Visiting The Great Wall Of China (Jinshanling Section)

On our first trip to China in 2013, we were fortunate enough to visit the Great Wall. So many things happened on that trip that it's still hard to believe sometimes. We flew from Rome to Beijing on February 3rd (just one week before the start of Chinese Lunar New Year) and spent the first part of the 15-day trip exploring the city and hiking the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall before making our way to Chengdu, Sichuan Province to visit my brother and his wife (then girlfriend).

During the New Year, almost everything shuts down to allow families a much-needed break from work and the hustle of daily life. But there are still festivities and delicious food available everywhere (and a constant barrage of fireworks that don't stop to the point of becoming really a complete nuisance).

While in Beijing we ate Peking Duck (whole roasted duck carved at our table), copious amounts of dumplings, and visited street market food stalls, and lots of other places all over the city including the usual suspects -- Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and of course, the Great Wall. Here are some photos from our experience at the Great Wall and a few tips in case you're thinking of visiting.

a stone book that looks as if the pages are opened to the middle with a map of the Jinshanling section and a brief description of it. — A stone book with map and description of Jinshanling section

Why was the Great Wall Built?

The Great Wall was built as a defense system to keep invaders out. Its average measurements were built 21.3 feet (6.5m) wide at the base and 19 feet (5.8m) at the top, with an average height of 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8m) and just slightly lower on steep hills.

cannons pointed out to the mountainside at the base area drop-off point — cannons at the Great Wall Jinshanling section

a stone marker with chinese characters painted in red with the years "1528-1588" also painted underneath the characters — Jinshanling stone marker at the base drop-off point area

a large map of the Jinshanling section with information in Chinese and English and a Coca-cola sign to the right. — Jinshanling map and Coca-Cola sign on the right.

When was the Great Wall Built?

Considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World, The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years beginning in 220 B.C., and consists of multiple walls (many that are parallel to one other) across northern China and southern Mongolia. That said, much of the Wall that exists today is the portions that were built mostly during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) with many portions having been renovated and reconstructed, while others are in complete disrepair. As of 1987, it has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Hiking the Great Wall of China -- (Only 5 People on the Entire Wall that Day)

On the morning of the tour, not only was it one of the coldest winter days in northern China but we literally got lost on the way to the pickup point where we were to meet our driver. We'd scheduled a guided "tour" through a recommendation from a friend of my brother. When we finally arrived at the correct spot, we were over an hour late. By some miracle, they were still there waiting for us. They hadn't left without us like we'd assumed they would. I still can't believe they didn't leave us, but I'm assuming one reason is that there was only one other guy (an Australian backpacker) who was taking the hike with us that day. Not only did they not leave us, but they were nice about it all.

We got on the road immediately (no time to waste or the sun might go down before we finished the 6.5 mile (10.5 km) trek with its 5 passes, 67 towers, and 3 beacon towers). The drive from Beijing to the mountainous area of Luanping County, Chengde, Hebei Province where the Jinshanling base is located, is 78 miles (125km) northeast of Beijing) in the middle of "the sticks". Basically, it's in the middle of what seems like nowhere out in the middle of Mother Nature. Once you arrive at the base area, there is yet another walk (mostly uphill) before you reach the entrance to this section of the Wall. Lots of cute kiddos coming out to greet you, ask for money, and try to sell you something they or their families have made.

We walked the entire section of the Jinshanling Wall, but you can take tours here that are shorter by 1 to 2 hours. We were the only people on the entire wall that day until we saw one other man (a security guard) walking in the opposite direction of us. We passed each other on a very steep incline somewhere around the middle of the hike. Not another soul on the entire wall except us. Crazy. For this, I'm extremely grateful because if you've seen the photos of the massive overcrowding that takes place on other sections of the Great Wall (during high season), it's claustrophobia-inducing (see below).

a view of the deteriorating walls and pathways on the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall of China with steep dropoffs — A deteriorating portion of the Jinshanling section - Great Wall of China

a very crowded great wall without space in between the people, packed shoulder to shoulder — Patient - a word I would use to generally describe the Chinese people as a whole. And it's key in a crowd of this size. Everyone patiently visits the ancient site without acting aggressive or turning into an angry mob. Don't get me wrong, I'd never want to be at The Great Wall on a day like this because I would feel too close to others, but being close in crowds is normal (and people are used to it) in cities throughout the world where the population is high. Closeness is a part of every day life. - photo courtesy of nbc.com

What's the Great Wall of China Really Like?

I can only speak of the Jinshanling section we visited, but I'm certain that other portions of the Great Wall will vary greatly from this section and also have some common themes. This portion of the Wall was built during the Ming dynasty (started in 1368 CE and completed in 1570 CE). It's connected to the Simatai section to the east and off to the west lies the Mutianyu section. Jinshanling is a lot less touristy and trafficked than many other sections with a lot of natural beauty for miles and miles in any direction you look. Even in the middle of winter when there's nothing green in sight (as was the case with our trip), it's an amazing place for taking photographs and seeing unspoiled mountains and hills. Go in the summer, and it's an entirely different experience (as you can see below). No matter when you go, it's beautiful, serene, and surprisingly windy.

The Real Great Wall Of China -- Including the Beautiful and the Completely Deteriorated Parts

Having been built so long ago in such remote areas, you can imagine that some parts of the Wall have deteriorated and don't resemble some of the photos we grew up seeing and envisioning this iconic landmark. The first part of the Jinshanling pass has been fully restored to its former glory. This area really gives you a feel for how incredible something of such magnitude (in such a mountainous region) was capable of being built.

But as you continue on to some of the more treacherous (literally) areas of the path, this is when it really hits you. Piles of rocky rubble, loose stones, and even whole portions of the walls and the pathway (beneath your feet) on both sides are sometimes completely gone (carved out over centuries of natural deterioration). In these areas, it would be insane to not think about how bad it would be if you fell off one of the sides as you try to get to the next "safe" section as quickly as possible. When you're looking out over the edge you actually have context for just how far up on the side of a mountain you really are. It's kind of amazing.

And then there are some inclines so steep that it's better to use your hands to help you climb up the giant "steps" to reach the next tower. Especially when the side walls are all or partially missing). This section of the Great Wall is not really considered safe or suitable for small children. But, I'd even go so far as to say that it's not a section that you'd want to hike without a guide, or if you have a fear of heights, a weak bladder (it's a 4-hour hike), or a bad knee, etc.

Our guide was awesome. He barely said three words the entire time but was so pleasant. He just walked behind us or in front of us as if he'd made this trek a thousand times before. But for anyone wanting to visit this section, they also offer other types of tours for this section of the wall which are shorter and avoids some of the less safe areas. There are many different sections of the wall beyond the Jinshanling section to explore that are suitable for anyone. But if you enjoy a bit of a thrill and can get to the Jinshanling section, it is magnificent and one of a kind.

The moment we first spotted someone else on the Wall.

The only other person we saw on the wall that day - a security officer.

Items to Bring With You if You're Planning a Trip to Visit the Great Wall of China

As mentioned above, depending on what section of the Wall you're planning on visiting, you'll be out for most of the day (if not all day long) starting early in the morning with little or no access to food and drink options (or bathroom breaks once you're actually on the Wall). Here's a list of general tips and items to take with you when you visit the Great Wall.

Skip high season if you can. We were afforded a doubly unique lifetime experience because we traveled to the Wall the first week of February so no other tourists were on the wall AT ALL. There were 5 people on the wall that day -- me, L, an Australian backpacker, our Chinese guide, and a security guard who we passed around the middle of the hike. However, February in NE China may not seem appealing to many of you and I get that. But neither do the body-to-body-packed-in-like-sardines massive crowds that look suffocating and quite frankly unsafe during high season. There's probably a happy medium somewhere❤️.
Eat a hearty but not heavy breakfast. You'll most likely be setting out very early to get to the Wall, so eat a good energizing breakfast before you go to the pickup point. You can also carry something easy to eat while riding to the base of the Wall (which can sometimes be an hour or a lot longer depending on your start point and the location of the specific Wall Section you're visiting).
As soon as you arrive at the base of the Wall Section use the bathroom. This is critical because the next time you'll be seeing a bathroom is after you've walked the entire portion of the wall. And if you have a weak bladder, choose a Wall Section that has the shortest distance (not the Jinshanling Section which takes around 4 hours and includes some arduous hiking), and wear a diaper.
Bottled Water. No one ever tells you how steep the inclines can be and on the Jinshanling Wall section especially but they can be so steep that you actually use your hands to help you climb up the gigantic steps. This takes a lot of energy and you'll need to stay hydrated.
Sack Lunch. Bring a sack lunch with you because even if you don't eat it while on the wall
Snacks. Take nuts, protein bars, jerky, dried fruit, etc. They all work well in case the hike is taking longer than expected, or you're hungry on the ride home.
Wear sunglasses. It gets really sunny on the Wall. Make sure you have a pair of sunglasses handy.
NEVER leave any of your trash on the Wall. I think this goes without saying, but this is one of the 7 Wonders of the World and no one should be wondering why some tourist with really bad manners left their trail mix wrapper or plastic water bottle on the Wall.
Do not take unsafe selfies or photos. In some sections, it can be treacherous and dangerous (no joke). On the Jinshanling section, for instance, there are parts of the 26ft tall wall that is completely gone, and part of the stone "floor" is also gone. Meaning the drop-offs are incredibly steep and sometimes the path you're walking on is more narrow than anyone except tight-rope walkers would want it to be. It can be downright scary in some places. In fact, my first remark when we got to a section like this was, "Oh my god, if this were in America or Europe, it would be closed off to everyone! It would be illegal to allow people to walk this portion"❤️.
Be kind to the locals. I can't tell you how hard these people work to preserve the Wall, take care of it, and ensure it's there for you and me and generations more to experience it. It's an absolute treasure and it's only made possible by the people willing to live their lives in sometimes very remote areas (and harsh winter conditions) to keep it open.
After all your hard work, reward yourself with a meal of cozy, comforting soup dumplings. I LOVE Shanghai soup dumplings! There's nothing better after you've spent the day in freezing cold temperatures wearing two layers of bottoms, double socks, and 5 layers on top.