The Great Wall (pre-climb)
There were two different sections of the wall to choose from, a more difficult one with extremely steep stairs or one with a more gradual climb. We chose the more difficult section because we thought it would offer the most beautiful views, and boy did it deliver.
View!
The whole experience was just incredible. I think it was a bit different from what most of us were expecting. We all knew the Wall was located in the mountains and that stairs would be involved, but I don’t think we ever imagined as many as there actually were. We had also expected that once we climbed up the stairs to the highest point that it would be more flat or ramp-like. We were wrong. There were stairs going up or down almost the entire way, all uneven and with varying riser heights. There had to have been thousands, but we really didn’t care because of the gorgeous views we were able to look out at.
The Badaling section of the Great Wall
It was fantastic to see the Wall snaking along the tree covered mountains with the large rock outcroppings. We ended up making a loop down the Juyongguan Pass, but got a little lost when trying to make our way back to the bus, but we finally figured out where to go. I think this is probably our new favorite experience of the trip thus far.
At the top!
Next, Christina had booked lunch for us on the second floor of a jade factory. Before we headed up to eat, a man took us through part of the factory. He told us about the value of different pieces of jade and how to tell if something is really made of jade or not. We were also able to see the process of carving a piece of jade, which was really interesting. After this, we made our way upstairs to eat. We walked through the nearly empty restaurant to another private room. This one was by far the most fancy setting we’ve been in with gold napkins, a chandelier, wood floors, and shiny wallpaper. For once we actually ended up ordering more food because we didn’t have enough.
The Ming Tombs were next on the list. The most beautiful part of the Ming Tombs was the drive there. The roads were lined with mature trees and surrounded by cherry orchards. There are 13 tombs in the Ming Tombs complex, and we visited the Dingling Tomb. Here we were able to walk through the excavated the mausoleum where the emperor and empresses had been buried. The underground vaults featured marble thrones for the emperor and the burial chamber with replicas of the three coffins. After emerging from the underground chambers, we were presented with a fantastic view of the mountains and other Ming Tombs in the distance.
Christina speaking to us about the Ming Tombs
After our visit to the Ming Tombs, we made our way back to the center of Beijing to visit a silk factory. Here, a woman told us about the how the silk worms spin the silk and then they take their cocoons and unwind them to dye and make into clothing and blankets. We all shopped around a little bit, then the bus took us back to the hotel.
We all rested for a while then made our way back to the food court area and alley vendors we had visited last night. We all tried some new things and walked around a little bit. Some of us made our way back to the hotel and others continued walking around and shopping. A few of us checked out the hotel’s roof garden and we were able to see the lights of the city which was pretty beautiful.
I think we’re all a little sore from our hike today, but we’re looking forward to exploring the Houtongs and visiting Bei Hai Park tomorrow. Good night!
-- Natalie Martell
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