The Great Wall: Not One Wall

The Great Wall is a series of walls, fortifications, and trenches built by different dynasties over roughly two millennia, stretching approximately 21,000km in total including all sections and branches. The Ming dynasty sections (14th-17th centuries) are what most visitors to Beijing see. Some are fully restored and managed; some are crumbling and largely inaccessible; some are somewhere between. Choosing which section to visit is the most important decision you’ll make about this trip.

Badaling: The Honest Assessment

The most visited section of any tourist site in China. 80km northwest of Beijing. On a busy weekend, queues to the cable cars and the main restored walkway take an hour or more, and the walkway itself involves shuffling through crowds three people wide on a 3-metre path in summer heat. The wall is undeniably impressive. The experience is unpleasant. If you’re on a group tour with no alternatives, you’ll go to Badaling. If you have a choice, go elsewhere.

Mutianyu

90km northeast of Beijing, less crowded than Badaling, better maintained than the wilder sections. The restored section runs about 2.5km between 22 watchtowers. Cable car up; toboggan ride down (more entertaining than it sounds; queues build by midday). Most independent visitors take a morning bus from Dongzhimen bus station, arriving around 09:30 before the crowds peak.

Entry: CNY 35. Cable car: CNY 100 return.

Jinshanling: The Walk

The 10km hike from Jinshanling to Simatai runs through both restored and unrestored wall. The western Jinshanling section is photogenic; the eastern approach to Simatai becomes dramatically crumbling and steep. Some closed sections haven’t stopped people walking them; use judgment about the condition of what you’re standing on.

Unrestored Wall

Sections near Huanghuacheng or Gubeikou (around 80km from Beijing) are unreconstructed, often falling down, occasionally dangerous, and shared with almost nobody. The brickwork is genuinely old, the handrails are absent, and the experience is completely different from Mutianyu. Reaching these sections requires more planning but the planning is worth it for the right visitor.

Getting There

Public buses from Dongzhimen and Deshengmen stations in Beijing to Badaling and Mutianyu: 1.5-2 hours. Private transfers or shared minibuses (booked through hostels or hotels) are faster and more convenient for Mutianyu. The S2 train from Huangtudian station to Badaling runs on weekends and is scenic.

Staying overnight at a guesthouse in Mutianyu or Jinshanling village is worth the effort. The wall at dawn, before day-trippers arrive, is a different experience from anything possible during the day.