Beijing: The Real Great Wall Of China (& No Sewage For The People's Heroes)

We had the most amazing day yesterday. We took the bus (a few public buses actually) about 60 km north of Beijing to a place called Huanghuacheng, where we climbed the Great Wall. I say "climbed" because this section of The Wall went straight up the side of a mountain. In parts it was actually like we were rock climbing.

Most people visit sections of the Great Wall that have been rebuilt for tourism, sections complete with Coke vending machines, tacky tourist shops and more; but our Lonely Planet travel guide, quite understandably, strongly recommended staying far away from those places and, instead, suggested seeing The Wall in all its natural glory. And that's exactly what we did. There were no tourist stands, no bathrooms, no Coke machines, no entrance fee... and no other people! What we got was a Wall that was overgrown in parts, falling down in others and in some parts still in incredibly great condition. It was simply spectacular!

And, like I said, the most amazing thing was that during the 3.5 hours we were on The Wall, right from the road to the top watchtower and back, we never ran into even a single person until we got back to the bottom 100-meter section. It was such a beautiful, sunny, clear day and there was no one there but us. Forget about My Own Private Idaho (great movie that it may be), here we had Our Own Private Great Wall. And oh what a view from the top! A magnificent panoramic view. We stood there at the top and took in the surrounding mountains, the valley below and all the plum-tree-covered terraced hills. And, of course, there was The Wall winding its way up and down the mountains for as far as we could see in both directions.

Our hike to the top and back was probably only about 4 to 5 kms in total, but, like I said, it was quite steep. And, as we struggled to make our way to the top, I couldn't help but think of the slaves who had been forced to carry the bricks up these very same hills and mountains, round trip after round trip, day after day, week after week, year after year. Like the Great Pyramids of Egypt and so many other things we marvel at today, The Wall was built at a horrific human cost.

Leaving The Wall and heading back to Beijing we had a good laugh when our public bus suddenly turned into a school bus and about 80 (!!) kids got on at the same stop. We ended up with over 100 people on the bus. And, like teenagers everywhere, they really liked to talk. It was SO loud. They actually stopped and tried to squeeze a few more people in at the next couple of stops. It was pretty hilarious.

The day before we had been to The Forbidden City, which was a great experience, but nothing compared to climbing Our Own Private Wall.

We've been in Beijing a week now and it's been great. We're staying way outside the center and every day we take a packed bus into town and then back again in the evening. Beijing's a real mix of the rich, relatively poor and very poor. However, in general, it's incredibly rich here compared to all the towns and cities we saw out the train window on our way up here from Hong Kong. The countryside really looked quite poor.

Speaking of train rides, today we picked up our visas for Mongolia and we're planning to be on the next train to Ulaan Baatar this coming Tuesday - a 30-hour trip this time! We plan to spend about a month in Mongolia before returning to China for another 1.5 months, until our Chinese visas expire.

Anyhow, it's certainly been an interesting week here in Beijing. We've walked all over town and seen and experienced quite a lot. The nice thing is that, after Hong Kong, the streets here don't feel crowded at all. The people here are generally quite nice, the weather has been beautiful all week and the food is simply fantastic... and really cheap.

It's been quite cold here - and it'll be worse in Mongolia - so I had to buy some warm clothes. For just US$35 I got a really warm down jacket, 2 pairs of pants and 2 pairs of long underwear. Now those are good prices.

We're sure having a great time. Every day is an adventure while traveling, but yesterday at The Wall was definitely one of the greatest days I've ever had in any country.

Mike Cowie 
November 29th, 2001

P.S. Beware: If you ever visit Bejing and go to The Monument To The Peoples Heroes in Tiananmen Square, the sign says (along with many other rules) "It is strictly prohibited to dump sewage". I'm serious here. So take your sewage elsewhere - not to The Monument To The Peoples Heroes goddamn it!