Photos taken at the Great Wall at Juyong Pass to the north of Beijing in October 2006. Please click on the image to enlarge it.
Photos taken at the Great Wall at Badaling to the north of of Beijing in October 2006.
Several personal suggestions on how to make your visit to The Great Wall at Badaling enjoyable and avoid disappointments:
1. DO NOT join a group tour - they get there way too late - when The Wall is crowded,
2. DO NOT take a cheaper option of a bus leaving 'early in the morning' - it may go too slow and it is likely to be overtaken by many other people - so you would end up in the crowd as well,
3. DO get a taxi way before sunrise (this will allow you to visit other places as well - such as Hu Yu Scenic Spot (next album), etc. It is not THAT expensive - for 650 RMB (under US$100) I've had a taxi from outside hotel for a full day (from 5:30 am to about 4:30 pm),
4. When you get there DO NOT take a cable car, unless for the health reasons or if you are really running out of time - I personally think this would ruin the experience,
5. DO plan your visit in such a way that you would be one of the first ones to get 'in' after opening - the feeling of being there all alone is worth all the trouble.
Please click on the image to enlarge it (you may need to click on the panorama in the separate window).