Our Travels: Day 8. China - Bejing - Part Two , Great Wall

DAY EIGHT- 15 May 2015. CHINA - JAPAN TRIP

Part II - Great Wall Balding Section.

CHINA - DAY - TWO - BEJING - SIGHT SEEING.: PART TWO.

CONTD . after Jade Factory.

MAP OF SIGHTS SEEN BEJING PART II : Great Wall .

This is the screen shot of the map of places seen on day 8 of the trip . To see interactive map , go to go to This link .
OR

copy the link Below and paste it in URL bar.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zhhZ6ZYYuJgw.kF3O15TjpoKY

This will open interactive map.Any clarifications about how to use this map , just send me a mail.

It is said thet the Great Wall of China is the only man made structure visible from the space . Its history dates back more than 2000 years.It was built by seven Warring States (475–221 BC) and at least seven dynasties from Qin to Ming (221 BC – 1644 AD) in 15 provincial-level areas .It runs East to West on the Northern border of China . Appearing as a long, serpentine dragon, it winds across lands including deserts, grasslands and even mountains. Every type of material available at the time was used, from mud and reeds, to the finest mortar bricks ever made ,stone slabs etc , any material wich was availabe locally in that regionwas used in the wall.The length is variously given as 8,500 KMs , 11,000 Kms , 15,800 and as low as 5,600 KMs at various sources . The main reason being , at many places long stretches of the wall have fallen in ruins , or totally disappeared . Inaccurate measurements, accessibility problems in various areas etc.In June 2012 , after a five year long survey , the Chinese Government officially announced the length of the Great Wall as 21,196.18 Km.( 13,170.7 Mi).The average height of the wall is 7.8 m (25.6 feet). and the width is 6.5 M (21.4 feet) .Top of the walls were built with crenellated battlements for shooting arrows through and for keeping watch over the enemies. Besides, there are watch towers every few hundred meter.It also had beacon towers every 2 - 5 km (1.2 - 3.1 miles)within line of sight of tower on either side .These were used for instant communication. By smoke during the day and lighting fire at night.

Balding Section Great Wall of China.

After Jade Factory we left for Balding Section of The Great Wall of China.

It is about 20 t0 30 KMs from Govt.Jade Factory.It is located in southern Yanqing County, about 60 -70 km Beijing. This being closest and transportation wise best connected to Bejing , is the most popular tourist spot to view The Great Wall . There are seven more sopts along on the wall which are open to public. Balding was the first section to be opened to public, it is the best-preserved Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) wall and the most representative section, enjoying a high reputation both at home and abroad.

On the road to Balding Section,the number of tourist coaches , Taxis and the traffific in general increased many fold . The road passes though hilly terrain and is very scenic . At many places the great wall is visible and at every glimpse through the hilly terrain you realise the inhospital nature faced by the builders of the great wall . No wonder it was WAS and IS considered one of the wonders of the wold. .

On the way to Great Wall

A look at the inhospitable terrain.

On the way to Great Wall .

A look at the inhospitable terrain.

A watch tower on small peak . Connecting wall is not seen . Now may be fallen in ruins and disappreared.

Wall follows countours of the crest. Ideal for defence , most difficult to build.( see emlargement)

On the way to Great Wall .

At one place we go under the great wall .

As we approached Balding, The traffic increased many fold.

Too much traffic heading for Great Wall. Almost a traffic jam.

Finally we reached Balding parking area.Importance given by Chinese Government to Tourism infrastructure can be gauged by huge area already developed and still under development to provide all the facilities for Reception , Parking , Hotels , Rastraurants , Small time Memento & Gift Shops and Major Gift & Memento Shops . Considering the hilly terrain provisioning of cable car from ground level to one of the watch towers of the wall was a masterstroke . It must have increased number of visitors many fold.

Balding parking area.Seen on the way up in cable car.

Balding cable car station.

In the cable car . On the way up to the Great Wall.

Approaching Upper cable car Station ,

Glimpse of The Great Wall , just before we entered the upper cable station.

Under ground tunnel connecting upper cable car station and watch tower on Great Wall.

After the cable ride and transitting through the tunnel we at last reached the watch tower of the Balding Section of Great Wall . The total length of this section is 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) with 43 watchtowers . But only 2.3 miles (3.74 kilometers) and 19 watchtowers have been restored and opened to visitors. These watch towers are located every few hundred meters, and a beacon towers every 2 - 5 km (1.2 - 3.1 miles). The wall of this section is about 26 feet (7.8 meters) in height averagely, and 20 feet (6 meters) in width, which would allow five horses to gallop and ten soldiers to march abreast.
Pathway from the tower is connected to the junctions of the wall where the wall branches in two to three directions . At one place it even reaches a dead end . We found the crowd unbelieveable . Due to crowd,it was so dense and packed that even walking on the wall was difficult , leave alone finding an opporunity to get a clear photoshot of the wall or Priti without getting somonelse's mug next to Priti :-(.Our local guide informed that generally due to proximity to Beijing and ease of transportation this place generally attracted large crowd but this was too much ! It was unprecedented. We than realised that Mr Narendra Modi , our Prime Minister was on official visit to China on that day . Chinese government had prohibited tourist visit ot all the places in Beijing proper . So the thousands of tourists who would have visited various places in Baijing had converged on the nearest attraction , the Balding Section of Great Wall of China. It looked as if The Great Wall which had successfully withstood the onslaught of enemy hoards for centuries was finally overwhelmed and overcome by the hoards of the tourists!!

First view of the wall from tower . See the branching off of wall . This happens at many place . The wall is not one single linear feature.Another watch tower in photo.

First view of the wall from tower . See the branching off of wall . This happens at many place . It is not one single linear feature.

The CROWD !
Walking even sideways was difficult . Had to wait long for clear photo.

Tourists tourists every where and not a foot of vacant space!!!

One branch even had a dead end . But the topography was such so as to denay ingress to enemy.

Rare photo opportunity to click without someone else being part of the photo.:-)

After about 45 mts or so we started return journey from the Wall . As the tour manager had got return tickets for the cable car we got in the first availabe cable car and commenced descent to groun level and back to coach . On the outwards trip as we were in a hurry I had missed out capturing the gift shops , restraurent etc . Did it now . We were given on the house icecream cones from one of the stalls . Reached the coach and left for the next and final destination for the day " Summer Palace". But before that a "chinese lunch" on the way back . Were surprised that all the food which was served in the beginning was all that is served . No more second helpings.
Google Maps reveals a fairly large complex housing Great Wall Museum . Our Guide,leave alone showing it to us , never even mentioned it . One of the disadvantages of group tours.