They call it great for a reason. T and I were fortunate enough to go on a cool, clear day. It was was perfect for the 30 minute hike up to the wall and for our climb around the stretch we visited.
The Badaling section of the Great Wall is the closest to Beijing, just an hour and a half drive into the mountains to the north east. Most of this area of the wall was built up and expanded durning the Ming dynasty--a relatively new stretch compared to other parts, which was first built during the Warring States Period in the 5th century BC. And generally speaking, given the heavy volume of tourists, one that had been heavily "restored."
Our hotel, The Commune by the Great Wall, was a perfect example of a modern Chinese hotel, run by a western hotel management chain. Originally, the complex had been developed as a luxury housing development. Few of the houses were sold, the investors where bought out, and the site was expanded and converted into a resort. With over 190 rooms, the hotel boasted modern architecture, good food and strong coffee, as well as edgy paintings of Mao-as-Buddha. The staff wore kitchy uniforms with a giant Red Star on the lapel. Parts of the hotel were lovely, but mostly it felt empty and cold. But far and away, it was worth the stay, just for the wall alone. Ironically, the Commune had its own private section of the Great Wall.
A path snaked behind a red, cantalevier-style house made of concrete, stone and bamaboo. After twenty or thirty minutes, we reached the top. The massive wall stood right along a ridge, and snaked from peak to valley to peak. I wasn't prepared for its scale, severity, or its steepness. And the stretch before us was empty, overgrown with shrubs and trees. In some parts the stone had turned to rubble and in
some, the wall had just fallen away. Behind us and up the mountain further, the wall was all but gone. It looked like a rocky scar rising up the face of the ridge.
It was quiet, cold and the wind was strong. I found it hard to shake the vertigo.
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