Great Wall at Simatai - Mark Joynson. Date of travel: May 2005
A trip to Beijing has to include the Great Wall, but go to Simatai (about 120 kms) instead of the recently rebuilt Badaling. Simatai is empty of tourists and the wall is in a decaying, but not completely ruined state, and there are less hawkers there. The trip there from Beijing will open your eyes to Chinese culture, the roads are shared with ancient lorries, tractors, people, cattle and horses. The scenery is spectacular and the wall to the east scales a high ridge only as wide as the wall in places. A look over one side straight down into Mongolia 1000 feet below, the other side 1000 feet down. Tour Operator: Self