Trip - Beijing - Day 6 - Great Wall of China 長城

Hi Blog,

This China trip was really an eye opener or I will say "it is like experiencing it alive"!

It was like 35 - 45 mins bus ride away from the city before we can see the mountains

The guide suggested we buy the tickets to get to fourth sections of the Great Wall so we can reach the top faster and the first four sections are rather steep (I will say not marketable for them). So we bought the entrance and cable-ride ticket from the guide than the actual place.

Despite a sunny sun greeted us, it can't warm up the weather at the mountains, it was very windy and cold.

Ticketing counter - I should go and snap a picture of the ticket price..

I was busy taking a clear video of a smoking dragon 

Business opportunity - I believe they won't change the owner/stall here after many years

To skip the first four sections, we have to enter this Asian black bear/Moon Bear theme park

Helped my auntie to climb this steep slope

Seems rather run-down

OOO my first time seeing this Moon bear alive!

Usually I will notice their illustrated picture of them in the encyclopedia but today...

Got to register them to my brain. So cute and furry. (read more about them)

The cable car entrance

The guide gave us a short briefing on the given timing to stay up here and we have to be punctual

Oh dear... I thought I take a clearer picture.

See you Moon Bear - So sorry I didn't carry any food with me.

Let's go!

OOOO we will be taking the sliding car up

Going up

It said "Climbing Great Wall Sliding Vehicle" or... "Reach Great Wall Sliding Car" or... "Reach Castle Slippery Car"? Lets see what Mrs. Google Translation will suggest. She said "Roofing sheave", hmm... Truth for the Sheave. Okay! Mrs Translation got 65 marks!

If they decorate this tunnel will be better

Than just coloured lights

Or senseless spray-paint artwork

Steep slope and lucky it is a big solid chain and sheave

Choo-choo train

Awww...

When I was young, browsing through the illustrated encyclopedia or textbook, and find this Great Wall of China is just simply amazing.

I am awed the amount of effort that the people had input to build such grand structure.

Photo time - Tempted but... nah...

I do it myself, cover the sun - too bright!

Smile like a little boy

Thanks Goodness, my auntie took one for me :)

Up here, I stood up and admired the vast and majestic mountains with many layers and depths.

They have witnessed many evolution and generations, which made me reflect just how small we are, but yet they are humble for embracing us to step on top of them.

Just amazing. This is Benevolent.

I shall take this Great Wall as a symbol of respect and honor for this humble mountains than treating as a divider.

Back to topic, we have to walk from this forth section to the highest peak (eighth section)

Just awesome scenery

What do you see here? NOTHING! Too bright.

Squeezing moment

Long way to go? I doubt so. That one is achievable.

The stairs aren't scary - quite wide.

Anyone can go and try Mountain Tai (blog post) and compare to this.

Wefie time. I noticed many people checking on my thick trunk legs - I was wearing a thick fur tight and now I looked weird.

When they said - no vandalism but I see names in every single block here...

I was wondering... how long and far this Great Wall of China is.

Based on Google Map, did you see the blue dots? The concentrated area is where I was (tourist attraction zone) and there are some other parts on the left side of the map. I wish I can visit there one day, doing something different which tourists won't do. You can read some interesting facts about Great Wall of China by Stenote.blogspot here. Quite informative.

Let's continue up to the eighth section

If I have received that tripod, I won't have problem taking pictures here

 climbing the great wall is a sense of (half) achievement - Once in my life time...

 I will end it with a dab hahaha

Rarely to see less crowd here

Just can't get enough of this place

Oh dear... No much time left, I have to be hurry

Okay I had to leave my mother and auntie behind since they won't want to walk up there.

Just my shadow and I

Sixth section

where is the Wall and Jeff's moment

Clear blue sky can really enhance the overall feel of picture

In fact, it is not that apart from section to section (only forth to eighth section)

Just look at the crowd, as time went by, it got more and more

One more behind me

Heading toward Eighth

Oh my! A Wild Neko (cat in Japanese) spotted!

They look rather shy and different from Singapore breeds.

Meow - look at the camera!

Okay... it looked away

MQ decided to join me on the eighth section conquest

ALMOST there and here, we can see the 'Vein' of the Great Wall

TADA!

I had arrived to the eighth section!

As expected, there was a swamp of Bee-ople trying to take picture of an empty wall!

Mountain is everywhere

Hmm... after careful study on what the "bee"-ople was doing here...

Just open your "wings"to be proud that you came to Great Wall with Great Height! 人們都說「不到長城非好漢」[Translate Idiom] He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.

MQ too. Hahaha Spread our "wings"

To think again... Why and how is that idiom created? What is the background story/meaning to this 「不到長城非好漢」/"He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man."?

It's a metaphor - Been to the Great Wall is like having overcome the difficulties, and for a true man here (好汉) means a hero who fears nothing. Okay! Interesting metaphor but... personally, I sensed there are more behind the actual meaning... More like an exaggerated way of saying "the Great Wall is a must see".

But also...  Based on the Chinese history - like how it was built by tapping on people's suffering, why it was built to defend against northern invasion, and by looking at how steep it is, it was difficult to build such a BIG construction in the ancient time. And in the past, it was more difficult to reach the Great Wall, lack of proper transportation unlike the present, we have a highway and cable car to cheat our way up.

So if we learn to see the Great Wall as a metaphor for representing the spirit of Chinese.
- The main function of the Great Wall is to defend which expresses peace than aggressive
- Suffering on building it - A form of determination and endurance
- How grand the Great Wall is - Just simply Heroic

Just simply awesome - Spirit of Chinese

Time to go back

Don't know why... The Mountain Tai's feeling was back... Dizzy...

Slowly and steady, and I will be okay

Time to take Choo-Choo train back

Take some more pictures because I am not sure when I will be back again

By looking at this angle, it looked like a small mountain hill but this perspective, we have not understood enough.

Time passed so fast here...

I wished I can start climbing from the base to complete the whole Great wall...

We only spent two hours at Great Wall of China and was told to leave that place asap. That's weird though.

They gave me a label and right now we were going to experience the China's typical tour guide's marketing strategy.

Now we were on our way to visit some other places but they don't let us alight but to view on the bus because they had two more places to visit in the itinerary, which is to have a lunch at a Jade shop and then Bamboo factory.

We spent nearly two hours in each of those, they were trying to sell jades and bamboo-related products to us... Because we were at the middle of nowhere, we just had to follow where the bus brings us to...

Promoting Bamboo products like a pro. Personally I know bamboo products are wonderful but... their strategy just turns me off.

Eventually, I bought two toothpaste from them because I have faith with this product but such turn-off is inevitable because this is a way to earn some Profit for a living for them.

I appreciated the guide for being honest with us why they are doing that on the bus coach - it is all for earning for a living. She also gave her best to entertain and share her knowledge over some attractions. She also claimed they don't earn a lot of commission if we buy more from those controlled shops. The only benefit they got is more recognition and appraisals from boss for doing a good job (who oversees this whole strategy)

She got my respect and I just hope everyone will just give them some small support (since we are traveling, will be spending some cash for tickets and stuff, spare a bit on some products we need. But still... BAD and UNHEALTHY MARKET STRATEGY!

At least, I took it as my first time experience to take tour agent service in China, it was a pleasing and less forceful one than what I had heard.

On the side note, let me talk about the pricing of taking agent and book a cab to the Great Wall.

Book a Cab: RMB1300-1400, four people a group, free and easy until certain timing, we might even travel to somewhere else too. But because we are in a group of seven, will require a bigger vehicle and will cost more RMB1800-1900+
Pros: Free and easy, and all under control.
Cons: Expensive

Agent randomly: RMB150 per person, cover Great Wall ticket, and include pick up to bus; they will show us around to other places (just browse through than stepping in) because we are in a group of seven, we got discount to RMB100 per person.
Pros: Cheap and everyone can be together.
Cons: rather rushing. Unwanted itinerary locations.

So I am okay with the tour agent as I want to save some costs and spend on something tangible. Others just feel cheated and unhappy with it.

Brought some new food for my meal

I decided to stock up

Oh well... We were back to our hotel and last night there...

I will miss this place

Next day, we will be transferring to a better hotel in Day 7 - JunAn Hotel 君安賓館

Jeff