The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous spectacles in all of China. It is, without a doubt, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and continuously attracts millions of visitors every year.
After living in China for nearly four years, I had only set foot in the Beijing airport. My first glimpse of Beijing was indeed all but enticing. I remember stepping onto the tarmac and I couldn't see the actual airport from outside the bus. It was a moment that I'll never forget because at right then and there, I vowed to never put myself in a place where the pollution was so severe that it was visible with my own two eyes. I could see the particles suspended in the air. One cannot fathom this until they're submerged under this disgusting dome.
We flew to Beijing in the afternoon from Guangzhou and were tucked into our hotel room by midnight. Our morning would begin at 5:30 when our driver scooped us up from the hotel and took us about an hour and a half outside of the city. We arrived on a dirt road in a tiny village, Xizhazi, and were pointed in the right direction by our driver. We were to follow a path up the mountain and stay towards the left until we reached the peak, where we would find the iconic Great Wall of China. (The Great Wall is 长城 (changcheng) which means long wall in Mandarin.)
This portion of the wall is known as Jiankou. It isn’t opened to the public and is overgrown in several areas, making the hike a little sketchy in some areas. However, I didn’t think it was too dangerous for the majority of the path. When we first reached Jiankou, we were met with a wooden ladder and a lady full of smiles. We had to pay to go up the ladder (she's pretty clever) but didn't mind because we were too excited to walk around to the free part! One of the most unique experiences was that we barely saw anyone else along the wall during the morning. It was cold, but we were moving pretty quickly. We would make the estimated four-hour hike down in about half of the time.
We reached a part of the wall where we could venture off and walk alongside it, or continue upwards along the actual wall. We found the letters “MTY” spray-painted on the old tower with an arrow pointing off of the wall and downward, towards the path. During our debate to head up or bypass this area, we met two other hikers. My Mandarin was put to the test and it was great! They explained that the wall was insecure because many stones could change or move while you're walking on them. Therefore, it was probably best to go around the wall. They said there were some moments they were uncomfortable and they were scared of falling through the wall. Respecting the ancient beauty and the fact that one wrong move could land us seriously injured with no aid anywhere around, we headed off the wall, following the "MTY" arrow which directed us to Mutianyu.
The views are spectacular! It’s everything that I had expected and more. Looking at the massive stones that were stacked to create this ancient fortress leaves you in awe. How on earth could all of these men carry these huge stones up the steep mountain terrain to build this world wonder? There are moments when you realize that this creation stands as more than just an iconic symbol of China and the legacy of its former emperors. It’s also a tomb to many heroic and enslaved Chinese nationals that lost their lives in the construction due to harsh climates, disease, starvation, and injuries.
When we reached the top of the peak, we stopped for photos and to chat with a friendly vendor outside of the wall He giggled with us over a Chinglish conversation. I thought he was just so awesome! There’s a photo below of him to credit his kindness and positivity!
Mutianyu has been completely restored and hosts hundreds of tourists daily. I’m so thankful that we chose to begin our trek from that tiny rural village and hike toward MTY. Once we reached MTY, we had to pay a fee to get on the wall or choose to walk down a very steep mountain slope to the bottom. We opted to pay, as this was the only chance to savor the experience; however, we were met with swarms of people and were reminded of how hectic the crowds can be in China, especially during holidays. We ran and skipped down as quickly as possible and didn't even consider taking the toboggan down the mountain. We met the cable car first and descended to have a celebratory beer and get back into the city.