The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China, of the most awe-inspiring manmade projects in the world, lies across the northern part of China like a great sleeping dragon, winding its way through China's large northern territory. With a history of over two,500 years, the Great Wall attracts visitors from all over the world. In 1987, the Great Wall was listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Great Wall of China was chosen as of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide poll announced on July 7, 2007. It is often said "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Most people in the world have seen images of The Great Wall, but images are but poor imitations of the beauty & grandeur that is China's Great Wall. No China tour is complete without seeing the Great Wall. Visiting it is the experience of lifetime.

The legend of Meng Jiangnu bringing down a section of the Great Wall together with her tears

Many legends have survived about the construction of the Great Wall. Among them, the most popular is the story about Lady Meng Jiangnu.

On the night of their wedding, Meng Jiangnu's husband was conscribed to work on the Great Wall by the Qin soldiers. Before they went away, Lady Meng broke her white jade hairpin in and gave her husband half as a token of affection. day, lady Meng dreamed that her husband was constantly yelling "Cold, cold". They recalled that her husband was wearing narrow clothes. They made some padded clothes for her husband and left home to look for her husband. They didn't recognize that her husband had already died of exhaustion. On hearing this, they burst in to tears. The Great Wall was moved and over twenty Kilometers collapsed, revealing the body of her husband and plenty of others. On seeing this, they committed suicide by leaping in to the sea. A temple can be found at Shanhai Pass near the sea in memory of this loyal lady.

A statue of Meng Jiangnu at Shanhai Pass

 

The statue of Meng Jiangnu is eternally looking for her husband

 

Sections of the Great Wall

The Great Wall Near Beijing 

Factors, such as season, accessibility, safety, health condition, ought to be taken in to account when visiting the Great Wall. The view as you climb to the top is stunning. Badaling & Juyong Pass is the most visited & most basically available part of the Wall. The section between Jinshanling & Simatai requires more physical stamina to climb. The scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall is very pretty in autumn when the trees covering the mountainsides have turned golden. 

Badaling Great Wall 

The best-preserved & most imposing section of the Great Wall is at Badaling, which is located 72 kilometers (45 miles) away at the northwest of Beijing. In Chinese, 'Bada' means 'giving access to every direction'. The name itself suggests its strategic importance. This section is made of massive blue bricks. The wall has an average height of 7 meters (24 feet) & a width of 6 meters (19 feet) at the bottom, & five meters (16 feet) at the top. It is wide to allow0 soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The highest point here is over 731 meters (two,400 feet) above sea level.

Badaling, the most visited site of The Great Wall nearby Beijing

 

The Badaling Section is one of the most picturesque locations on The Great Wall

 

Mutianyu Great Wall 

 

Mutianyu Great Wall is located 70kilometers (43 miles) from the middle of Beijing. It is much steeper than Badaling Great Wall, as well as a more challenging climb. This section, older than Badaling, is thought about by Chinese and foreign tourists as the best part of the Great Wall. There's fewer people here because the location is less obtainable than Badaling. Surrounded by woodland and streams, this section takes on a different look in each season. Blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn and white snow in winter make this of the Great Walls most photographic spots.

A guard tower stands quiet sentry over the surrounding hills

 

The Mutianyu Section of the Great Wall

 

Simatai Great Wall  

The Simatai Great Wall is located 120 kilometers (74 miles) from Beijing. It is often described with the following words: dangerous, diverse, and peculiar. This section has not been restored as much as Badaling and far of the section is in a state of ruin with exposed bricks and the ruins of watch towers. A famous specialist of Great Wall history has said: "The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai Section is the best of the Great Wall." This section has been named as of the most "excellent cultural relics of the world" by UNESCO.

Steep climbing at the Simatai Section of The Great Wall

The Simatai Section of The Great Wall has not been restored

 

Jinshanling Great Wall

 

The Jinshanling Great Wall is located 140 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of Beijing. It features complicated & well preserved fortification systems. The walls are more solid, the watchtowers are taller & it retains its original Ming Dynasty appearance. Here you can see the Wall comparatively undisturbed & in its original condition. The wall follows the contours of the mountains, & stretches off in to the distance. The wall has not been restored, so it's a special beauty. It is the section that foreign visitors like the most.

The Jinshanling Section of The Great Wall follows the mountain's contours

 

The Jinshanling Section is unrestored and a challenge to visitors

 

Shanhai Pass

 

The Shanhaiguan Great Wall, locates at Qinhuangdao which is in Hebei Province, is the east beginning point of the Great Wall. It was first built in 1381 in Ming dynasty. It's the reputation of "the first pass in the world". The walls are 14 meters tall and 7 meters thick. It's complete defense technique. Standing on the Great Wall can command a panoramic view of the grand ocean and the winding Great Wall. This section is named the Elderly Dragon's Head because it is the easternmost finish of the Great Wall. 

The Old Dragon's Head in Hebei Province

 

The First Gate Under Heave in the Shanhai Pass

You can visit http://www.chinaodysseytours.com to get more information about the Great Wall.