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Quote: This was a lifetime dream for me to stand on the Great Wall of China. We were on a tour of China so we were only able to climb a very small part of the Wall. The views were awesome. It is comercialized in some areas but to know the history of this anceint wonder of the World and then to be climbing the very uneven and rugged steps was quite an experience.
Quote: If there is one journey to be made in a life time it should be to the Great Wall. Knowing the history of the wall itself is a must before ever even trying to climb it; actually this is essential before visiting any sight with in the Chinese boarders. The Great Wall isn't actually one wall, but more of various segments built by different dynasties. The wall can date back as early as seventh century BCE, and stretches over many thousand miles. It is believed that segments of the wall were built by agricultural towns to ward off nomadic tribes. Qin Shi Huangdi, the first Chinese Emperor, decided to link the walls to create a protective wall. Prior to the Ming dynasty the wall wasn't of much use, and was compromised regularly. It was the... Read More
From journal My Cultural Revolution
Quote: The Great Wall will always be great. You can't get around that. However, having visited the largest visitor area of the Great Wall in China, I was a little disappointed. Before we actually got onto the wall, we had to pass through a tawdry market village with various and sundry cheap souvenirs. Once on the Wall, throngs of tourists (mostly Chinese) crowded up and down the length, making it impossible to walk at any particular pace. Once at the top, I discovered they were giving camel rides! All that aside, the view to be afforded from the Great Wall is spectacular, and even if you have to brave the masses, it's worth seeing. Take a poncho, just in case you get stuck in a monsoon like we did! Also, be ready for a small workout to... Read More
From journal Teaching In China 2004
Quote: There is definetely a right and wrong way of seeing the Great Wall of China. From what we found out in Beijing there are two ways to see the Great Wall. First, by a ticket for a tour and go with a mob of picture crazy tourists to a part of the great wall that has been 'refurbished' to look like it did when it was built. Or, you can hire a driver and explore less crowded and more intersting parts of the wall. We chose the second option and were glad we did. We might have payed a little more for the experience, but it was well worth it!! We went to a part of the Great Wall named Simati, advertised as one of the most dangerous sections of the wall. The advertisment turned out to be all it said it would be, our journey began with a... Read More
From journal Jumping Around in Asia