Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Don't Miss
Hiking the Wall
The Badaling section of the Wall dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), but was
heavily restored between the 1950s and '80s. This makes it one of the better places to hike
the Wall, because what's underfoot isn't crumbling away; from the main entrance, you can
walk east or west for some distance before you hit the unrestored sections. Bear in mind
the Wall is steep, so wear sensible shoes and take water with you.
Watchtowers
The soldiers guarding what was then China's frontier lived and worked in the impressive
watchtowers (
dilou
) interspersed along the Wall here. They weren't just defensive forti-
fications; a system of smoke signals, generated by burning wolves' dung, was used to
transmit information along the wall and back to Beijing itself.
China Great Wall Museum
中国长城博物馆
中国长城博物馆
Included in the ticket price is entrance to this
museum
( 9am-4pm Tue-Sun)
, which offers
a comprehensive history of the Wall from its origins as an earthen embankment in the far-
off Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), to the Ming-era battlements you see today. It's a good way
to get a sense of just how astonishing and extensive a structure the Wall is.
Winter Wall
If you're in Beijing in the winter, then that's by far the best time to visit Badaling. You'll
have the place almost to yourself, and the snow that covers the ramparts makes the Wall
even more picturesque. The downside is that you will need to wrap up like an Inuit. Due
to elevation and exposure, Badaling is far colder than Beijing and the wind up here cuts
like a knife.
The Countryside
One of the joys of a trip to the Wall is that it gets you out of the city and into the fresh air
of the countryside. The landscape around Badaling is especially raw and striking, a real
contrast to where you've come from. Note how many of the village houses around Badal-
ing are made out of bricks pillaged from the Wall!
