The Great Wall is the most famous symbol of China and one of the world’s most remarkable architectural wonders, it was built over 2,000 years ago and stretching about 6,700km (4,161miles). It’s the only man-made object that can be seen from the moon as Richard Halliburton said. Chairman Mao once said that “He who doesn’t reach the Great Wall is not a true man”. The Great Wall contains the ancient Chinese people’s wisdom and work.

There are several sections of the Great Wall in Beijing and around Beijing have been opened for the public:

• Badaling section: the most outstanding representation of China’s Great Wall, located 70km northwest of Beijing, at an elevation of 1000m, this section was first built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) and heavily restored in the 1950s and 1980s. Badaling means “giving access to every direction” and is the important pass for protecting Beijing City.
• Badaling section is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall and is composed of Guan City and its affiliated Wall, with city platforms, wall platforms and watchtowers along the Wall. The Wall is 8.5 meters high, 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide on the top, which makes it possible for 5 horses or 10 people march abreast on the top. And the surrounding scenery is magnificent and impressive.
• Mutianyu section: 90km north of Beijing, with 2250 meters long, dating from Ming dynasty, Mutianyu section offers an imposing view. The 1000 steps may be too tiring to walk up, there are cable cars taking the visitors up to the wall itself.
• Juyong Pass section: the closest section of the wall to Beijing, originally constructed in the 5th century and rebuilt in the Ming dynasty, it was taken as one of the most strategically important sections of the Great Wall due to its position.
• Simatai section: 110 km northeast of Beijing, built in Ming dynasty, this section stretches for 19km and is marked by watchtowers, steep plunges and scrambling ascents with panoramic mountain views. Since this section is very steep and rough, a few slopes have a 70-degree incline, it is a section for strong hikers only
• Jinshanling section: about 10km away from Simatai section, Jinshanling section usually is the starting point for a hike to Simatai, it takes nearly four hours to hike from Jinshanling to Simatai though Jinshanling section has been restored and is a bit easier to climb.