Great Wall Of China - Mutianyu Section

This past weekend I took some friends that were visiting to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. We didn't have an incredible large amount of time to spend so Jinshanling and Simatai were out of the question, but I wanted to give them a more personal experience that can't be had at Badaling. One of my friends in Shanghai recommended that I take them to Mutianyu.

Mutianyu is a bit of a hybrid of the Badaling and Simatai sections.  It's still very well maintained and restored, but doesn't have the throngs of tourists that crowd up the wall at Badaling.  When you arrive at the entrance you have the option to take a cable car up (50 RMB one way, 80 RMB round trip) or you can hike up the mountain to the wall.  You will also need to pay a 45 RMB entrance fee to the wall as well.

Due to our time constraints my group decided to purchase the round trip cable car tickets. I wish we would have only purchased the single trip tickets however. As we were heading up the cable car we could see a toboggan (60 RMB per person) going down the mountain leading back to the entrance to the park. I wish this was advertised better as we would have liked to try that instead of taking the cable car back down.

Once you enter the wall you can head one of two directions. We ended up hiking up the direction that looked like it had less people.  I've been to the wall during the summer, the fall, and the winter. I can honestly say that the winter was my favorite season to visit.  It was pretty brutally cold, but the wall and everything around it was covered by a blanket of snow. It was one of the most beautiful sights I'd ever seen!

We ended up hiking for a couple of hours and it definitely felt like a good amount of time to be on the wall given how cold it was. We could have stayed longer, but we still wanted to visit the Summer Palace back in Beijing before it closed. Everything said, Mutianyu is an excellent part of the wall to visit and if you are on a time crunch I highly recommend it. If you have an entire day to spare, I would still recommend visiting the Simatai and Jinshanling sections instead.

How to get there:

The most convenient way to get there is to hire a private car. These can be found at the major tourist attractions in Beijing, and your hotel should be able to arrange one for you. The hostel we stayed at, The Happy Dragon Hostel, arranged a van for us for 800 RMB for the whole day.  I prefer this as the driver will wait for you at the wall and take you back when you are ready to return.

Many hostels, and hotels will also arrange daily trips that will take larger groups of tourists on a bus. These prices generally vary from 200-300 RMB per person (some include the price of admission to the wall).  Most of these tours will only strictly visit the Badaling section and take an entire day.

 You can also take the metro bus 867 (only available from March 15 - November 15) that departs from the Dongzhimen outer bus station. There are 2 buses that leave from this station (7:00 and 8:30 am) q=and costs 16 RMB each way.  The bus can be a bit difficult to find, and there will be a lot of private taxi's and buses that will try to tell you there is no bus that will take you directly to the wall. These people are lying to you to and will try to charge you high rates to take you to the wall themselves. If you are going to rent a car do it through your hotel or hostel since they are more trustworthy. There are a few other buses that will get you close to the wall, but if you do not know Chinese and are unfamiliar with the area, I wouldn't recommend those.

The Great Wall of China - Jinshanling and Simatai

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One of the main highlights of any vacation in China is undoubtedly the Great Wall of China.  The wall, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and one of the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World, attracts millions of visitors each year.  The wall was originally thought to be 5,500 miles long and after a recent effort to confirm its length the number has actually more than doubled to 13,171 miles long.

In an effort to preserve the wall and attract more tourists the government has approved various sections of the wall to undergo restoration projects.  These restored parts of the wall offer a glimpse into what the wall might have looked like when it was being actively used to keep Mongolian raiders outside of the country.

The most famous of these sections is Badaling which also happens to be the most visited portion of the wall. While this is certainly a great experience, I feel that the experiences at some of the more remote and less commercialized are much more valuable.  Badaling is packed with tourists and you will constantly be surrounded by people unless you hike well out of the way.  By contrast a visit to Jinshanling and Simatai will be a much more personal experience (although this may not be the case in a few years as more and more people are choosing to visit this section each year).

When I first visited back in November of 2008 the group of friends I was traveling with were the only visitors on the wall that we say for the vast majority of the day.  My most recent trip in October of last year was still very much a personal experience but there were noticeably more tourists here than my first visit.

What makes the Great Wall such a great experience is that there is no perfect season to visit it. Each season offers a unique experience and beauty which changes as the year progresses. If you are able to visit Simatai and Jinshanling make sure you dedicate an entire day to it. The hike is long but worth it as you make your way up and down the mountainous terrain passing from watchtower to watchtower.

If I had one complaint about this section is that as more and more tourists have visited some of the local farmers have taken to selling souvenirs and t-shirts (With “I climbed the Great Wall” written across the chest). It wouldn’t be so annoying if they didn’t follow you along the hike for what seems like an eternity. They are relentless, and it doesn’t get any better if you buy something from one of them. If you buy something from one, all of the others will think they will be able to sell you something as well and will NEVER leave you alone.

Although you can buy snacks and bottled water at the little touristy village at the start of Jinshanling (at much higher prices than if you buy them in Beijing before you head out), I recommend that you bring plenty of bottled water and some snacks with you as it is easy to get dehydrated out there.  I did notice that some farmers have posted up in a few of the watchtowers along the way and will sell you drinks at exponentially higher prices (but if you are looking for a cold beer in the middle of nowhere, where else are you going to go, right?).

When choosing how to get to the wall I would take some time to ask the travel agency a few questions.  For my first visit I went with a small language school that I was taking classes from (The Hutong School).  This was wonderful because we arranged our own transportation and operated on our own schedule. We were out there as long as we wanted and were in no pressure to hurry our way along the wall. 

For my second visit I went with a travel group from one of the famous hostels located on Nanluoguxiang. The other people we were with were friendly enough (made friends with some pretty cool guys from Poland) but the tour guide was rushing us the entire way. It was much harder to really enjoy some of the beautiful panoramic sights that are to be had from the tallest watchtowers.  Just make sure you ask the travel agency how long you will have to be on the wall and if there is a set time that you have to meet at the pickup point.

Visiting the Great Wall has been a childhood dream of mine and I can wholeheartedly say that it lived up to and exceeded all of my expectations.  I cannot describe how incredible the feeling is standing on such an impressive wall that stretches out as far as you can see in both directions. It is a really humbling experience, one that I will never forget. As I sat on top of the tallest tower in the Jinshangling section I reflected on just how impressive this wall really is. 

Most travel groups will arrange the entrance tickets (for the wall) as a part of the package fee you are paying them, but make sure that entrance tickets to both Simatai and Jinshanling are included if you plan to visit both sections.  When you are just about to cross over to the Simatai section there will be some workers that check for tickets before letting you pass. 

I highly recommend that you hike Simatai as well so you can cross this really awesome bridge (stunning view of the valley and a small river) as well as some pretty impressive watch towers with some more amazing views. Make sure to bring some good hiking shoes as this hike has some steep climbs in which the wall isn’t it the greatest condition. 

The beautiful natural surroundings, the more personal experience, and the less commercialized feel of Simatai and Jinshanling definitely make this one of my favorite places I’ve ever been too.  An absolute must-see!!

How to get there:

There are multiple ways to get to Jinshanling and Simatai. I recommend visiting The Beijinger’s website and have a look at the classified ads as tour groups are always organizing and advertising trips to these and other sections of the Great Wall.  Some groups can even arrange overnight trips for you.

You can also head to the Forbidden City to arrange a day trip.  There are tons of people that stand around in and around the ticketing area and will approach you asking if you want to take any number of pre-planned tour packages. They will also work with you to create your own individual tour or just simply hire a car for the day. Just make sure you agree to the price before you agree to use their services.  I prefer using The Beijinger as the people organizing the trips there are usually language schools and they have a better reputation and are easier to deal with.

Your hotel might also offer planned excursions to the Great Wall as well.  Contact the hotel concierge to see if they have any Great Wall packages.

Temple of Heaven - Beijing

Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests

The Temple of Heaven , 天壇 (Tian Tan) in Chinese, has long been one of the major attractions for people of all ages when they come to Beijing.  The Temple of Heaven has long been one of my favorite places to visit in Beijing due to the plethora of cultural experiences that can be had there.

The Temple of Heaven was once the religious complex where the emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasties visited for annual prayers and ceremonies for good harvests.  Some of the main attractions within the park include the iconic Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, the Imperial Vault of Heaven, and the Circular Mound Altar.

When most people think of the Temple of Heaven they picture the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests.  This is the main attraction to the park and it is easy to see why.  The massive Hall sits on a tier of circular marble slabs.  Traditional Chinese music (most of which feature the ancient gu qin) can be heard from the speakers that resemble old lamps that surround the outskirts.  My favorite time to visit is during the week towards the late afternoon (just before the attractions inside the Temple of Heaven park start to close).  Usually most of the visitors have already left so it offers a chance to have a more personal experience, almost what it might have been like for the emperors visiting hundreds of years ago.

Imperial Vault of Heaven

The Imperial Vault of Heaven is worth a visit as well mainly because the circular wall surrounding the buildings contained within is known as the echoing wall.  It is not uncommon to see tourists standing along the guard rail shouting at the wall trying to hear their own echo.  Usually there is an extremely long line of people (especially during the peak travel times) waiting to climb up the stairs to get a peak into the main building.  There's not much to see in there (just a throne and some old furniture) so unless you absolutely have to see everything you will probably be fine skipping it unless you happen to visit when there's relatively few tourists there.

Tourists Shouting into the Famous
Wall of Echos

Just across from the Imperial Vault of Heaven is the Circular Mound Altar.  The round slabs of marble in the middle are elaborately decorated with dragons carved along the guard rail.  On the top tier in the middle of the platform is a small elevated circle.  This was once believed to be the center of the earth (which coincides with the ancient Chinese belief of China as being the center of the world). Throngs of tourists eagerly await for their chance to stand on the center of the Altar and have their picture taken so don't be afraid to just jump in there and have your own picture taken.

The Fabled "Center" of the World

Towards the West of the complex is the lesser-known Hall of Abstinence.  Most people seem to skip this attraction as it isn't within a close proximity to the other main attractions and it isn't featured on the combination ticket  This hidden gem, so to speak, has some interesting things to see in it.  There is a hall way that contains the portraits of past emperors and some cool historic artifacts.  You can also see several "wild" cats that have made the moat surrounding the Hall of Abstinence their home.

Circular Mound Altar

Of all of the main historic attractions in Beijing, it has been my impression that the Temple of Heaven brings the most local visitors, and thus more of the local culture can be experienced here.  Due to it's convenient location, cheap entrance fee for the elderly, and relatively late closing time (for the larger park area) hundreds of locals gather daily to play card games, sing traditional patriotic songs, dance, and play traditional Chinese instruments.  It is a blast to join in on one of the local favorite games (jianzi) that closely resembles hacky sac.

Locals Singing Patriotic Songs

There's not quite as much to see as the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City so if you can spare 3 or 4 hours you should be able to cover most of it.  No trip to Beijing is complete without a visit to the Temple of Heaven.  You can access it via subway (line 5) or by cab.  The cost for the tickets are: 10-15 RMB (depending on the season) for the basic entrance ticket or 30-35 RMB for the combination ticket.

Have you been to the Temple of Heaven before? If so sound off in the comments below and let us know what you thought of it!

Summer Palace - Beijing

Once the summer retreat for the imperial family, the Summer Palace or 颐和园 (Yi He Yuan) in Chinese is a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. The compound, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, spans a massive 2.9 square kilometers and is an absolute must-see attraction for any trip to Beijing.  The beautiful lake and natural surroundings make a for a pleasant visit during any season.

The park is located on the north-west side of Beijing and can be accessed via cab or subway off of the recently constructed line 4. Due to the massive scope of the park and the vast number of attractions within the park I recommend at least 6 hours to thoroughly enjoy everything the park has to offer.

The park offers a fairly large lake on the south side of the compound that wraps around the the north side.  During the warmer months visitors can rent paddle boats to cruise around the main part of the lake, or can buy tickets to take larger boats around the west side of the compound the the ancient market street (Suzhou Street) near the north gate. 

As a tip, if you do decide to take the passenger boat I would recommend purchasing the tickets from the ticket booth near the infamous Marble Boat (tickets here will cost about 40 RMB per person as opposed to being charged 180 RMB on Suzhou Street).

Starting at the south gate you can quickly visit the small island that has a gorgeous view of the palace and then hike back along the eastern bank of the lake and visit the historic theater that offers daily performances featuring different acts that might have been performed for the emperors during the Ming and Qing dynasties.  From there I would recommend hiking up any of the various trails that lead up the mountain around the west side of the temple and palace. 

This is one of my favorite parts of the park as these trails offer some seclusion from the throngs of tourists that tend to stick to the main attractions.  Every once in a while you will come across couples or families having picnics and enjoying the tranquil surroundings.   Once you make your way to the peak you can visit a Buddhist temple and the Hall of Burning Incense. Make sure you walk out the front gate of the Hall of Burning Incense for a spectacular view of the lake and historic buildings below. The view alone here makes the trip worth it.

Then making your way down the north side of the Buddhist temple you can visit the famous Suzhou Street which houses a bunch of souvenir shops and a few restaurants.  This area of the park is stunning and it would be a great shame if anyone misses it.  

Finally, don't forget to head back around the west part of the lake to visit the Marble Boat and take a stroll down the seemingly never-ending coridor before leaving the park.

Tickets to the park can be purchased for 20-30 RMB (depending on the season) for the entrance fee alone or 50-60 RMB for the combination ticket (which includes entrance tickets to some of the smaller attractions within the park).

Planning a trip to the Summer Palace? Share your experiences in the comments below!