Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Over time, this discontinuous array of fortifications and ramparts came to be known as
Wan
Li Changcheng
(literally, “Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li”,
li
being a Chinese measure of
distance roughly equal to 500m), or “the Great Wall” to English-speakers. Today, this great
monument to state paranoia is big business - the restored sections are besieged daily by ram-
paging hordes of tourists - and is touted by the government as a source of national pride. Its
image adorns all manner of products, from wine to cigarettes, and is even used - surely rather
inappropriately - on visa stickers.
For all this, even the most-visited section at
Badaling
, constantly overrun by Chinese and
foreign tourists, is still easily one of China's most spectacular sights. The section at
Mu-
tianyu
is somewhat less crowded; distant
Simatai
much less so, and far more beautiful. To
see the wall in its crumbling glory, head out to
Jingshanling
,
Jiankou
or
Huanghua
, as yet
largely untouched by development. For other trips to unreconstructed sections, check out
wildwall.com
or contact China Culture Center (
chinaculturecenter.org
).
