Controversy still swirls as to whether the Great Wall of China is visible from outer space, but one thing is certain — this grand and imposing structure is a sight to behold and to ponder from ground level! After all, according to a Chinese saying, “He who has never seen the Great Wall can never truly be a great man.” Whether this is true or not, you can’t help but “wonder” at this Wonder of the World.

Originally intended as a series of walls built by independent warlords to keep out their marauding nomad neighbors, this 24-foot high, 5 yards wide, ancient structure (built during the Qin dynasty over 2,000 years ago) soon evolved into a major military fortification. While much of it is damaged and has yet to be restored, there are several sections that have been rebuilt and which are easily accessible from Beijing — the Juyongguan section (closest to Beijing), the Badaling section (the most visited) and the Mutianyu section (about 50 miles from the capital). We opt to visit this section, rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty and renowned for its towers.

As you leave the parking lot to start hiking to the wall, an army of vendors bombard you with offers to purchase a panda or a cheap T-shirt proclaiming that you have climbed the Great Wall. Once you have escaped them, you have a choice. You can hike 40 minutes up a path that will take you to the top of the wall or you can take a cable car that will whisk you up in a few minutes depositing you at the top of the wall near Tower 14.

Ahead of you the Great Wall undulates left and right, sweeping up hills and down, like a great dragon to which it is so often compared. Twenty-two watchtowers, spaced about 100 feet apart, line the 1.5-mile length of the restored wall. The insides of the towers are essentially identical – square rooms with openings on both sides. Periodically, an alcove off the side of the tower leads to a window overlooking the outer edge.

Steep steps lead to many of the towers. One incline has over 900 very steep risers linking the watchtowers. It rises at almost a 90-degree angle up the side of the mountain. If you think walking up is hard work, wait until you need to climb down — a treacherous undertaking at the best of times but especially if the stones are wet. Imagine what it must have been like to run, heavily armed, from tower to tower.

The parapets along the edges of this section of the Great Wall are different. They were designed in such a way that arrows could be fired from both sides onto enemies below. As you peer over the edge, a panorama of overlapping tree-covered hills spreads out as far as the eye can see. Walking up and down these lofty heights, it is hard to imagine the effort required to raise this structure — manpower provided mostly by political prisoners whose bones (according to legend) were incorporated into the building materials when they died.

Whether the structure is visible from space or not is quite irrelevant since the grandeur of the Great Wall of China can only truly be appreciated by walking its length, touching its cold granite stone and marveling at the ingenuity and skill of those who built it over 2,000 years ago.

IF YOU GO
To get to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China, you can sign up with a tour group but be sure to check and see what you are going to get for the price of your ticket. A better solution is to hire a car and driver through your hotel. This will give you the freedom to explore not only the area of the Great Wall but also the surrounding countryside without time constraints or stops at “tourist shops and restaurants” that seem to feature prominently on the organized tours. Since communications may be a problem, it is a good idea to have the hotel concierge write out exactly what you want to do so that you can give it to your driver.
The Cable Car is open from 0830 to 1630 and takes about 4 minutes to reach the top of the Wall. A good strategy is to be there as early as possible in the morning before the tour buses arrive which is also when the light is good for photography. Although the Great Wall is spectacular in any season, October is when the leaves change colors, turning the mountainsides into palettes of red, orange and gold.

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