Day 160: The Great Wall of China
Of course, the biggest “must-do” of our China trip was to visit the Great Wall of China. It did not disappoint, and this was easily the highlight of our time in Beijing. While many sections of the wall are accessible by train & bus, we wanted to avoid the crowds (especially after a day like yesterday in the Forbidden City!), so we booked a day trip with China Hiking to visit the Jiankou section – one of the unrestored, “wild” parts of the Wall.
We arrived at the meeting point in front of the Lama Temple subway station a little before 8AM, where we were soon joined by a dozen other Westerners (we all stick out like a sore thumb). We soon learned that two separate groups were heading out – day-trippers like us (all couples), and multi-day campers (all single backpackers). We were more than a little envious of the campers…wish we had thought about that option. But our day trip ended up being fantastic, and left nothing to be desired.
The couples hopped into a minivan for the 2hr drive to the starting point. We had a fantastic Chinese-food lunch at a small farmhouse at the base of the trail, before hiking a good 500m ascent to the Zhengbeilou Watchtower where we clambered atop the overgrown and crumbling wall. We hiked for about 2hrs, with LOTS of stops for pictures, before descending at the edge of the Mutianyu section, where the wall switches from wild to restored.
Stopping at a local farmhouse for lunch before our Great Hike
Five courses – plus rice! – with fresh ingredients from the owner’s garden made a delicious and very filling lunch
Ignoring the signs that say this section of the Wall is closed
Our first glimpse of the Great Wall is absolutely magical!
The Jiankou section of the Great Wall China
After a steep climb we finally reach the Zhengbeilou Watchtower, and scramble up a shaky pile of rocks to climb onto the Wall (seriously, it’s *that* easy? This wall wasn’t a very tough barrier to cross…)
Views from the Great Wall of China
The Yanshan Mountain Range, north of Beijing
The overgrown and lichen-covered Zhengbeilou Watchtower
Where are all the crowds? Visit the “wild Wall” and you’ll have the place practically to yourself!
Hiking one of the unrestored, “wild” sections of the Great Wall of China
It’s not the easiest hike – the watchtowers are crumbling, and the wall can get *very* steep and slippery (in fact, our tour company cancels this route on rainy days, as it is too dangerous to walk on while wet)
We conquered the “wild” Jiankou section of the Great Wall of China!
Red prayer ribbons – a Buddhist tradition – adorns a tree at the edge of the wild Jiankou and restored Mutianyu sections of the Wall
See the different colors of the bricks? The Mutianyu section of the Wall is partially-restored, with repaired parapets and weed-free steps along the walkway
Ending our Great Wall hike at the Mutianyu section
When we returned to Beijing, we decided to treat ourselves to the official dish of the city: Peking roast duck! Igor’s former co-worker put us in contact with his dad, who was unfortunately travelling on business during our visit – but he was able to recommend an awesome restaurant along the moat of the Forbidden Palace. After we were dropped off at the Lama Temple, we got on the subway and went directly to the Siji Minfu Restaurant, as they do not take reservations and the popular place can have long lines.
When we arrived around 7:15PM we were given a ticket with our number in line…only problem is the numbers were called in Chinese! We knew we were #28, but we don’t know how to say 28! Terrified of missing out on her meal, Lindsay bugged the hostess every 15min to see where we were in line. After a moderate 45min wait, we were seated next to the kitchen where we had a great view of the chefs preparing duck after duck.
So, how was the duck? The second best duck Lindsay has ever eaten in her life! (The first place spot must still go to the $800 meal Lindsay, her mom and Bo had at La Tour d’Argent in Paris) We ordered the half duck, along with the cauliflower, some fried rice and a bottle of South African Shiraz. The duck was carved, tableside, and served with thin pancakes and a range of condiments. Luckily for us, a waitress stopped by our table and demonstrated the proper way to fill the pancakes with a few slices of duck, scallions, cucumber and red bean sauce, and roll it into a bite-sized serving.
Not sure if I can ever eat duck again…nothing will top this experience.
Waiting patiently at Siji Minfu Restaurant for our duck dinner
We worried over the Chinese menu during our wait, only to be relieved when we got a huge, English-language menu at the table
Front-row seat to the duck preparation in the kitchen.
One of the cooks comes over to the table with a carving station to carefully and methodically slice the bird before our eyes
This dinner is everything Lindsay dreamed it could be…
Our friendly waitress helpfully demonstrates the proper way to eat Peking Duck
Finishing our bottle of wine outside on the veranda of the Siji Minfu Restaurant, along the moat of the Forbidden City, which is calm and peaceful for once