Must-see places in Great Wall of China

‘He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a true man’. This is a famous Chinese saying, and you know the reasons why. The Great Wall of China has some amazing history to it, some excellent sight-seeing features available, and provides a great time to go back and visualise the lives and times of the Qin and Ming dynasties. If you are planning to explore the Great Wall of China, a great engineering marvel of the world, and want to concentrate on some of the most important sites here, there are certain landmarks you shouldn’t miss.

The first one is the Badaling Great Wall, situated in Yanging County, over 70 km from Beijing. With an average length of 1,000 meters, it was enlisted in the World Cultural Heritage Directory by UNESCO. It is characterized by steep slopes and long roads which seem never ending. Most parts of this wall were built during the Ming dynasty, for protection from outsiders. Made up of huge bar stones and bricks, the wall is about 20 feet wide internally, allowing for many horses to gallop at the same time.

If you observe closely, you will find many holes drilled in the wall, to give way for soldiers to shoot arrows and attack the enemies. Signal fires were widely used to alert the citizens of attack or dangers. During the Ming Dynasty, the amount of smoke and gunfire was an indication of the strength of the army. One release of smoke and one shot of gunfire gave the message that there were 100 enemies; two smoke releases with two shots of gunfire indicated 500 enemies; three smoke releases with three shots of gunfire was used when there were more than 1,000 enemies. Many signals were used together to convey messages.

The next important wall is the Mutianyu Great Wall, around 70 km from Beijing and connecting Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Great Wall in the east. It was first built by the Northern Qi dynasty, and then rebuilt for more sturdiness and strength by Tan Lun and Qi Jiguang of the Ming dynasty. Mostly built of granite, it winds through mountains and ridges, is 23- 26 feet tall and around 15 feet wide. 22 watchtowers line this wall and lead you towards the ‘Ox Horn Edge’, ‘Flying Eagle Flies Facing Upward’ and ‘Arrow Lock’, a section of the wall surrounded by 3 watch towers.

If you think this wall has only a historical view to offer you, you maybe mistaken. You will be awed by the excellent arrangement of flowers, green grass and yellow leaves giving the mountain a wonderful coverage. You may even be lucky to witness snow during the winter season which provides for some cool pictures. The mountains give way to the pine trees which are 200 years old. Visitors also appreciate the sweet and pure water at the foot of the wall during spring. You can spend a little extra and get a ride around the wall by hopping into a cable car and going for a ride covering all the important places around.

If you fancy something more exotic and varied, try out the Simatai Great Wall. 120 km from Beijing, it is about 5 km from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and connects to the Jinshanling Great Wall in the west. The only wall which still has the appearance of the original built by the Ming dynasty, it is unique for its steep and intact walls which wind up to the Stairway to Heaven, the Fairy Tower, the Heaven Bridge and the Wangjinglou Tower.

Walking a good distance will lead you to a beautiful lake called the Mandarin duck lake, which has the eastern and western parts on its either side. With the appearance of a dragon coming out of the lake, the eastern part has 15 watchtowers. The fairy tower stretches upto 330 feet, with a staircase leading upto an entrance which is narrow enough to allow only one person at a time. According to legends, the fairy tower was once an antelope. It has many marble arches carved with lotus patterns. The Heaven Bridge stands between the Fairy Tower and the Wangjinglou Tower. The western part is lined by many walls, crenels, animal and flower embossments. You can also go boating, fishing and swimming to enjoy the sights better.

Starting from the Wangjinglou Tower in the east and ending at Longyukou in the west, Jinshanling Great Wall is another must – watch for its five main passes and 67 watch towers. There are enemy towers (33 feet tall) located every 330 feet of stretch. You can take a snap of yourself by sitting at one of the windows in the watch towers and visualise yourself as one of the soldiers, sitting in their bedrooms or storing weapons or attacking the enemy. The Big and Small Jinshan Watchtowers are a visitor’s delight because of the originality with which they depict the past life of the soldiers.

There is a General Tower, which was built in the memory of Wu Guihua, a girl who sacrificed her life to protect the Ming dynasty from the nomadic invaders. Heigu and Taochun, two girls who worked hard for the great wall construction have the Black Tower and the Taochun Tower named after them. Other must-sees include the Wall for Preventing the Horses, the Retaining Wall, and the Bricks with Words Written on it.

The best months to visit the Great Wall of China are May, where the crowd just starts pouring in and October, which is warm and sunny, but refreshing and pleasant. Early morning and late afternoons are the ideal time since the weather is cool and the light sun rays allow for some good pictures. Always make sure to bring enough water, sunglasses, sunscreen and hat to protect yourself from the harsh rays. Enquire about the weather conditions and take care while walking on some parts.