The Great Wall at Mutianyu

Last week I expressed a desire to see the Great Wall of China. Immediately Mr. Song sprang into action and arranged a visit for Monday. A friend of Mr. Lu, our Manager, drove Shelley and me to the Great Wall. We went to Mutianyu which is supposed to be less crowded than Badaling. As we drove there, we passed through rain and fog but when we got to the Great Wall we were greated with sunshine. It turned out to be one of the best weather days I've had since I've been here. We decided to take the cable car up and walk down. There were few people and most of them were English speaking tourists. Not only is the Wall itself impressive, the views are breathtaking. We ambled along the Wall for about a mile or more and then cut off to a path through the woods. Along this path was a stone museum and a beautiful cave. All in all it was a great trip and, like remembering your first anything, one I will always remember. It also was fun to get out of the city and enjoy the countryside and fresh (read unpolluted) air.

"The Great Wall is a magnificent construction project in ancient China, one of the wonders in the history of human civilization. The construction of the Great Wall began in the 7th and 8th centuries B.C. During the period of over 2000 years, more than 20 dukes or princes and feudal dynasties contributed to the building of the Great Wall. It was listed as one of the world's cultural heritages by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1987." (taken from a description I read)

The Great Wall is estimated to be about 6,200 miles long. However, some efforts at calculating its length, and taking into account its numerous meanderings up and down, have estimated it to be as long as 31,000 miles.