(川香川情食府 %010 8389 3301; 1 Chengnei Jie, 城内街1号 dishes ¥22-68; h10am-10pm)
Reliable and reasonably priced Sìchuān restaurant just inside the east gate of Wǎnpíng Town. It gets busy at lunchtime. No English is spoken, but there is a picture menu.
8Getting There & Away
Bus 662 comes here from Chángchūnjiē subway station (Line 2). Come out of exit A1 and the bus stop is in front of you on the right. Get off the bus at Lú Gōu Xīn Qiáo (卢沟新桥) bus stop (¥2, 40 minutes) then turn right, beside a petrol station, and bear left to follow the road to the Marco Polo Bridge and the West Gate (400m).
Dāwǎyáo subway station (Line 14) is about a 1km walk from the East Gate of Wǎnpíng Town. Come out of exit A, turn left at the junction and walk alongside the highway for about 600m before turning right down Chengnei Jie (城内街), which leads to the walls.
The Great Wall
Visiting the Wall
Mutianyu
Gbeiku
Jiankou
Zhuangdaoku
Jinshanlng
Huanghua Cheng
Badalng
The Great Wall
He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man.
Mao Zedong
China’s greatest engineering triumph and must-see sight, the Great Wall (万里长城; Wànlǐ Chángchéng) wriggles haphazardly from its scattered Manchurian remains in Liáoníng province to wind-scoured rubble in the Gobi desert and faint traces in the unforgiving sands of Xīnjiāng.
The most renowned and robust examples of the Wall undulate majestically over the peaks and hills of Běijīng municipality, but the Great Wall can be realistically visited in many north China provinces. It is mistakenly assumed that the wall is one continuous entity; in reality, the edifice exists in chunks interspersed with natural defences (such as precipitous mountains) that had no need for further bastions.
Best Places to Sleep
A Commune by the Great Wall
A Brickyard Eco Retreat
A Great Wall Box House
A Zǎoxiāng Yard
A Ténglóng Hotel
Great Wall History
The Great Wall (长城; Chángchéng), one of the most iconic monuments on earth, stands as an awe-inspiring symbol of the grandeur of China’s ancient history. Dating back 2000-odd years, the Wall snakes its way through 17 provinces, principalities and autonomous regions. But nowhere is better than Běijīng for mounting your assault on this most famous of bastions.
Official Chinese history likes to stress the unity of the Wall through the ages. In fact, there are at least four distinct Walls. Work on the ‘original’ was begun during the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC), when China was unified for the first time under Emperor Qin Shihuang. Hundreds of thousands of workers, many of them political prisoners, laboured for 10 years to construct it. An estimated 180 million cu metres of rammed earth was used to form the core of this Wall, and legend has it that the bones of dead workers were used as building materials too.
After the Qin dynasty fell, work on the Wall continued during the Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220). Little more was done until almost 1000 years later, during the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), when the impending threat of Genghis Khan spurred further construction. The Wall’s final incarnation, and the one most visitors see today, came during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when it was reinforced with stone, brick and battlements over a period of 100 years and at great human cost to the two to three million people who toiled on it. During this period it was home to around one million soldiers.
The great irony of the Wall is that it rarely stopped China’s enemies from invading. It was never one continuous structure; there were inevitable gaps and it was through those that Genghis Khan rode in to take Běijīng in 1215.
While the Wall was less than effective militarily, it was very useful as a kind of elevated highway for transporting people and equipment across mountainous terrain. Its beacon tower system, using smoke signals generated by burning wolves’ dung, quickly transmitted news of enemy movements back to the capital. But with the Manchus installed in Běijīng as the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) and the Mongol threat long gone, there was little need to maintain the Wall, and it fell into disrepair.
The Wall’s decline accelerated during the war with Japan and then the civil war that preceded the founding of the new China in 1949. Compounding the problem, the communists didn’t initially have much interest in the Wall. In fact, Mao Zedong encouraged people living near it to use it as a source of free building materials, something that still goes on unofficially today. It wasn’t until 1984 that Mao’s successor Deng Xiaoping ordered that the Wall be restored in places and placed under government protection.
But classic postcard images of the Wall – flawlessly clad in bricks and stoutly undulating over hills into the distance – do not reflect the truth of the bastion today. While the sections closest to Běijīng and a few elsewhere have been restored to something approaching their former glory, huge parts of the Wall are either rubble or, especially in the west, simply mounds of earth that could be anything.
WHEN TO GO
ASpring and autumn are good times to hike the Wall, when it's not too hot or cold.
ASummers can see the Wall overwhelmed by visitors. Go for one of the less-visited sections such as Jīnshānlǐng or Mùtiányù.
AIn winter it gets frigid at the Wall – it's always colder than in Běijīng – but you'll likely have many parts of it all to yourself, especially during the week.
ADo not hike the sections of the Wild Wall in the rain: it's too easy to slip and fall.
AAvoid visiting the Wall at weekends or public holidays, if at all possible.
Visiting the Wall
The heavily reconstructed section at Bādálǐng is the most touristy part of the Wall. Mùtiányù and Jīnshānlǐng are also restored sections. These can feel less than authentic, but have the advantage of being much more accessible (with cable cars, handrails etc). Huánghuā Chéng and Zhuàngdàokǒu are part-restored, part-'wild' and offer some short but challenging hikes. Unrestored sections of ‘Wild Wall’ include Gǔběikǒu and Jiànkòu, but there are many others. All of these can be reached using public transport (you can even get to Bādálǐng by train), although some people choose to hire a car to speed things up. Staying overnight by the Wall is recommended.
Tours run by hostels, or by specialist tour companies, are far preferable to those run by ordinary hotels or general travel companies. Not only do they cater to the needs of adventurous Western travellers, they don’t come with any hidden extras, such as a side trip to the Ming Tombs (a common add-on) or a tiresome diversion to a gem factory or traditional Chinese medicine centre. The following reputable companies and associations run trips to the Wall that we like.
Bespoke Běijīng (%010 6400 0133; www.bespoketravelcompany.com; B510, 107 Dongsi Beidajie; 东四北大街107号B510楼 h9am-6pm; bBeixinqiao) High-end trips and tours.
Great Wall Hiking (www.greatwallhiking.com) Locally run hiking trips.
China Hiking (%156 5220 0950; www.chinahiking.cn) Affordable hiking and camping trips run by a Chinese-Belgian couple.
Běijīng Hikers Organises some breathtaking outings out of town.
Bike Běijīng (%010 6526 5857; www.bikebeijing.com; 81 Beiheyan Jie; 北河沿大街81号 h8am-8pm; bNanluoguxiang) For cycling trips.
Běijīng Sideways (%139 1133 4947; www.beijingsideways.com; Xingfu Cun Zhonglu, Jieizuo Dasha Xibian, Lishihongye Zhiyeyouxiangongsi Duimian; 幸福村中路杰座大厦西边利世鸿业置业有限公司对面 h9am-9pm; bDongsishitiao) For trips in a motorbike sidecar.
You'll find places to stay at some parts of the Wall close to Běijīng – notably Mùtiányù – but most guesthouses and hotels cluster around the more remote sections, where staying overnight allows you to spend some proper time at the Wall. Gǔběikǒu, Jiànkòu, Zhuàngdàokǒu and Huánghuā Chéng all have reasonable sleeping options. Remember, that most pl
aces close from November to March.
Bādálǐng can be accessed by both bus and train. You get to Mùtiányù, Jīnshānlǐng, Zhuàngdàokǒu, Gǔběikǒu, Jiànkòu and Huánghuā Chéng by a combination of buses, or a bus and a taxi or minivan. A number of taxi operators make day trips to the Wall, as do some ordinary Běijīng taxi drivers. Agree on the price beforehand.
Mùtiányù 慕田峪
Location 70km from Běijīng
Price Adult ¥45
Hours 7am to 7pm April to October, 7.30am to 6.30pm November to March
Mùtiányù (慕田峪) is a recently renovated stretch of Wall that sees a lot of tourists and is fairly easy to reach from Běijīng. It’s also well set up for families, with a cable car, a chairlift and a hugely popular toboggan ride. Fewer tour groups come here than go to Bādálǐng, so the crowds are much more manageable.
Famed for its Ming-era guard towers and excellent views, this 3km-long section of wall is largely a recently restored Ming dynasty structure that was built upon an earlier Northern Qi dynasty edifice. With 26 watchtowers, the wall is impressive and manageable and, although it’s popular, most souvenir hawking is reserved to the lower levels.
From the ticket office at Mùtiányù, shuttle buses (¥15 return, 7.20am to 7pm April to October, 8.20am to 6pm November to December) run the 3km to the wall, where there are three or four stepped pathways leading up to the wall itself, plus a cable car (缆车; Lǎn Chē 1 way/return ¥80/100, kids half-price), a chairlift (索道; Suǒdào combined ticket with toboggan ¥80), called a 'ropeway' on the signs here, and a toboggan ride (滑道; Huá Dào 1 way ¥80), making this ideal for those who can’t manage too many steps, or who have kids in tow.
4Sleeping & Eating
Brickyard Eco RetreatGUESTHOUSE$$$
(瓦厂, Wǎ Chǎng %010 6162 6506; www.brickyardatmutianyu.com; Běigōu Village, Huáiróu District, 怀柔区渤海镇北沟村 r incl breakfast ¥1040-4746; aW)S
A 1960s glazed-tile factory renovated into a beautiful guesthouse, sporting lovingly restored rooms, each with views of the Great Wall. Rates include use of a spa, and shuttle services to the Wall and surrounding villages. Brickyard is in Běigōu Village (北沟村; Běigōu Cūn), about 2km from the Mùtiányù Great Wall. Reservations are essential.
Yì Sōng Lóu RestaurantCHINESE$$
(翼松楼餐厅, Yì Sōng Lóu Cāntīng mains ¥22-80; h8.30am-5pm)
Restaurant up by the main entrance to Mùtiányù Great Wall. It does OK Chinese food.
8Getting to Mùtiányù
Bus
From Běijīng's Dōngzhímén Wai bus stand, bus 867 makes a special detour to Mùtiányù twice every morning (¥16, 2½ hours, 7am and 8.30am, 15 March to 15 November only) and returns from Mùtiányù twice each afternoon (2pm and 4pm). Otherwise, go via Huáiróu: from Dōngzhímén Transport Hub (Dōngzhímén Shūniǔzhàn) take bus 916快 (the character is ‘kuài’, and means ‘fast’) to Huáiróu (¥11, one hour, 6.30am to 7.30pm). Get off at Míngzhū Guǎngchǎng (明珠广场) bus stop, where private taxis and minivans wait to take passengers to Mùtiányù (per person ¥20, 30 minutes). Note that after around 1pm, you'll probably have to charter your own car or van (¥60 one way). Return minivans start drying up at around 6pm. The last 916快 back to Běijīng leaves Huáiróu at around 7pm. If you miss that, catch a taxi from Huáiróu to Shùnyì subway station (顺义地铁站; Shùnyì Dìtiě Zhàn; about ¥100) on Line 15, or all the way back to Dōngzhímén (¥220).
Taxi
A taxi costs around ¥600 to ¥700 for a return day trip from Běijīng.
TAXIS & CAR HIRE
AMiles Meng (137 1786 1403; www.beijingenglishdriver.com) Friendly, reliable, English-speaking driver. See his website for prices.
AMr Sun (孙先生; Sūn Xiānsheng; 136 5109 3753) Only speaks Chinese but is dependable and can find other drivers if he’s busy. Round trips to the Great Wall from ¥600.
AHertz (赫兹; Hèzī; 400 888 1336; www.hertz.cn; 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm Saturday and Sunday) Has an office at Terminal 3 of Běijīng airport, as well as at 10 other locations around town. Self-drive hire cars (自驾; zìjià) from ¥279 per day. Car with driver (代驾; dàijià) from ¥1100 per day.
Gǔběikǒu 古北口
Location 130km from Běijīng
Price through ticket (Great Wall and town) ¥45, town only ¥20
The historic, far-flung town of Gǔběikǒu is just a village these days, but was once an important, heavily guarded gateway into Běijīng from northeast China. The village, split into two sections by a ridge, with the Great Wall running along it and a small tunnel running through it, contains plenty of old courtyard homes (plus lots of rebuilt ones) and half a dozen small temples. Various stretches of the Wall meet in and around the village, in a kind of Great Wall crossroads with lots of hiking options. One short stony stretch of wall dates from the far-off Northern Qi dynasty (AD 550–577). The other stretches are Ming. There are well-worn dirt pathways on or beside them, so hiking here isn't as dangerous as it can be at other unrestored sections of the Wall. You should still take great care, though.
There are two main sections of Wall here: the Coiled Dragon (蟠龙; Pán Lóng), which runs along the ridge that cuts Gǔběikǒu village in two and which eventually leads to Jīnshānlǐng Great Wall, and Crouching Tiger Mountain (卧虎山; Wò Hǔ Shān), on the other side of the Cháo Hé River (walk through the tunnel, cross the river bridge, and follow the steps you'll soon see on your right). Both make for fabulous hiking, although Crouching Tiger is extraordinarily steep. There are other short splintered sections of Wall, like the one that runs down from Coiled Dragon, past Great Wall Box House. The Wall here is less well defined than at other locations across Běijīng, but the scenery is lush, making for pleasant hiking. Pathways along the Coiled Dragon section have yellow spray-paint markers left over from a Great Wall marathon a few years back, so navigation is less confusing than it might otherwise be.
Most guesthouses in Gǔběikǒu, and their attached restaurants, shut down between November and March.
4Sleeping
oGreat Wall Box HouseGUESTHOUSE$
(团园客栈, Tuán Yuán Kèzhàn %010 8105 1123; http://en.greatwallbox.com; No 18 Dongguan, Gǔběikǒu Village, 古北口镇东关甲18号 weekday/weekend incl dinner 6-bed dm ¥180/200, 4-bed ¥180/200, deluxe d ¥1200/1350; hmid-Mar–mid-Nov; nW)
Run by the friendly, English-speaking Joe, this wonderful place is housed in a 100-year-old courtyard building that was an abandoned chessboard factory before being lovingly renovated. Rooms surround a long, well-tended garden-courtyard, and are large (the dorm is enormous), bright, comfortable and spotlessly clean. Incredibly, a small, overgrown section of the Great Wall runs along one side of the property.
8Getting to Gǔběikǒu
Bus
Take bus 980快 from Dōngzhímén Transport Hub (Dōngzhímén Shūniǔzhàn) to its terminus at Mìyún bus station (密云汽车站; Mìyún qìchēzhàn; ¥17, 100 minutes, 6am to 8pm). Then, turn right out of the bus station, cross the main road and turn right and walk for 200m to find the stop for bus 25, which runs to Gǔběikǒu (¥10, 70 minutes). To catch the bus back to Mìyún from Gǔběikǒu, walk through the tunnel by the entrance to the village, cross the road and the bus stop is 400m ahead of you. The last bus 25 back to Mìyún leaves at 4.35pm. The last bus 980 back to Dōngzhímén is at 6.30pm.
Taxi
Taxis cost ¥1000 to ¥1200 return for a day trip from Běijīng.
CAMPING ON THE GREAT WALL
Although, strictly speaking, camping on the Great Wall is not allowed, many people do it; some of the watchtowers make excellent bases for pitching tents, or just laying down a sleeping bag. Remember, though; don't light fires and don't leave anything behind. You'll find fun places to camp at Zhuàngdàokǒu, Jiànkòu and Gǔběikǒu.
There are plenty of places to buy camping equipment in Běijīng, but one of the best in terms of quality and choice is Sanfo (三夫户外; Sānfū Hùwài GO
OGLE MAP ; %010 6201 5550; www.sanfo.com/en; 3-4 Madian Nancun; 北三环中路马甸南村4之3－4号 h9am-9pm; bLine 10 to Jiandemen, exit D). There are branches across the city, but this location on a side road of the middle section of the North 3rd Ring Rd stands out because it has three outlets side by side, as well as a few smaller cheaper camping shops next door. Turn right out of Exit D of Jiandemen subway station (Line 10) and walk south for about 800m, then cross under the 3rd Ring Rd and the camping shops will be on your right.
There’s a smaller, easier-to-get-to branch ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.sanfo.com; 9-4 Fuchengmen Dajie; 阜城门大街9－4号 h10am-8.30pm; bLine 2 to Fuchengmen, exit C), about 200m south of Fuchengmen subway station.
Jiànkòu 箭扣
Location 100km from Běijīng
Price ¥25
Hours No official opening hours
For stupefying hikes along perhaps Běijīng’s most incomparable section of ‘Wild Wall’, head to the rear section of the Jiànkòu Great Wall (后箭扣长城; Hòu Jiànkòu Chángchéng), accessible from Xīzhàzi village (西栅子村; Xīzhàzi Cūn), via the town of Huáiróu. Tantalising panoramic views of the Great Wall spread out in either direction from here, as the crumbling brickwork meanders dramatically along a mountain ridge; the setting is truly sublime. But this is completely unrestored wall, so it is both dangerous and, strictly speaking, illegal to hike along it. On summer weekends especially, crowds can render it even more risky. Footwear with very good grip is required, and never attempt to traverse this section in the rain, particularly during thunderstorms. When the weather is fine, the Jiànkòu (箭扣) area offers fabulous opportunities to hike and camp along the Wall.
Lonely Planet China Page 20
