Good morning, today is Great Wall day! Breakfast at the hotel came first, and the offerings had changed, with new dishes today. The package I booked was a sunset tour, so the meeting time was a comfortable 11am.
Why Jinshanling, Not Mutianyu
We decided to go to Jinshanling (金山岭), about 2 hours’ drive out. It’s further away, so ideally less crowded. When I was doing my research, I found the difference to Mutianyu is at best about 45 min. Since I’m probably only going to be here once, let’s go to the most challenging one!!
Snow In Autumn, And No Snow Boots
It was a bus of about 10-12 pax with an English speaking guide.
It’s supposedly autumn, but it had already snowed there. We were a bit underprepared and didn’t get the proper snow boots. We arrived at the entrance around 1.15pm, which gave us time to trek up and meet at the final meeting point for sunset at 4.50pm.
The 2km Trek Up To The Original Wall
The guide offered us 2 ways up. The longer way is a 2km trek up through the forest, mud and stairs, all snow filled, but you start from there to see the unrenovated original wall. Everyone opted for the longer way.
Looks like a winter wonderland, isn’t it? Along the way there’s dramatic music blasting from the lampposts, which adds to the vibe.
After a vigorous hike, we reached, and all in it was a 5km trek. It is truly majestic, you must see it to believe.
The wall was snowed over and it got slippery at times. The steps are also 3-4x a normal step, so get a hiking stick or have very strong balance and core muscles. There’s no railing, so you either hold on to the walls or go down step by step, slowly.
Honestly, I respect all the people who attempted to attack the Great Wall. After the trek up, when you see such a solid wall, morale confirm low.
Sunset, And The Long Way Home
We were very lucky to get a very beautiful sunset. (More nice photos on my IG.)
Was it worth it? Absolutely!!
It got dark very quickly after sundown, and the guide showed us the easy way down. Then it was another 2 hours back. We went back to the hotel to rest, and our legs felt wobbly already.
Dinner: Copper Hotpot On Gui Jie
Of course, we still had to eat. First, a Heytea, which is 30% cheaper in China. Wack!
Near where we got off is a street called Gui Jie (簋街), with lots of eateries that open late. We went for Beijing copper hotpot, which is lamb mostly. It’s a nice drinking place too.
The soup is plain, and you eat everything with their special sesame sauce.
It was a good experience, but I still prefer Singaporean style hotpot… Oh, but their yogurt, selling for only S$0.60, was very nice!!!
So that was Day 3. If you missed Day 2, it’s here.
Place: Jinshanling Great Wall (金山岭长城), about 2 hours’ drive from Beijing
Dinner: 北平三兄弟涮肉 (Beiping San Xiong Di copper hotpot), Gui Jie, Beijing
