Today we ticked off a major bucket list goal of visiting the Great Wall of China.

Another 7am start with a 90min drive to an access point for the Wall.

We picked a good day for the walk up, with clear blue skies but not too hot. At the base of the mountain range we walked through a small market selling souvenirs and street food, before we had the option to either walk up to one of the wall encampments or go up in a cable car. Michelle went for the more relaxing approach, whilst Andy was keen to show his stamina by walking up with Laura and Jamie, two of the youngest members of the tour group.

Before we set off we could see a message inscribed into the mountain that read ‘Heavenly Son of Heaven”.

The three adventurers set off at 9.10am for the 2 mile walk up to the Wall and along to the highest viewing point.

The route up through the woods started with what appeared to be never-ending steps that soon had us all sweating.

After 30mins of a steep climb we reached a section of the Wall at encampment Number 8, with the final destination being Number 20, which was a further 1.5 miles along the meandering length of the Wall.

It was a real sense of accomplishment and delight to have made it on to the top of the Wall, but in fairness this was only the start as sections of the path proved to be extremely steep, made even more challenging by an ever increasing number of people who had arrived via the cable car at encampment Number 14.

As we looked along the route we could see the wall curve its way along the ridge of the mountain, with shallow and steep sections interspersed with small flat parts.

The views across the mountainside were breathtaking and it was only as we got towards the higher sections of the Wall that we realised how far we had climbed as we approached the cable car station at the top.

The Great Wall is a masterpiece of construction, comprising a series of fortifications  built across the northern borders of ancient China to protect against nomadic invaders from Eurasia.

Some of the earliest sections of the Wall date from as early as the 7th Century BC, however the best known sections of the wall, which we were walking along, were built in the Ming dynasty dating back to the 16th century.  

Collectively the Wall stretched from the present-day Sino-Russian border in the north to Tao River in the south; along an arc that roughly delineates the edge of present day Mongolian spanning 21,200km. It is widely recognised as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.

Most of the ancient walls have eroded away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today.

The human cost of the construction is unknown, but it has been estimated by some that hundreds of thousands of workers died building the Great Wall.

During the Ming dynasty the Great Wall was partially rebuilt and made stronger and more elaborate, with the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. Up to 25,000 watchtowers are estimated to have been constructed ^{along its length.}

Today the Great Wall is visited by over 25,000 people per day, and being the summer holidays we came across a large number of families and tour groups who had arrived via the cable car. As a result sections of the wall were congested and we lost count of the number of people stopping for selfies at the narrowest points, making the route that much more hazardous.

In sections the path along the wall was relatively flat, however as the mountain levels rose, so did the steepness of the path, with some small level changes and some major steps up, meaning you really needed to concentrate on where you were going!

As we reached close to the highest point of the Wall, we came across the steepest section and at the very top you were literally walking up a steep ladder path on your hands and knees.

Once at the ‘summit’ our path came to an abrupt end with the continuing route bricked up.

The views looking down the valley were superb and made you realise how high we had come and what a challenge it must have been to construct.

At the summit was a rock signifying in Chinese that we were in a special place reserved for only a few to ever visit.

We both felt very honoured to see the Wall and to witness one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

Going back down was a little trickier given how busy the path wall was and the lack of any health and safety precautions.

As you looked down over the edge of the summit it made you realise how challenging it would have been to climb across as an invading army, however somehow many did and the Wall didn’t prove to be the fortification anticipated.

Below are a few more views that we came across on the way back.

Once we had finished the 4 mile hike up and down it was time for a treat and some much needed pineapple ice lollies.

After the energetic start to the day, once back in Beijing we headed to a nearby coffee shop for a caffeine kick and a spot of relaxation before we went out again for an evening walk to the White Pagoda and Beihai Lake.

With the late afternoon still sunny we decided to head out just the two of us and visit the island Zhengjue Palace and the home of the White Pagoda, a prominent white temple that can be viewed across the city.

The park around the White Pagoda was stunning with an ornate bridge, Lotus flowers growing in the lake and beautiful landscaped gardens stretching around Beihai Park and Lake.

As we’ve seen in other parts of Beijing there are always people young and old, keen to dress in traditional Chinese clothes who are getting their photo taken in one of the many parks.

After an hours walk along the lake it was time for an ice cream treat, this time a soft scoop of strawberry.

As we ebbed our way back to the hotel, we came across a van carrying some of the many millions of bikes that are available to hire in Beijing.

After another full day, we had a quiet evening and hit the sack around 10pm as we are up early tomorrow as we return to Tian’anmen Square and on to the Forbidden City for a second visit with the tour group.