The Great Wall of China

A globally celebrated historic and cultural city, Beijing boasts a history of over 3000 years, 850 of which have been as China's capital.  It is a city rich in cultural relics. The Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Peking Man Site and the Ming Tombs are listed as World Cultural Heritage Sites.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is called the Eighth Wonder of The World and a must-see for any visitor to China.

You will see it reproduced everywhere in China but nothing will prepare you for the thrill of seeing it for the first time. Its serpentine twists and peaks and troughs that extend as far as the eye can see will remain one of the treasured memories of any trip to China.

Its stark beauty and spectacular scale remain staggering even in our technologically advanced age. Like so much of China, the Great Wall offers a stunning glimpse into the past millennia. If these stones could talk, what tales they might tell!

In fact there are many sections, all with a different allure and all worth seeing for very different reasons. Those on a brief visit to Beijing often make a beeline for the Badaling stretch that is only some 70 kms northwest of the city. Restored in 1957, it's a solid, easy-to-reach section of the wall that includes a theater, museum and assorted visitor facilities.

Equally well developed is the Mutianyu section that is also well served by tourist buses and less than 100 kms from the centre of Beijing. Also within easy reach of Beijing is the Juyongguan section that dates back to the 5th century, but extensively rebuilt during the Ming period.

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Badaling Great Wall

Add: Yanqing County

Tel: (010) 6912-1737

Open: 8am-5:30pm

Admission: 45 yuan

Buses: You 1, You 2, You 3, You 4, You 5

Take the 919, 920 at Deshengmen; take long distance bus at Deshengmenwai Long Distance Bus Station (the bus sets off every half hour from 7am)

Mutianyu Great Wall

Add: Mutianyucun, Huairou District

Tel: (010) 6162-6505, 6162-6022

Open: 8am-5:30pm

Admission: 35 yuan

Buses: You 6, 916

Simatai Great Wall

Add: Gubeikouzhen, Miyun County

Tel: (010) 6903-1051

Open: 8am-5pm

Admission: 30 yuan

Buses: take You 12 at Dongsishitiao or Xuanwumen Church

Juyongguan Great Wall

Add: Nankouzhen, Changping District

Tel: (010) 6977-1665

Open: 8am-5pm

Admission: 40 yuan (peak season), 30 yuan (low season)

Buses: You 1, You 2, You 3, You 4, You 5

Take 345 at Deshengmen to Changping, and change to a long distance bus.