“You are not a hero until you climb the Great Wall of China” is the ancient quote written at the bottom of the steps. And there are so many heroes!!!!
Old ladies with tiny feet, young ladies in crazy heels, toddlers, dodderers and men with big bellies exposed like laughing Buddhas all climb the steep steps with us on the Badaling section of the Great Wall.
Built during the Ming dynasty 600 years ago and renovated twenty years ago, this is one of the busiest stretches because it is close to Beijing and the best preserved section of the 21,196km wall.
You can either climb the steps from the bottom or take the cable car to join the tourist melee at the top. We walked up to the highest point (the ninth tower) and then back round on a quieter section passing through towers once used for storage, shooting or accommodation.
The steps, sometimes shallow then suddenly steep, are worn smooth and uneven by millions of feet. Tourists now follow in the footsteps of warriors. But the guards that once patrolled the towers and the wall were born, lived and died on the wall – we are just here for the day. Following the forested ridge line of the mountains, the wall carries on into the distance – lookout towers stretching as far as you can see.
I was surprised that most of the visitors to the wall are Chinese. Foreign tourists are still quite few and far between. Regularly the local people ask for me to pose with them in their photos. I find this all very strange.
The nearby Juyongguan section is much quieter because there is no cable car and the steps are even steeper. We saw barely a dozen people on this section the following day. The last fortification before Beijing, this 4.8km circular loop passes beautifully decorated archery towers, fortresses and stores. The temple to the god of war in the middle of the loop houses fearsome looking statues and 12 beast-headed warriors.
Thunder rumbles in the distance as we complete our circuit and descend back down to the start point – maybe not the heroes of Chinese legend but happy to have walked the wall.
It looks and seems so colourful. The first pic is definitely one for framing upon your return 🙂 Have fun x
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Those stairs look really steep and narrow (the flat bit)? Good practice for Nepal trekking or a good thing to tackle when you are still fir from a Nepalese trek, I think. Louise
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Definitely good training. Are you back from Nepal now?
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I went at the end of 2015 after the quakes ans in 2013 the first time. Planning to go again in the next two years too. Sicily next though…
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Oh Sicily has always been on my
Hitlist. Enjoy. I really liked your piece that compared the stupa before/after the quake. It really hits home eh? Pen x
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Yes Pen it does.
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It’s disappointing that you’re using the steps (however irregular) to ascend the Great Wall. Where are the crampons, ropes, carabiners and pitons?
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Hi Chris. I think I would be deported if I went anywhere near the wall with a piton. Am very much doing the tourist thing here. It is such a different culture. No google, FB or Twitter. Tourism is still relatively new. It is fascinating just to watch the local people going about their business. Today I will be going to the park to do just that before I fly to Malaysia tonight. Hope you are well. Pen xx
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Pen my brave friend,
What an inspiration you are! Heading out on these adventures. Writing about it like a true auther. Fabolous on the great wall, I bet! I’ll keep following you on your blogg.
Take care!
XXX
Malin
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Thanks Malin. I really loved China. Let’s see what Malaysia is like now. Pen x
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