The Wall Less Traveled

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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4594"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan/brooding-in-japan" title="A series of reflections about two years spent in Japan.  ">Brooding in Japan</a> (6)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4591"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/capitals-tour-of-asia" title="A two week, winter romp from Seoul to Tokyo on the smallest budget possible.  ">Capitals tour of Asia</a> (24)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4588"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau" title="Entries from my February/March, 2006 trip.">China</a> (16)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4593"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it" >Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it</a> (88)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-2223"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/chinahong-kongmacau/hong-kong" title="The most entertaining city I've been to in Asia.  When you're Chinese visa expires, this is where to come!  March 31st-April 6th, 2006.">Hong Kong</a> (4)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3035"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/iceland" >Iceland</a> (11)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-963"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan" title="I've compiled my entries over my past two years in Japan into an orderly group.    ">Japan</a> (33)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3705"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/capitals-tour-of-asia/south-korea" title="December 25, 2006-January 1, 2007.">Korea</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3412"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/kyrgyzstan" >Kyrgyzstan</a> (9)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-963"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/japan" title="I've compiled my entries over my past two years in Japan into an orderly group.    ">Japan</a> (33)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4589"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/teaching-english" title="Thoughts and reflections about my time teaching in Japan.">Teaching English</a> (10)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4587"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/thailandcambodia" title="Entries from my February, 2006 trip.">Thailand</a> (12)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-4590"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/trip-preparationdeparture" >Trip preparation/departure</a> (5)
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<li class="cat-item cat-item-3401"><a href="https://blogs.bootsnall.com/Danny-in-Asia/category/eurasia-marco-polo-in-it/uzbekistan" >Uzbekistan</a> (10)
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Brooding in Japan (6)

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Capitals tour of Asia (24)

China (16)

Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it (88)

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Iceland (11)

Japan (33)

Japan on the cheap (14)

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Uzbekistan (10)

The restored sections of the Great Wall around Beijing have become a tourist haven with a Disneylike feel. Cable cars, toboggan slides, and hockers galore don’t add up to a very personal wall experience. If you’re looking for that perfect shot of a lonely wall snaking off into the distance, good luck. You won’t find this shot at the main wall area of Badaling or any of the other main restored sections.

The Leo Hostel where I’m staying offers an amazing alternative to the crowds. Their secret wall tour is a bargain at 180RMB ($22) and includes transportation and a delicious Chinese lunch in a tiny rural village just below the mountain on which the wall is perched.

The section here is unrestored and in various stages of disrepair. We followed our old guide, “Mr. Smiley”, for about 20 minutes up a small trail to the wall.

The 12 of us then had the late morning and early afternoon to stroll along the crumbling remains of this amazing section.

The thought I couldn’t shake as I walked along was the persistence of China’s enemies. Those Mongols and Manchurians must have been some badass dudes because the mountains to the north of the wall look like a daunting enough deterrence for invading armies in their own right. It’s just an awful lot of trouble to go through, but I’m neither emperor nor general.

We walked from ridge to ridge for 3-4 kilometers between tower ruins until we caught the trail down for lunch. This was the wall experience I had hoped to find. It felt like it was mine.

Tags: Beijing, Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 12th, 2007 at 3:42 am and is filed under Beijing, Eurasia: Marco Polo-in' it. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

4 responses to “The Wall Less Traveled”

Rcon says:

April 12, 2007 at 9:08 pm

Very nice pictures. My family and I visited the Great Wall I think two years ago and we also had a great time with the entire tour!
» TravelBlog Archive » Danny in Asia says:

May 20, 2007 at 10:44 pm

[…] The best thing about this place is the Secret Wall Tour offered for 180RMB. This is a rare Wild Wall tour that shouldn’t be missed. The price includes transportation and a nice Chinese lunch in a tiny village. This is a great value. If you try to see unrestored sections on your own you’ll end up paying the same anyway. This is the tour for people who hate tours! You can book this trip even if you’re not staying here. Read more here. […]
Oowada Shigeru says:

May 31, 2007 at 7:05 pm

I have been to Greatwall.
But that was restored sections.

If I have next chance, I want go here.

Thanks nice infomation !
Wesley Irwin says:

March 28, 2008 at 11:30 pm

Awesome pics, Dan!
Can’t wait to see it myself. I think most of my trip is already planned by my instructor, but if you’ve got any other advice for Beijing, Shanghai, or anywhere else in China, please let me know.
Rock on!

Danny in Asia

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