The Great Wall of China – one of the world’s most iconic man-made structures has a historical story full of fascinating statistics. At 8851.8km (5,500 miles) long it isn’t actually one continuous wall, but a series of different sections built by six different dynasties. Construction started in 770BC and the final sections were finished in 1644 making it around 2,300 years old. The most recognisable and best preserved section is the one built last by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) which was started around 1474 so in truth, the part that we are most familiar with is only around 540 years old – a baby in terms of how old the rest of it is!
Some of the earlier sections were made from stone, wood and compacted earth, but during the Qin Dynasty (221-207BC) glutinous rice flour was used to make the binding material for the bricks.
The wall crosses through nine provinces so there are many places to view it but the condition varies; some sections have been completely restored yet others have crumbled away and are unrecognisable. Much of the original length of the wall has disappeared, if it were still in-tact, the wall would cover a staggering length of 21,196.18 km (13,170 miles)! Sadly, it is not true that you can see it from space with the naked eye! This is just a myth but it can be seen with aid!
It is estimated that around 4 million people (possibly more) constructed the Great Wall. The labour force to build the Great Wall included forcibly recruited peasants, soldiers, slaves, convicts and war prisoners. It is reputed that more than a million people died building it.
Like I said, plenty of historical statistics!
Stone plague at the entrance of the wall
But enough of that, let me talk about actually visiting the wall – because that is where the true beauty begins!
Which section should I visit??
You can start on the beach in the north east at Hushan, hike various sections along the route or visit during a day trip – the wall has something for everyone!
Badaling is the most visited section and at its busiest times can receive as many as 70,000 per day!
The Mutianyu section in Huairou Country, 73 km (45 miles) north of central Beijing, is the one we visited and it took us around 1½ hours to drive (it isn’t convenient to travel by public transport to this part of the wall). This section is quieter and less touristy in comparison to other areas, it’s also the longest fully-restored section open to tourists and has 23 original-style watchtowers 100 meters apart, covering a 2 ½ km in total.
Which section should I visit??
You can start on the beach in the north east at Hushan, hike various sections along the route or visit during a day trip – the wall has something for everyone!
Badaling is the most visited section and at its busiest times can receive as many as 70,000 per day!
The Mutianyu section in Huairou Country, 73 km (45 miles) north of central Beijing, is the one we visited and it took us around 1½ hours to drive (it isn’t convenient to travel by public transport to this part of the wall). This section is quieter and less touristy in comparison to other areas, it’s also the longest fully-restored section open to tourists and has 23 original-style watchtowers 100 meters apart, covering a 2 ½ km in total.
When we arrived at Mutianyu, we had two options to reach the wall; either walk the 4,000+ steps up which would take around 40-60 minutes or pay a nominal fee to get a cable car. We were short of time so we took the cable car.
 |  |
You walk up these steps and in front of you will be ... the Great Wall of China
Our first glimpse of the snaking wall
Stepping out the cable car, there was a set of stone stairs to walk up but then ... snaking up the mountainside as far as the eye can see ... was the iconic Great Wall of China!
All of a sudden, a flood of emotions came over me like a tidal wave. The realisation that I was standing on the Great Wall of China hit me and I was a little teary.
All of a sudden, a flood of emotions came over me like a tidal wave. The realisation that I was standing on the Great Wall of China hit me and I was a little teary.
I cannot express into words what an amazing and magical feeling it was to finally be there! After years of wanting to visit, this was Number 1 on my bucket list and had been for as long as I can remember – it really did feel like a lifetime achievement!
We spent the next hour and a half walking up and down steps, some were steep and some were thin. We walked in one direction, then turned around and walked back past our starting point into another different section. We were in the beautiful sunshine soaking up the realisation of where we were, what we were doing and loving every single second of this overwhelming experience.
 |  |
We both took countless number of photos, some several times of the same vision but we didn’t care – we just kept reminding ourselves (and each other!) of where we were and that we had made it! WE WERE WALKING ON THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!
 |  |
The wall itself surprised me with its beauty and intricacy. It is breathtakingly beautiful, as are the views from it! We have all heard about the ingenuity and vision during history lessons so I expected it to be more dilapidated, I wasn’t prepared for it to be as good-looking as it was. It is an impressive feat in itself that so much of this section has been fully restored to its former glory.
The concrete holding the bricks was clean but like an ancient white, and the towers were perfectly positioned to break up the monotony of a long, repetitive wall. Strangely, we felt that every section looked different and provided a slightly different view.
Even though we visited at its busiest time - on a Sunday before everyone returned to school/uni etc, you wouldn't have thought it! We have some photos where no one is them at all, admittedly we had to be a little patient for some shots but it was still possible which is saying a lot for the most visited tourist attraction in China! What was so fantastic about this experience is we weren’t getting pushed around and that enabled us to take our time, slow down the adventure, sometimes just sit and soak up the atmosphere and really, truly, fully appreciate each precious moment spent there. Moments such as that are rare – when you are able to press pause on one of life’s memorable experiences and take it all in.
When we reluctantly left the wall, we felt truly satisfied with what we had seen and done. We felt we had soaked up as much of the ambience, culture and history as we possibly could and weren’t left wanting for anymore.
If I have one negative to say it is that it is too perfect because it has been fully restored. I know that sounds ridiculous but sometimes you want to see that it is 2,300 years old, you want to visually see the history but at this section, there are practically no dilapidated parts. When we look at the photos it looks as though you are standing on something new. This sounds ridiculous I know (that it's "too perfect") but in all honesty, I would not want to change the experience I had at Mutianya in any way!!
We may have felt satisfied immediately upon leaving, but in truth, now that time has passed, if I ever get an opportunity to go to China again, I would really love to return to the Wall. Next time, however, I want to up the ante of my bucket list tick off, next time I want to trek along it and feel the its truth length as my feet tire from walking mile after mile, kilometre after kilometre! Another one for the Bucket list I think…
If I have one negative to say it is that it is too perfect because it has been fully restored. I know that sounds ridiculous but sometimes you want to see that it is 2,300 years old, you want to visually see the history but at this section, there are practically no dilapidated parts. When we look at the photos it looks as though you are standing on something new. This sounds ridiculous I know (that it's "too perfect") but in all honesty, I would not want to change the experience I had at Mutianya in any way!!
We may have felt satisfied immediately upon leaving, but in truth, now that time has passed, if I ever get an opportunity to go to China again, I would really love to return to the Wall. Next time, however, I want to up the ante of my bucket list tick off, next time I want to trek along it and feel the its truth length as my feet tire from walking mile after mile, kilometre after kilometre! Another one for the Bucket list I think…
If you like this post, please Pin & Share it!
Travelling around China and need more inspiration? Read these related posts!
China - The Country That Blew Me Away
10 Places Our Feet Travelled in Beijing
2 Days in Xian
2 Days in Chengdu
Panda-monium in Chengdu
3 Days in Guilin & Yangshuo
2 Days in Shanghai
The #FeetDoTravel blog link-up!
We are proud to host the #FeetDoTravel blog Linkup. If you have a blog post you would like to share, feel free to click on the picture below which will take you through to our Facebook Community and drop your link there. The link-up is open from Friday 12.00am (midnight UK time) and will close Sunday 12.00pm (midnight UK time). We are a fun and loyal group who are more than happy to comment, share and reciprocate! Happy Travelling Feet Fans!
We are proud to host the #FeetDoTravel blog Linkup. If you have a blog post you would like to share, feel free to click on the picture below which will take you through to our Facebook Community and drop your link there. The link-up is open from Friday 12.00am (midnight UK time) and will close Sunday 12.00pm (midnight UK time). We are a fun and loyal group who are more than happy to comment, share and reciprocate! Happy Travelling Feet Fans!
