

Due to long history, natural disasters and human activities, many sections of the Great Wall are severely damaged and disappearing. The restored parts are open to the tourist in a couple of locations.

The return bus takes longer to fill up and the traffic is typical Beijing traffic in town. Stop and go in town, end up two hours on the ride give me dazzle. If I going to do it again I should take the train back.

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Photos

GW2
Wall entrnace area

GW6
the sunny and dry side

GW8
bettert than the baseball hat

GW12
future photographer

GW13
climbing the snow covered steps

It's me !
I am not a terrorist, just shield myself from the sub-zero wind.