Starting from Shanhaiguan on the east coast and ending at Jiayuguan in the west Gobi Desert, the Great Wall has an approximate length of 6,700 kilometers, known to the Chinese as the 10,000 Li Chang Cheng (One Li in China equals a half kilometer).

The earliest part of the Wall was built during the Warring State Period (476-211 BC) but the 'original' wall was begun 2000 years ago during Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), when China was unified under Emperor Qin Shihuang. Separate walls, constructed by independent kingdoms to keep out marauding nomads, were linked up. The effort required hundreds of thousands of workers, many of them slaves, and 10 years of hard labor under General Meng Tian. An estimated 180 million cubic meters of rammed earth were used to build the core of the 'original' wall. The project was continued in in subsequent dynasties while the wall never really did perform its function as a defense line since "the strength of a wall depends on the courage of those who defend it." However, it did very well as a kind of a communication channel and elevated highway, transporting men and equipment across mountain terrain. The Great Wall averages 7.8 meters in height and 6.5 meters wide at the base and 5.8 meters wide at the top. A beacon tower was built every hundred meters. Alarm was raised by means of smoke signals, at night by fire. Smoke was produced by burning a mixture of wolf dung, sulfur and saltpeter. Shots were fired at the same time. Thus an alarm could be relayed over 500 km within just a few hours.

During Ming Dynasty, a determined effort was made to rehash the whole project, this time facing it with bricks and stone slabs - some 60 million cubic meters of them. This project took over 100 years, and the costs in human efforts and resources were phenomenal. The wall was largely forgotten after that. Lengthy sections of it have returned to dust and the wall might have disappeared totally had it not been rescued by the tourist industry. Several important sections have recently been rebuilt and formally opened to the public. The most touristed area of the Wall by far is Badaling. Also renovated but less touristed are Simatai and Jinshanling. But to truly appreciate the Wall's magnificence, seeing the Wall au naturel, such as at Huanghuacheng, is well worth the effort.

Badaling

Badaling

70km north-west of Beijing at an elevation of 1000m, the Badaling section adjacent to Juyong Pass and Badaling Hill is typical of the wall of the Ming Dynasty. The height of the wall, varying as the terrain undulates, averages 7.8 meters and rises up to a maximum of 8.4 meters in certain places. The base of the wall is paved with huge granite slabs weighing over l,000 kilos each. The wall averages 6.4 meters wide at the base and 5.8 meters at the top. Along the outer side of the top, there are battlements 1.7 meters in height while a parapet used as a balustrades is on the inner side. Observation holes are opened upper part of the battlements, with shooting apertures below. The top of the wall is evenly paved with square bricks.

The section was restored in 1957, with the addition of guard rails. The Great Wall Circle Vision Theatre was opened in 1990. It is a 360-degree amphitheatre showing 15-minute films about the Great Wall.

Getting There & Away: Big hotels and all travel agents does a tour to Badaling. There are also inexpensive Chinese tour buses to Badaling, although they usually combine Badaling with a visit to the Shisan Ling (Ming Tomb) as well as a detour to a herbal medicine or souvenir shop. The cheapest way to get to Badaling is to take minibus No 919 from Deshengmen (next to the Jishuitan Subway stop). The last bus leaves Badaling for Beijing at 18:30. A taxi to the wall and back will cost a minimum of Y400 for an eight-hour hire with a maximum of four passengers. So finding travel partners to share the hire will be a good choice.

Mutianyu

Mutianyu photo by Dizhiduiyuan

The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, 90km north-east of Beijing, is linked to the Gubeikou section on the east and the Badaling section on the west. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is built for watching and shooting at the invading enemy. Some of the battle forts on the wall are as close as 50 meters apart. It did not take long before armadas of Japanese tour buses began to congregate, and today this part of the wall is almost as much of a carnival as Badaling.

Getting There & Away: From Dongzhimen bus station take a bus No 916 to Huairou then change for a bus or hire a taxi for Mutianyu.

Juyong Pass (Juyong Guan)

Located 10 kilometers south of the Badaling section of the Great Wall and built in an 18.5-kilometer-long valley, the Juyong Guan has always been an important gateway northwest of Beijing. The name is believed to have its origin in the workers and slaves conscripted to build the Great Wall in ancient times. However, this section has been thoroughly renovated. If you are in a hurry, it's the closest section of the Wall to Beijing. You can do the steep and somewhat strenuous circuit in under two hours. Approximately 50km northeast of Beijing, Juyong Pass is on the road to Badaling which is another 1/4 hour further down the road.

Getting There & Away: Take minibus No. 919 from Deshengmen (next to the Jishuitan subway stop). Buses headed to Badaling leave every 1/4 hour (or as they fill up) starting from 5:30am; Be sure to let the driver know you want to be dropped off at Juyong Guan Changcheng.

Simatai

This 19km section of the wall mostly still remains in its pristine crumbling condition. However, things are changing. The T-shirt, postcards and drinks vendors, loudspeakers and a cable car appeared to increase profitability by the local travel administration. However, Simatai is still generally an enjoyable outing.

The Simatai section of the wall dates from the Ming Dynasty and has some unusual features, like 'obstacle-walls' - walls-within-walls used for defending against enemies who had already scaled the Great Wall. There are 135 watchtowers at Simatai, the highest of which is Wangjing Lou (Overlooking Beijing). Small cannon have been discovered in this area, as well as evidence of rocker-type weapons such as flying knives and flying swords.

Simatai is not for the faint-hearted: this section of the wall if very steep. A few slopes have a 70-degree incline and you need both hands free, so bring a day-pack to hold your camera and other essentials. One narrow section of footpath has a 500m drop, so it's no place for acrophobics.

Getting There & Away: Simatai is 110km north-east of Beijing. From Dongzhimen bus station take a minibus to Miyun (one hour and a quarter). From Miyun, hire a taxi for a roundtrip or try to catch a tour bus from Simatai back to Beijing. Hiring a taxi from Beijing for the day costs about Y400.

Wangjing Lou, the highest watchtower at Simatai

the wall au naturel at Simatai

Jinshanling

Jinshanling in winter

a steep climb at Jinshanling

Though not as steep as Simatai, the Great Wall at Jinshanling is considerably less developed than any of the sites mentioned above. This section of the wall has been renovated and souvenir vendors have moved in, but so far there is no cable car and visitors are relatively few. Perhaps the most interesting thing about Jinshanling is that it's the starting point for a hike to Simatai. You can do the walk in the opposite direction, but getting a ride back to Beijing from Simatai is easier than from Jinshanling. The distance between Jinshanling and Simatai is only about 10km, but it takes nearly four hours because the trail is steep and stony.

Getting There & Away: From Dongzhimen bus station you can take a minibus to Miyun and then from Miyun, hire a taxi to Jinshanling.

Huanghua Cheng (Yellow Flower Fortress)

The Great Wall at Huanghua clings to a high hillside adjacent to a reservoir. Around 60km north of Beijing, Huanghua Cheng is a classic and well-preserved example of Ming defense with high and wide ramparts, intact parapets and sturdy beacon towers.

It is said that one Lord Cai was responsible for building this section, and he was meticulous about its quality. Each inch of the Wall represented a whole day's work of one laborer. When the Ministry of War heard that his lordship's efforts had been so extravagant, he was beheaded and his family lost their privileges and fell into disgrace. Years later, a general judged Lord Cai's Wall to be one of the best and he had to be official posthumously rehabilitated.

Getting There & Away: There is no direct bus to Huanghua Cheng. The option is to take Bus 916 (public coach or minibus) to Huairou from Dongzhimen bus station in Beijing (near the Dongzhimen subway stop). Let the driver know your intended destination is Huanghua Cheng so they can tell you where to get off the bus once you reach Huairou. From Huairou, you can take a minibus directly to Huanghua Cheng or hire a taxi. You may also hire a taxi from Beijing to Huanghua Cheng or join hiking activities organized by local outdoor clubs.

Shanhaiguan Pass

Shanhaiguan Pass is the starting point of the Great Wall. Situated between two sheer cliffs of the Yanshan Mountains, it has been a strategic place contested by militarists since ancient times. Both Beijing and Shenyang, the provincial capital of Liaoning, are only 400 kilometers away from it. Standing between mountain and sea, the Pass controls both land and sea passages. Traditionally it has been known as 'the first important pass of the Great Wall and the only pass that can lock up the two capitals'. Its unique geographical position and typically traditional architectural style make the Pass a favorable tourist spot with scenery blending mountain, sea and fortress.

First Pass Under Heaven photographer (n/a)

Laolongtou (Old Dragon Head) photo by Mark Henley

Jiao Shan (Horned Hill) photo by Baijin

• Tianxia Diyi Guan (First Pass Under Heaven), also known as East Gate, is a Ming dynasty grand structure which is topped with a two storey, double roofed tower and was rebuilt in 1639. The calligraphy at the top (attributed to the scholar Xiao Xian) reads 'First Pass Under Heaven'.
• Laolongtou (Old Dragon Head) is the place where the Great Wall drops into the sea. The name is derived from the legendary carved dragon head that once faced the sea. Here the Great Wall zigzags over the rolling mountains like a giant dragon in the north. The Yanshan Mountains in its north also offer many enchanting peaks, waterfalls, and ancient caves as well as temple ruins.
• Jiao Shan (Horned Hill) is a half-hour walk (3km) outside the North Gate brings you to yet another section of the Great Wall that has been rebuilt. Jiao Shan is where the Great Wall passes over its first high peak. It is steep climb from the bottom.
• Mengjiangnu Temple is a Song-Ming dynasty reconstruction 6 km east of Shanhaiguan. It has colored sculptures of Lady Meng and her maids and calligraphy on Looking for Husband Rock. Her story is famous in China: Meng's husband, Wan, was press-ganged into wall building by Emperor Qin Shihuang. When winter came the Lady Meng set off to take her husband warm clothing, only to discover that he had died from the backbreaking labor. Meng tearfully wandered the Great Wall, thinking only of finding Wan's bones to give him a decent burial. The Wall, a sensitive soul, was so upset by her tears that it collapsed, revealing the skeleton entombed within. Overcome with grief, Meng hurled herself into the sea from a conveniently placed boulder.

Getting There & Away: The Shanhaiguan train station is accessible from Beijing, Tianjin or Shenyang. The hotels at Shanhaiguan are within walking distance of the train station. Shanhaiguan is a good place to explore by bike. Ask at your hotel about bike-rental outlets; if nothing else, someone on the hotel staff may rent you their own bike.

Huangya Guan (Yellow Cliff Pass)

Huangya Guan (Yellow Cliff Pass) photo by Di Dongfeng

At the very northern tip of Tianjin Municipality is Huangya Guan (Yellow Cliff Pass). This is where Tianjin residents head to view the Great Wall. This section of the wall is 41km long before it crumbles away on each end. The part open to tourists was restored in 1984.

Getting There & Away: Huangya Guan is 140km north of Tianjin. Buses go to the wall mostly on weekends, with early-morning departures from the city's north-east bus station. Alternatively, take a bus to Jixian, and from there change to a bus headed to the Wall.

Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan is an ancient Han Chinese outpost. The Great Wall once extended beyond here, but in 1372, during the first few years of the Ming Dynasty, a fortress was built. From then on Jiayuguan was considered both the western tip of the wall and the western boundary of the empire.

Jiayuguan Fort is the main tourist drawcard. The fort guards the pass that lies between snow-capped Qilian Shan peaks and Hei Shan (Black Mountains) of the Mazong Range. The fort was dubbed the 'Impregnable Defile Under Heaven'. Although the Chinese often controlled territory far beyond Jiayuguan, this was the last major stronghold of the empire to the west. At the eastern end of the fort is the Guanghua Men (Gate of Enlightenment) and in the west is the Rouyuan Men (Gate of Conciliation). Over each gate stand 17m-high towers with upturned flying eaves. On the inside of each gate are horse lanes leading up to the top of the wall. However, the entire complex has been renovated, which makes it a bit hard to get a feel for its history. The fort is 5km west of Jiayuguan. It is possible to cycle out here in about half an hour, or otherwise take a taxi.

(* Most of the guide above is recomposed from Lonely Planet China)

Jiayuguan Fort

Related Links:

Conserving the Great Wall