Probably the most spectacular tourist attraction in China is the Great Wall. While there are many places where the wall can be accessed – it stretches from east coast all the way to the Gobi Desert in the West, after all – the most popular point from which to approach it certainly is Beijing. The most popular place for tourists is Badaling, without question. But I would like to take you to Huang Hua today.
Huang Hua is a well-preserved section, where the wall was kept rather genuine (“Wild Wall”), with only little work of restoration being done – just enough, so visitors can climb it without risk. About 60 km north of Beijing, the Great Wall at Huang Hua clings to a high hillside bordering a reservoir. It perfectly portrays the Ming defense period with high and wide ramparts.
Only few tourists find their way to Huang Hua, especially compared to famous Badaling where souvenir shops, restaurants and amusement park rides draw crowds of visitors, and vendors offer their goods every couple of steps along the wall. At Huang Hua, chances are that you will be the only visitor, making it not only a perfect escape of all the hustle and bustle of the city, but also offering a great opportunity to really experience the wall.
Public busses can take you there for about ¥12 (Summer 2010), though it would be better to rent a car to go there.
