Visiting the Mutianyu Great Wall of China

The Mutianyu Great Wall of China is about 45 miles outside of Beijing. This is one of the best preserved parts of the Great Wall of China. Construction began during the Northern Qi Dynasty in 550 and was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty in 1404. This part of the wall was to protect Beijing, the emperor's Capitol, and the Imperial Tombs from an invasion from the north.

We had hired a private guide for the trip to the Mutianyu Great Wall and were picked up in a clean comfortable van. The driver was a magician with the Beijing traffic and soon his driving talents became our entertainment. Our guide was happy to point out the different sites we were passing and to explain the neighborhoods of Beijing.

When we arrived at the base of the mountain, I noticed that unlike the mountains here in the United States there were few foothills. This mountain range seemed to suddenly jut up. Before we were able to begin our climb to the Great Wall, we had to walk the gauntlet of souvenir shops and sellers. These entrepreneurs were very aggressive and we had to rely on our guide to fend them off so we could pass. If we had paused at a shop, we certainly would not have been allowed to leave without a purchase.

The Great Wall at Mutianyu is 984 feet of vertical steps from the bottom but at the highest point the Mutianyu Pass is more than 3200 feet above sea level. In other words be prepared to climb. The steps afford few platforms for resting and even fewer turns to break the redundancy of the climb. You simply place one foot on top of the other and keep going.

There was a refreshment stand located about halfway up the steps. An older woman sat at a battered card table with bottles of water baking in the sun. Behind her was a donkey which she used to carry her wares up and sown the mountain. This was a good spot for a break and we all were ready for a rest. For those who are less inclined to steps there is a cable car which will take you to the top. However, I think the walk is part of the journey and understanding the magnificence of the Great Wall.

When we reached the top there was a traditional Chinese stone lion sitting on the gateway post welcoming us. Our first sight of the Great wall took away any aches or memories of the steps. There are several Great Walls of China built at different times over the centuries. I expected it to be long but did not expect it to be so massive. The width from wall to wall is wide enough to allow six horses to ride side by side as they traveled from watch tower to watch tower. Everywhere I looked, it was massive.

The Mutianyu Great Wall has many unique features. The top of each side wall is crenelated or notched out to allow firing on the enemy from both sides. There are three interconnected watchtowers and the largest concentration of watchtowers at any section of the Great Wall. I could not take my eyes off of the many granite bricks so carefully mortared together.

The first of three watchtowers in this section was two storied and literally hung to the side of the mountain. Looking out and down from the gun slots on the north side it dropped a shear thousand feet. This meant that more than 500 years ago scaffolding was constructed outside to lay each brick in its place.

When I stood on the second story of the watchtower and looked out the Great Wall appeared like a snake crawling over the mountains. To the north was a parallel mountain range and on each peak a watchtower was built. In the valley below I could make out several small villages and could not help but wonder about their histories.

There are three options for returning from the Mutianyu Great Wall. The first is to walk back down the steps. The second is a toboggan slide . This is a rubber wheeled affair which combines a roller coaster type ride with a trip to the Great Wall. The third way is the cable car which we chose. There were no attendants on duty when we arrived so our guide took over and loaded us onto a car which said it had once carried President Bill Clinton when he toured Mutianyu Pass.

The Great Wall of China has been the subject of debate among historians. Why was it built? It certainly provided no defense when Genghis Khan decided to invade with his armies. It did, however, provide one of the largest public works projects ever undertaken by any civilization. The construction of the wall took millions of man hours and the engineering genius of the greatest minds assembled for a project of this magnitude. The Mutianyu Great Wall is well preserved and in very good condition. The visitor can make up their own mind as they walk along The Great Wall of China.