Contributed by INSPIRING JOURNEY
I finally visited and climbed one of the seven wonders of the world. Thank you to the Air Force Command College (Beijing, China) for this remarkable journey. It was such an educational tour for the international students of the school.
Also read: How We Spent Less Than ₱15k For 5 Days In Beijing, China
I made the climb on 30 March 2016. We boarded the bus around 1pm and proceeded to the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China. After an hour and 20 minutes of the trip, we arrived at our destination. Even though it was a long walk to the entrance gate, we were all excited to finally get a glimpse of the famous structure. Plus, the majority were taking pictures almost every step of the way.
The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sites and the longest walls in the world. I used to admire the great wall just from pictures and videos online. But on that day, I finally stepped, walked, and climbed the amazing man-made masterpiece!
Basic information about the wall
The locals also call the Great Wall of China “changcheng,” which literally means in Chinese, long walls. A series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other materials, the wall was generally built along the east to the west line across the historical northern borders of China. The Chinese built it to protect the Chinese states and empires against the raids and invasions of the various nomadic groups of the Eurasian steppe. They also built it to protect the silk road trade.
The length of the entire wall is 21,196 kilometres or 13,171 miles.
The four contributing dynasties
The ancient wall has a long history dating back 2,300 years ago. Four different dynasties built and rebuilt the wall.
- Zhou Dynasty (770-221 BC): The Pre-Warning States Period; the first part of the wall was built
- Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC): The first Emperor of Qin linked the wall sections to China’s northern border
- Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD): Han Wudi extended the great wall west to Yumen Pass and Beyond
- Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644): Hero General QI Jiguang rebuilt the Great Wall around Beijing
The Great Wall of China has eight sections: Badaling, Juyongguan, Huanghuacheng, Jiankou, Mutianyu, Gubeikou, Jinshanling and Simatai.
For this educational tour, we visited the Badaling Section. The section was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1502.
This section was once a crucial military fortification and is now the most impressive and representative section of the wall. Located in Yanquing County, Badaling measures 70 kilometres (43.4 miles) from the downtown area of Beijing, and has an altitude of 1,000 metres (3,281 feet).
UNESCO made the Great Wall of China a World Heritage site in 1987, which certified it to be a destination that has outstanding universal value.
Tour guides recommend that you spend two to three hours at the Badaling section. Make sure that you are in good physical condition during the climb to the great wall because it is certainly a challenging climb.
Also read: How Philippine Passport Holders Can Enter China Without Visa
How to reach the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China
There are several ways:
- From downtown Beijing near the Deshengmen Subway Station, take Bus Route 877, 919, 880 to Badaling.
- Take a tourist bus from Tian An Men to Badaling.
- Take the bullet train from the Beijing North Railway Station to Badaling.
- Take the taxi.
How much does it cost
For Badaling:
- Entrance fee from 1 November to 31 March is￥40 per person (about $7) or ₱280.
- Entrance fee from 1 April to 3 October is ￥45 per person.
The travel time from downtown Beijing to Badaling is one to one and a half hours.
Thank you, Lord, for this wonderful life journey!
