Great Wall of China travel guide
The Great Wall of China is 6,400km of historic fortification, and the perfect springboard to even greater China adventures
The Great Wall of China is truly great, stretching for 6,400km along the northern reaches of the country from the Yellow Sea coast to the forbidding depths of the Chinese interior.
On its way, the Great Wall of China crosses mountains, deserts and sprawling grasslands; it passes by the modern urban madness of Beijing and dissects areas where local farmers are living lives unchanged for centuries.
The idea for the Great Wall of China came from third-century emperor Qin Shihuang, who wanted to keep the northern barbarians from his fertile land further south. Wall building then fell out of fashion until the 15th century, when the Ming Dynasty erected a great, crenellated, stone fortification to keep out the ne’er-do-wells – the Wall as we now know it.
It didn’t work, of course. But it has resulted in the most astonishing relic of despotic over-ambition. Today the Great Wall of China is not a continuous, well-preserved barrier. Much of it has fallen into disrepair; over the centuries locals have pinched stones to build houses. But there are still some magnificent sections to visit.
The super-keen could hike the entire length – a feat that would probably take around 18 months – but it’s not necessary. Daytrips from Beijing will allow you see some of the neatest sections; the Badaling stretch is over-touristy so head instead for Simatai or Mutianyu.
The Great Wall of China is also a springboard to other regions of the country – for example, from the western end at Jiayuguan you could strike out into little-visited Xinjiang for wild landscapes and Uyghur culture.
The Great Wall of China, once considered an expensive folly, is now a symbol of great pride for the Chinese people. New sections are being restored all the time, so head to China and find your own Great Wall adventure.