China Travel Blog

some critical thinking.
how is the great wall significant? and how does it relate to chinese culture and heritage?

I am planning a trip to China to visit the Great Wall. What are the necessary steps that I should take to have a successful trip? What costs should I expect? Should I hire or talk to a travel agent. How much time should I plan between preparation and the actual trip? Can I plan a trip for two or one (with less then average Chinese speaking and reading ability) successful without having a horrendous experience?

This article is about the China vacations and Great Wall travel. You can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Great Wall travel now.

Badaling Great Wall is the site of the most visited part of the Great Wall, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Beijing in Yanjing County, which is within the Beijing municipality. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location’s strategic importance.The highest point of Badaling is Beibalou, approximately 1015 meters above sea level.

The portion of the wall at Badaling has undergone heavy restoration, and in 1957 it was the first section of the wall to open to travellers. Now visited annually by millions, the immediate area has seen significant development, including hotels, restaurants, a cable car, etc. The recently completed Badaling Expressway connects Badaling with Beijing.

Badaling and the expressway were the site of the finishing circuit of the Urban Road Cycling Course in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Laps of the circuit passed through gates in the wall.

It was here that President Richard Nixon and his wife visited on 02/24/1972, during his historic journey to P. R. China. ( From Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM, you can get more info about China vacations)

Travel tips for your Badaling Great Wall tour:

1. To get here, you can take the Line 919 city bus in Deshengmen (Desheng Gate) of Beijing. This is the cheapest way to get to the Badaling Great Wall. The Line 919 bus is available at 6:30 – 17:00 and the bus station is right there under the Deshengmen (Desheng Gate). The cost is 12 rmb ( for the bus goes through the Badaling express way and with air condition in it ) for one person. It takes about 1 hour to get to Badaling Great Wall. One thing I have to mention is that there is another type of Line 919 bus here. It is cheaper (only 5 rmb) and also heads to the Badaling Great Wall. But this bus doesn’t have air condition and takes 2 hours to get to the Badaling Great Wall because it choose another road, not the Badaling expressway. The Line You 1, You 2, You 3, You 4, You 5 bus is another option for you (“You” is the meaning for travel in Chinese). These buses can take you to the Badaling Great Wall, The Ming Tombs, etc. The disadvantage is that you will not have enough time for each scenic spot. If you wanna spend more time in the Badaling Great Wall. This Line You bus is not your best choice.

2. To get back, you can take the Line 919 bus or the Line You 1 – You 5 buses. Some friends told me that the Line 919 was very crowded and it was not easy to find a seat in Lin 919 bus. But it is in a totally different situation now. There is a starting station in Badaling now and you will be able to find a good seat in this place. I once made a mistake there. I found a Line 919 bus with many people in it. I thought it was goting back to Deshengmen and when I got on the bus I was told that this bus was the free bus for the Badaling Zoo. I had to take the same bus to get back when I arrived this Badaling Zoo. If you don’t want to make the same mistake, you’d better ask the driver about their destination before you get on the bus.

3. The train is also a good choice for your Badaling Great Wall travel. You can take the train to Badaling at the Wudaokou station. There are trains heading to Badaling every morning and they will get back in the afternoon.

4. If you wanna rent a sedan or minivan to Badaling, the cost is about 300 rmb for a whole day.

4. If you do not want to have lunch in Badaling (a little bit expensive and not delicious in my point of view), you can bring some food with you.

5. There is a big toilet in the entrance of the Badaling Great Wall. It is clean and free. In other toilets of Badaling, you will need to pay for it and will not be able to find some water to wash your hands. 

6. The sourth part and north part of the Badaling Great Wall are different and you’d better see both.

7. The ticket price is 45 rmb for the entrance of the Badaling Great Wall. This includes the entrance fees for a Bear Garden and a Great Wall Museum.

8. Again, leave nothing but prints, take nothing but photos.

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The Great Wall of China is not just an ordinary travel icon; besides the role it plays in China’s tourism, it has led to the development of China’s long history and culture. People are curious to understand the facts of how the great wall came about; however, it is not until one visits this majestic structure, you can truly understand the significance of the great wall to China and the rest of the world.

The origin of story of the great wall is unknown, but history shows that the construction of the wall began in the early seventh century B.C and was made out of stone, wood, grass and earth. This was when the earliest regional kingdom was built for the defensive military needs. The purpose was to protect the farming lands from the invasion of the tribes from the north and to hold the natives from vacating the lands. Used as a military demarcation, there were various watchtowers which stood at varying distances from each other; these towers substituted the time warning system used during the ancient times. The fire and smoke signaled the day and night time respectively. Many of these watch towers still remain in their original position where they stood while some have been destroyed during the revolution.

Over the years, parts of the great wall was destroyed and rebuilt and more sections were added. Due to this construction, it stretched so wide from the east to the west bordering almost the entire country. At present, they say it measures about 7300km from one end to the other.

There are different sections to travel the wall, all of which have different attractions and features. The sections also represent the roles played during the construction of the great wall. For adventure lovers, it would be a challenging task to travel the entire length of the wall. The Great Wall Marathon and Half Marathon is an annual marathon race which takes place every year in China. For runners and adventures, this marathon is one of the experiences of a lifetime as they run through 7km of the incredible wall passing through beautiful countryside villages and mountain trails.

For tourists on short stays in China, climbing the great wall from almost any part of northern china is possible, although, many travelers prefer to climb the wall from Beijing because the sections of this part of the wall are very good for sightseeing and have great features. Besides that, it affords them the opportunity to see other historical attractions like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Tiananmen Square etc.

The most popular sections to visit and climb the great wall in Beijing are the Badaling, Simatai, and Mutianyu sections.

Badaling section of the great wall is located 70 km away from the center of Beijing and is the most popular section to climb the wall in Beijing. It was the first part of the wall to be opened to tourists. History has it that Badaling section was built to protect the Juyongguan Pass, along which the Guan’gou gorge and several interesting sites of interest are located. This section of the Great Wall was made by huge bar stones and paved with square bricks making the wall pavement smoothly ordered. The Badaling section became a national cultural relic and a world heritage listing by United Nations in 1987.

Simatai section in Beijing is a very remote and quiet section on the great wall. The ruins and untouched parts of this section is what helped Simatai section earn its reputation of being the unique section of the wall. There are features retained from over the years which were untouched and looks like what it used to be like over 500 years ago. This section of the wall has about twelve watch towers at different intervals and takes about 2hours to reach the twelfth tower. Simatai section is great for adventure hikers and trekkers.

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is located on Huairou County northeast of Beijing. This section of the wall is known for its unique quality of construction and features compared to other sections of the wall. It is known as the main essence of the great wall because of the style which it was built.

In Summary, traveling the great wall is one of the greatest experiences of a lifetime and it is difficult to understand its history until it is visited. It is assumed to be one of the top 100 things to do in this lifetime.

For more information about China Travel, China Tour Vacations, visit Passport to China.

This article is about the Beijing Great Wall and Ming Tombs travel. You can find some useful information in it if you are booking your Beijing flights now. (you can get more New York,Los Angeles,San Francisco, Chicago flights and airfares info at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM)

Badaling Great Wall:

You can take the Line 919 bus to the Badaling Great Wall in Deshengmen. The cost is 12 rmb. This bus takes the high way and it only takes 50 minutes for the trip. “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.” Lots of travellers choose the Great Wall as the first priority for the Beijing travel. Usually, the Great Wall travel will take you 3 or 4 hours. If you wanna see the Ming Tombs too, there are some tips.

How to get to the Ming Tombs from the Badaling Great Wall?

There is a Line 919 bus (slow bus) station near the Zantianyou museum. This is the best place to take the bus to the Ming Tombs. Don’t take the yellow “Yinjian” bus. It is the unlicensed vehicle. The green and white bus is the real licensed city bus of Beijing. I once took a yellow “Yinjian” bus. They charged me 10 rmb (from Badaling Great Wall to Changpingxiguan) when I get on. I waited in the bus for half a hour and they were still waiting for other travellers in the bus station. I was getting angry and the driver finally started the engine. But they didn’t want to leave the Badaling Great Wall and the bus was still running in the Badaling Great Wall area. Maybe they were still waiting for more travellers to get on the bus. This is very common in China. These drivers are working for the private bus companies and they will not leave the bus station unless they get enough bus fares. I didn’t want to waste my time waiting in the bus and asked them to give my money back. They then dropped in another bus station. The station is about 20 minutes walk from the place I got on the bus! I had to walk back to the previous bus station. When I got on the real Line 919 bus, the bus fare is only 2 rmb (from Badaling Great Wall to Changpingxiguan).This is a horrible experience for me.(you can get more New York,Los Angeles,San Francisco, Chicago flights and airfares info at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM)

When you get off the Line 919 bus, there are 2 options to get to the Ming Tombs: (1). go east to the Zhengfujie Street and take the Line 314 bus or Changping Line 22 bus in the Changpingxiguan station. (2). go north to the Minghuanggong station and take the Line 22 bus. It is about 20 minutes drive from the Changpingxiguan station to the Ming Tombs. You will see the Shenlu in the way to the Ming Tombs.

In the slack season (11/01 to 03/31 of next year), the cost is: 40 rmb for Dingling Tomb, 30 rmb for Changling Tomb, 20 rmb for Zhaoling Tomb, 20 rmb for Shendao. In the peak season (04/01 to 10/31), the cost is: 60 rmb for Dingling Tomb, 45 rmb for Changling Tomb, 30 rmb for Zhaoling Tomb, 30 rmb for Shendao.(you can get more New York,Los Angeles,San Francisco, Chicago flights and airfares info at Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM)

How to get back to Beijing from the Ming Tombs?

There are 2 options: (1). Take the Line 314 bus to the bus station named “Changpingdongguan”, then transfer to the Line 345 bus. The Line 345 bus can take you to the Deshenmeng West bus station. (2). Take the Line 22 bus to the station named “Chengpingxiguan”, then transfer to the Line 919 bus. The Line 919 bus can take you to the Deshengmen bus station.

By Shane Lee. Date: 07/15/2009.

Copyright belongs to Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM .  You can find more information about New York,Los Angeles,San Francisco, Chicago flights and airfares  from our web site.
NOTE: Permission is granted by the copyright owner to disseminate this article in whole or in part provided credit is given to the author (with a link to the article’s source URL Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM ) and this NOTE is not removed.

A vibrant tourist destination – Beijing is the capital city as well as the political, educational, and economic center of the People’s Republic of China. Located on the north western part of the North China Plain between the rivers: Yongding He and Wenyu He, Beijing is a lively as well as a thriving city, blessed with enchanting areas consisting of majestic mountains, rolling hills, and amazing plains.

Apart from these, the city has to its credit an astounding array of world-class tourist destinations, including incredible palaces, wonderful monuments, and incredible mausoleums. In this article, further elucidated are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Beijing.

Most prominent among the attractions of Beijing is undoubtedly the Great Wall of China, built more than 2,000 year ago by the first emperor of China – Qin Shi Huangdi. Stretching across the mountains of the northern China, the Great Wall of China holds the distinction of being the only man made structure visible from the moon.

It is also the world’s longest man made structure, with a length extending up to 5,000 km. According to certain records, it took centuries to complete the construction of this fabulous fortification; almost a period ranging from 3rd century BC to 17th century. Badaling is the most the visited among the sites of the Great Wall.

Another popular destination worth visiting in Beijing is the Forbidden City, which is alternatively known as the Forbidden Palace or the Palace Museum. Situated in the ancient city of Beijing, this marvelous spot once served as the imperial palace of the Ming and the Qing dynasties. Surrounded by royal gardens and with an area encompassing 720000 sq mt, the palace consists of more than 8000 buildings and 800 rooms.

In 1987, the UNESCO declared the palace as a World Heritage Site. The palace boasts of a large as well as a rare collection of ancient wooden structure, each of which throws light towards the interesting history of the country. Included in the attractions of the complex are Zhongnanhai, which now serves as the headquarters of the Communist Party of China; Beihai Park coupled with a beautiful lake and a great park; and Jingshan Park, sometimes referred to as Jing Shan or Coal Hill.

Equally marvelous is city’s highlights such as the Temple of Heaven – a complex containing a variety of Taoist building. One of the specialties of the temple is wonderful sounds produced from its different regions, like the Echo Wall, the Dialogue Stone, the Triple Sound Stone, and the Heaven’s Center Stone. The temple grounds also cover attractions like the Earthly Mount, the House of Heavenly Lord, and the Hall of Annual Prayer.

The city’s highlights also include Tiananmen Square, located in the center of modern China. With a capacity to hold up to 500,000 people, the square is credited be the largest public area in the world. Specialties, among many others, of the square are the Monument of the People’s Heroes and the Memorial Hall of Chairman Mao Zedong.

A visit to Beijing is incomplete without taking a tour to the Summer Palace – a 290-acre park which was once a summer recreation area of emperors. The palace is renowned for its ancient shrines, mansions, and pavilions.

Other sightseeing options in Beijing are the Central Business District – an area packed with high-end housing facilities and shopping malls, Beijing Zoo, Wangfujing Street, CCTV Tower, Ming Dynasty Tombs, Bell Tower and Drum Tower, Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian, Beijing Ancient Observatory, Beijing Botanical Garden, and the Beihai Park.

Above all, Beijing is a venue for a host of international activities, such as, the Asian Games, the World Women’s Congress, the International Entomological Conference, the Universal Postal Congress, and more.

Well linked by air, rail, and water, Beijing render superb accommodation options. Beijing has accommodation choices to cater to every category of vacationer, let it be a budget conscious traveler or one looking for luxurious options. Majority of the hotels and resorts are located within the heart of the city, and hence are within easy reach of almost all top tourist attractions.

Nowadays, many of the hotels, both budget and luxury accommodation, have their own sites on the web, which in turn enables the visitors to check price and room as well as make bookings in advance. There are also some hotels and resorts, providing packages inclusive of accommodation, dining, and facilities to explore the attractions of the place.

When you said that you have been to China as a sight seeing tourist, invariably people will ask you whether you have you visited The Great Wall Of China.

Why are people so obsessed with this ancient fortress monument? Well, as someone who have taken a sightseeing tour of the Great Wall, I can sum it up in one word. The Great Wall of China is awesome!

I was awestruck by the spectacular scenery and its courageous history. This gigantic monument is considered by many people as one of the wonders of the world. Any tourist traveling to China must definitely make visit the Chinese tourist attraction.

The Great Wall of China is over 2,000 years old and it is a monument rich in history. It was first conceived and constructed by Qin Shi Huang or also known as Shi Huang Ti, who was the first emperor of China. The wall is called “Wan-Li Qang-Qeng” in Chinese when translated literally means 10,000 li long wall which is equivalent to about 5,000 km or 2,272 miles long.

The Great Wall Of China was constructed as a military fortification against intrusion by invading normadic ancient tribes. The Chinese people at that time called these tribes barbarians since the Chinese royalties were living in sprawling palaces and these tribes were living in tents.

After the emperor Qin unified China in 214 BC, he ordered the construction of the wall. It took more than a decade to construct and the great wall stretched from Lintao in the eastern part of Gansu province in the west to Liaodong in Jilin province in the east. The wall not only served as a defensive bastien against invaders in the northern parts of China, it is also a symbol of power for the proud emperor.

From the Qin Dynasty onwards, Xiongnu (translated from Chinese as fierce anger), which was an ancient tribe that roamed Northern China, frequently make incursions and plunder towns and villages along the northern border.

During the Han Dynasty in and around 121 BC, emperor Han Wu Di, ordered three military expeditions to repel and quash the Xiongnu tribe. The military expeditions successfully pushed the Xiongnu tribe into the far north of the Gobi desert, which is a tundra.

In order to secure the safety of the Hexi Corridor (now Gansu province), the emperor also ordered the construction of the extension of the Great Wall westward into the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang region. The ruins of the tower beacons and debris of the Han Wall are still preserved in Dunhuang, Yumen and Yangguan districts and provinces. There is also a report that more ruins of the Han Wall have recently been discovered near Lopnur in Xinjiang province.

The present day Great Wall Of China in Beijing is mainly the remains from the Ming Dynasty era. During this golden era of Chinese culture, bricks and granite were used when the workers laid the foundation of the wall. Sophisticated designs and passes were also constructed in places of strategic military importance.

To further empower the military’s control of China’s northern frontiers, the Ming Dynasty government divided the Great Wall into nine zones and placed each zone under the command and control of a Zhen, which is a military garrison headquarter.

The Ming Wall begins at Yalujiang River in what is now in Heilongjiang province, through Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia provinces, to Gansu reaching a length of about 12,700 li (about 5,200 km or 2,400 miles).

Although The Great Wall served succeeding dynasties very well for a few hundred years as a defence bastion against invading forces, the invaders from the north in the end were able to advance and conquer China in succeeding dynasties such as Mongolians (Yuan Dynasty, 1271-1368) and the Manchus (Qing Dynasty, 1644-1911) did.

With such splendidly rich history and panoramic views, is it any wonder why the Great Wall Of China is one of the most visited tourist attraction in the world?

Now if you have traveled to China for a vacation holiday or on a business trip, people will inevitably ask you whether you have visited The Great Wall of China? Why is this tourist attraction in China so attractive? It is because if you have not gone sightseeing at the Great Wall of China, then your China vacation is missing out a great deal. Here is why.

The Great Wall of China is an integral feature of the geography of Northern China and has captured the imaginations of people throughout its long and distinguished history or some people may wish to think of as its notorious history. The Chinese call this magnificent wall Wan Li Chang Cheng when literally translate means Wall of Ten Thousand Li. A Li is a Chinese measurement of distance such as a mile or kilometer.

The Great Wall of China saw its first piecemeal construction from the fifth century BC down to the 16th century AD as a strategic deterrence against raids, plunders and even invasions from northern nomadic tribes of which the Chinese at that time regarded as hostile barbarians.

When the Chinese were unified under Emperor Qin Shi Huang or Shi Huangdi in 221 BC, the first emperor of China started the construction of the Great Wall to protect China’s northern border towns and villages against the Huns, Xiong Nu tribesman. The words Xiong Nu when directly translated from Chinese literally means Fierce Fury. You can imagine how the Chinese was so fearful of this tribe by labeling it with such a name.

The Xiong Nus were finally driven to the far flung corners of the Gobi desert after 3 Chinese military search and destroy expeditions. Even then, the walls failed to curb the invasion of China by the Mongols (Yuan Dynasty) and the Manchurians (Ching Dynasty).

Historical records showed that as many as 300,000 men working for ten years on the first phase of the wall’s construction. Stories of hardship and thousands of tragic death suffered by the conscripted laborers are passed down to show that Shi Huangdi was a hated tyrant.

Constructed mostly with bricks and masonry, the wall was built by Chinese rulers of 10 dynasties and the length of the wall, meandering through mountains and valleys totaled an incredible 25,000 km or almost 16,000 miles long.

Since the 1950s, five parts of the wall have been restored and like most tourists, I visited the wall from the Badaling section one winter afternoon in Nankou Pass after a visit to the Ming Tombs. I was awestruck with the wall structure as well as the fantastically stunning winter scenery and landscape.

The second most popular access to the Great Wall is through Mutianyu, northeast of Beijing in Huairou County. The advantage of visiting the Great Wall of China from this point is that it is less crowded than the Badaling access. Is it any wonder then that tourists visiting China usually include a sightseeing trip to the majestic Great Wall of China?