The Great Wall | skip the crowds

Great Wall of China - Jinshanling Section (c) 2011 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

One of my greatest travel thrills ever was going to the Great Wall of China. One of the seven wonders of the world, actually walking on the Great Wall was an experience that words cannot adequately express. Being there and seeing it with my own eyes was the best part of my 2011 trip to China.

But it makes a big difference what part of the Great Wall you visit. Most tourists see the Badaling section. Because it's just an hour from Beijing and accessible by bus, it attracts crowds. LOTS of crowds. It's a zoo. Compare my photograph of the more remote section (above) with the photo below of the section closest to Beijing. (This is where most tour companies take their guests).

Badging Section of the Great Wall, public domain photo from commons.wikimedia.org

Which experience do you want? It's a bucket list item, and you'll probably make just one visit to the Great Wall in your lifetime. Make it count!

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