Day 05: The Great Wall at Mutianyu (April 2019)

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Monday, 22nd April 2019

It was Monday when I decided to join a day tour to the Great Wall sections at Mutianyu, about 75km north of Beijing city. The day tour is the most convenient option since it covered the cost of land transportation, gondola rides, admissions as well as a decent lunch thrown in. Along the way, our guide cautioned that things at Mutianyu might get crowded this morning given that the Forbidden City is closed today. Visitors were expected to throng the walls instead.

Amidst the minor transport hiccups in the morning, I thoroughly enjoyed the day excursion. The crowds at the Great Wall were thin (thank god) and clear weather accompanied me throughout the day.

We were given about two hours to explore the wall proper to take in the best views of the ancient architectural feat. This was definitely sufficient to cover the essentials of the wall and pausing at at the various lookout points to take in the sights of the surrounding nature.

In the evening, I asked to be dropped off at the Yonghegong Lama Temple district where many of the traditional Hutongs had been converted into modern eateries. Think KFC in a traditional Hutong? You would be able to find it here!

Finally, I ended my day at the Olympic Park to take in the sights of the iconic Beijing National Stadium aka Bird's Nest from afar before another round of Tonkatsu dinner at Guomao Mall.

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