First Glimpses

On the drive from Beijing (about an hour’s drive), you’ll begin to see stretches of the Great Wall long before you get to one of the access points. It’s worth a stop or two just to catch glimpses of the Wall as it winds its way through the mountains and climbs up the steep ridgelines. There’s a saying that the Wall always seeks the higher ground, and when you see it, you’ll understand immediately how that

This is also the point at which you’ll really begin to get an idea of how much Wall there actually is to be seen (not that most of us will ever see most of it)! China’s Great Wall is approximately 4,200 miles long, and traverses nine of China’s provinces from East to West - Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu.

The Tourist Trade-off.

Most of the access points to the Great Wall, and especially those near Beijing, are controlled, and are set up for tourists. This is unfortunate, but understandable, as the Wall is certainly a national treasure and in need of preservation (a concept which is still somewhat new to China, but more on that later). Still, in most cases, it does unfortunately mean threading your way through the shops, food vendors, and souvenir sellers. The good news is that once you’ve run that gambit, you can hike pretty freely along the wall, and explore about as much of it as you want, without too much interference. The even better news is that if you want a more extensive visit, those options are opening up as well. Again, though, check them out and ask questions. I also recommend asking for references - folks who have been on the tours and can tell you first-hand what they’re like. After all, if you’re going to visit the Great Wall of China, and more than likely China in general, you should do enough research to ensure that your “trip of a lifetime” will also be a wonderful and memorable experience.

Preservation and Authenticity.

Some of the more popular access points to the Great Wall, and especially those nearest Beijing (like Badaling) have gone through quite a bit of reconstruction. The Chinese see nothing wrong with recreating damaged or overworn sections of the Wall with new construction as needed (a pattern they also follow in other historic sites like the Forbidden City), and blending the new construction in with the original sections. It’s not a lack of respect for the “original” Wall (although who can say what qualifies as “original” in a structure that has been built, added to, rebuilt and reconstructed countless times over the course of almost two centuries). Rather, it’s a difference in culture. I tried talking to our tour guide about it, and while she was respectful of the fact that I seemed concerned about the lack of authenticity, her reply was “But we could not leave the sections broken. It had to be fixed or people would not come to see it. Why would they come if they could not walk out onto the Wall?” Interesting perspective....

A Long History.

Speaking of the Wall and its history, it is interesting to note that the “wall” or “walls” actually began as military fortifications during the Zhou Dynasty (which was in power in China from the 11th century BC to 711 BC). Later, during the Spring and Autumn Period (770 BC - 476 BC) and the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC). The Qin, Yan and Zhao States followed the Zhou tradition by building and/or fortifying and expanding the “great” walls to prevent attacks from other states. It was not, however, until the beginning of the Qin Dynasty that those separate walls were actually connected to form the first “Great Wall” - a unified defensive system protecting the northern border of the country. This was accomplished by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (also called the First Emperor). After he reunified China in 214 BC, he ordered the construction of the Great Wall, both for protection, and as a tribute to his own power as Emperor. It took approximately ten years to finish this first “Great Wall” iteration, which stretched from Linzhao (in the Eastern part of today’s Gansu Province) in the West, to Liaodong (in today’s Jilin Province) in the East. During the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall was extended westward into the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang region. Further construction and multiple extensions were made in the successive Northern Wei, Northern Qi and Sui dynasties.

The Great Wall as we know it today (particularly the sections you can visit near Beijing) is primarily the work of the Ming Dynasty (1368 AD to 1644 AD). The Ming Wall starts at the Yalujiang River (in today’s Heilongjiang Province) and traverses Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia provinces, to Guansu - over 3,100 miles!