Taking on the Great Wall

 
Our second day in Beijing, we ventured to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall about an hour and a half from central Beijing.  This section is not as crowded and in a more rural, mountainous area.  Brad teaches about the Great Wall in his sixth grade social studies class, so this was a thrill for him especially.
 

Most people opt to take the cable car up the mountain to the wall, but living in the Montana Rocky Mountains ourselves, we opted for the stairs….all 4,000+ of them going straight up.  It took about 45 minutes, but luckily it was shaded on this hot, windy day.  This is promoted as the most beautiful and best restored section of the wall, and it lived up to this.  It was not at all crowded, and there are 23 towers relatively close together so you do get some shade.  Our guide was full of information all along the way and was patient as we marveled at the vastness of the structure.  Beyond what is open to the public, we could see the wall continuing for miles and miles across mountain ridges in both directions.   
 

We mostly marveled at the sheer determination in the building of the wall so that the military could protect China from invaders, and then later protect trade routes.  It has openings for soldiers to shoot arrows, and later cannons, when invaders approached.  It is massive, and we were surprised to learn it was not built contiguously.  Sections were built across the years based on where the rulers lived.  Eventually sections were connected to make huge lengths of continuous protection for China.  We also learned that it is referred to as the world’s largest cemetery, given the number of men who died building it, estimated at upwards of 400,000 over the many years of its construction.  Many are buried right within the wall.
 

When we were done, we had the unique treat of taking a toboggan slide down!  That was fun, and much faster than the climb up (like 5 minutes).  
 
We definitely recommend putting this on your bucket list of things to see in China, and this Mutianyu section was amazing and worth the extra effort.  Wear good walking shoes and a hat!