Beijing II: The Great Wall at Mutianyu
Early on a Sunday morning at the beginning of June, our trip to the Great Wall of China was almost derailed when the van my mother chartered through friends broke down. Temporarily demoralized, we sulked in the lobby of our courtyard house hostel. It was only through Ginger's quick thinking, a few hundred RMB, and the goodwill of the staff of the Red Lantern House that we were able to hire another van, complete with driver--who was willing to shuttle a carload of tourists on his precious day off. We set out for the Great Wall at Mutianyu, a paltry 1-2 hours drive from the east side of the city.
Though it is only about 90 kilometers from (and just outside the Sixth Ring of) Beijing, the route up to this stretch of the Great Wall seems a world away from any urban center. On the way, I leaned out the window of the aging Toyota's back seat and captured some of my favorite images of a changing China and the indomitable spirit of the people who live here.
Ancient remnants of communist proclamations and advertisements are more numerous once you leave the city proper. A lot of property is available out here, and the ubiquity of phone numbers painted up on every wall remind you that anything is for rent/sale.
The rural lunch hour is comprised of these shabby roadside canteens, complete with sprinklings of local patrons sitting at hodgepodge outdoor tables. No shirt, no shoes? No problem. We didn't have time to stop, but I am certain that the food here would be delicious.
Many little grocers flank the one-lane highway. I love the little kids and their versions of the Big Wheel trike.
This man, capable of competing with the best of the Tour de France--without performance-enhancing drugs and with a cartload of produce in tow, mind you--kept pace with our car for a small distance.
These women seem like old friends (or rivals?) They are some of the few people who seem to stand still amidst China's whirlwind of perpetual progress and modernization.
Once you get to the foothills, you can spend most of the day just climbing up to the Wall, or you can join the bourgeoisie in taking the cable car up. Afterall, the ascent is great, but you want to have enough time to actually traverse the wall before nightfall!
A stretch of the Great Wall that is known for its accessibility to most levels of hikers, Mutianyu can however be a steep (but unprecarious) climb in some spots.
Inside the lower level of each of the watchtowers are a series of intricate archways and rooms--built long before the Medieval cousins of which we first think...
Wide group shot from atop a watchtower.
A local resident of the Wall, a cartoony green bug, looked incredulously down on the rest of us before flying away.
You can now pay to take a toboggan ride down from the Great Wall. Incredible fun! My mother, an adventurer at heart, was a great sport and joined us in sliding down the German-made giant metal track. This was definitely the funnest part of the excursion; so much so that we went back up via cable car just to slide back down a second time (sans my mother, who had her fill).
Here's a video that Eric took of the ride down.
A man (with the same surname as my family!) at the foot of the Wall, hand-carving a chop to order-- with my Chinese name on it. I think it cost about 180 RMB, which comes out to less than $25 USD.
The trip up to the Great Wall was incredibly strenuous for my brother Kevin.
Though it is only about 90 kilometers from (and just outside the Sixth Ring of) Beijing, the route up to this stretch of the Great Wall seems a world away from any urban center. On the way, I leaned out the window of the aging Toyota's back seat and captured some of my favorite images of a changing China and the indomitable spirit of the people who live here.
Ancient remnants of communist proclamations and advertisements are more numerous once you leave the city proper. A lot of property is available out here, and the ubiquity of phone numbers painted up on every wall remind you that anything is for rent/sale.
The rural lunch hour is comprised of these shabby roadside canteens, complete with sprinklings of local patrons sitting at hodgepodge outdoor tables. No shirt, no shoes? No problem. We didn't have time to stop, but I am certain that the food here would be delicious.
Many little grocers flank the one-lane highway. I love the little kids and their versions of the Big Wheel trike.
This man, capable of competing with the best of the Tour de France--without performance-enhancing drugs and with a cartload of produce in tow, mind you--kept pace with our car for a small distance.
These women seem like old friends (or rivals?) They are some of the few people who seem to stand still amidst China's whirlwind of perpetual progress and modernization.
Once you get to the foothills, you can spend most of the day just climbing up to the Wall, or you can join the bourgeoisie in taking the cable car up. Afterall, the ascent is great, but you want to have enough time to actually traverse the wall before nightfall!
A stretch of the Great Wall that is known for its accessibility to most levels of hikers, Mutianyu can however be a steep (but unprecarious) climb in some spots.
Inside the lower level of each of the watchtowers are a series of intricate archways and rooms--built long before the Medieval cousins of which we first think...
Wide group shot from atop a watchtower.
A local resident of the Wall, a cartoony green bug, looked incredulously down on the rest of us before flying away.
You can now pay to take a toboggan ride down from the Great Wall. Incredible fun! My mother, an adventurer at heart, was a great sport and joined us in sliding down the German-made giant metal track. This was definitely the funnest part of the excursion; so much so that we went back up via cable car just to slide back down a second time (sans my mother, who had her fill).
Here's a video that Eric took of the ride down.
A man (with the same surname as my family!) at the foot of the Wall, hand-carving a chop to order-- with my Chinese name on it. I think it cost about 180 RMB, which comes out to less than $25 USD.
The trip up to the Great Wall was incredibly strenuous for my brother Kevin.
That video of the ride down the mountain is fantastic! What a brilliant idea! Hooray for capitalism in the Middle Kingdom! :)
Posted by
Harlan |
11:35 AM
Oh my gosh, I totally agree. That video was so much fun!
Posted by
Amanda |
1:03 PM
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