Another Brick in the (Great) Wall
Despite having already visited The Great Wall back in January 2007, I still needed some more education on this 6th century-built stone fortification. This time, I visited the Mutianyu (慕田峪) section of the wall, which is 70km northeast of Beijing.
慕田峪 is the most well-preserved section and boasts more scenic views than Badaling and some other sections of the Wall. During its heyday, it served as the main northern barrier. It helped shield China's tombs and its capital from the Xiongnu people in the north and later, the Manchurians.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it rained while we were climbing this section. The rain made the stones slippery to walk on, but it made the weather much cooler for the hike. And some fascinating clouds surfaced and maneuvered their way into nearby mini-valleys.
The climb was much more difficult than I had expected; we first hiked up about a thousand or so steps. Each step seemed to be about a foot high, and quite steep. After reaching the top, the hike towards the west was comparable to the angular trails in Marin County. However, watchtowers and barracks instead of park benches served as resting spots.
The last bit to the highest section of 慕田峪 was the most challenging; another daunting four hundred or so steps laid out before me at what seemed to be a 45 degree incline. And I decided to run up them without stopping or looking back. About 40 steps in, I decided to conveniently forget that idea and proceeded to walk. At the top, I felt like I had just run a 5k at full throttle. Anyhow, the view was quite rewarding and the photos quite satisfying.
慕田峪 is the most well-preserved section and boasts more scenic views than Badaling and some other sections of the Wall. During its heyday, it served as the main northern barrier. It helped shield China's tombs and its capital from the Xiongnu people in the north and later, the Manchurians.
Fortunately or unfortunately, it rained while we were climbing this section. The rain made the stones slippery to walk on, but it made the weather much cooler for the hike. And some fascinating clouds surfaced and maneuvered their way into nearby mini-valleys.
The climb was much more difficult than I had expected; we first hiked up about a thousand or so steps. Each step seemed to be about a foot high, and quite steep. After reaching the top, the hike towards the west was comparable to the angular trails in Marin County. However, watchtowers and barracks instead of park benches served as resting spots.
The last bit to the highest section of 慕田峪 was the most challenging; another daunting four hundred or so steps laid out before me at what seemed to be a 45 degree incline. And I decided to run up them without stopping or looking back. About 40 steps in, I decided to conveniently forget that idea and proceeded to walk. At the top, I felt like I had just run a 5k at full throttle. Anyhow, the view was quite rewarding and the photos quite satisfying.
posted by mishlchang at
1:22 AM
2 Comments:
dude, you totally write like a professional traveler or something. Your command of the English language and your verbal skills have vastly materialized into a higher plane of intelligence during your residence in China.
hah dork. o herro o herro! i just need to hang out with you and then i will be back to my engrish. ok sank yew.
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