Every time someone I know visits China, they’d be all like “Louis Habash, you should go see the Great Wall if you happen to visit China!” So, just a few days ago, I had the chance to visit the Badaling part of the Great Wall.
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| Image Source: china-tour.cn |
Let me give you guys a brief history of the Great Wall. Around 5th century BC, the Chinese were already familiar with the idea of having a good wall to defend themselves against raiding enemies, but it wasn’t until the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, that the Great Wall, as we call it today, was built. According to some experts in Chinese history, building the Great Wall cost hundreds of thousands of human lives. Also, most of the wall that’s still standing today isn’t part of the original wall because most of it has eroded over the centuries. What you can see today was built during the Ming Dynasty—and this includes the Badaling section.
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| Image Source: en.wikipedia.org |
When you arrive at the Great Wall, be prepared to walk through throngs of people, especially if you visit during spring. Get ready for a long and arduous climb if you don’t like riding the cable car up the wall. If you are interested in more of the Great Wall’s history, the Great Wall Museum is also a good place to explore.
You can reach the Badaling Great Wall by riding public buses located at various areas around Beijing. The bus ride to the Badaling Great Wall takes about an hour. The wall is open from 6 am to 6:30pm.
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| Image Source: great-wall-of-china.org |
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