Wonderful Great Wall

What came to me first when I thought of China? The answer was the Great Wall. Whoever came to the Great Wall will be impressed by its magnificent and grandness. With a total length of over 10 thousand kilometers, it has divided into several sections, which one of the most famous section is Badaling Great Wall where I decided to visit. There were 3 popular Great Wall sections around Beijing city: Badaling Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall and Jinshanling Great Wall. Badaling Great Wall was about 80km from Beijing, it was the most preserved Great Wall, and it was often crowded during the peak tourist seasons, as same as the time we wenr there dusring the Moon Vestival. Before we decided to Badaling, I looked for information from the internet. If I want to see the most popular and gorgeous section of the Wall in Beijing, go to Badaling Great Wall. Some friends said that it was highly suggested not to visit Badaling Great Wall during the weekends and Chinese public holidays because there would be so many people that we cannot fully enjoy the scene. Meng Yan said that she will accompany me to go there, she meant that only one of the students would go with me. But I said that we, all of us, would go to Great Wall. I could see the expression of the students were very happy, deep in their heart.

On Sunday, September 27, 2015 at 7.00 a.m I had breakfast at a little restaurant near the hotel, and once the students came we walked on foot to Mudanyuan station to take the subway. After we transitted several times, we arrived at Xizhimen station. I thought that we should find a bus for transportation to Badaling, but we prefered going by train, so we entered the Beijing Bei Railway Station. Many people waited the train to Badaling and other places. I saw the text information was presented in Chinese and English, so foreigner could understand wherever and whenever the train left the station. Most of the information in subway, building and other places were presented both in Chinese and English, that shew us that Beijing was worth to be visited by so many people from another countries.
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Waiting departure time at Beijing Bei Railway Station, 27 September 2015

Arrival at Badaling Station

The train to Badaling with crowded people left Beijing at 10.30. am and need 1 hour and 30 minutes arrived at the Badaling station near the Great Wall. We need got on a free bus to the entrance into the Great Wall. Walked up at the entrance stairs and took to the right then went straight. It was beautiful scene around the street where there we found the memorial writing as a carving on the wall that noticed The Great Wall was one of seven wonders of the world. The was a beautiful memorial that was presented by www.new7wonders.com as a sculpture on the wall. Leaving the memorial we walked along the street with decorated with beautiful flowers to the first big gate. People who wanted to walk climbing the Great Wall should buy ticket that cost 20 RMB.

Memorial writing that noticed The Great Wall was one of seven wonders of the world

After Fan bought four tickets, we took a rest and had lunch, ate some food that we had bought in Beijing before we went to Great Wall. Other people did the same as we did, because it was expensive if we had lunch at a restaurants. It was a smart idea having food and drink wherever we have a trip, because it could save much money. It was fantastic hiking to the top of the Great Wall, everyone had an expectation reach until the top of the Great Wall, so did I. First, I was supposed to be difficult to walk reach the top of Great Wall, but it was happened easily to reach the part of the wall, and the top was three times high comparing the place where I was standing. There were many parts, that had the same structures, so I decided not to walk until the top of the wall. It was wonderful for me that I could visit Graet Wall, because it is one of the seven wonder places in the world I had known about it many years ago when I was in elementary school.

 
Climbing Great Wall with Meng Yan Under the trees with a monk
Visiting Great Wall Museum accompanied by Chinese students
The wall explains, "You're not a great man if you haven't climbed the Great Wall".
At a hole on the Great Wall
   

We really had fun and happy, and my watch indicated that it was 3.00 pm, so we dicided to go down and back to Beijing. We were just passing when we saw a musium. It was not a complete visit without went inside and saw something important and interesting. The building was very nice and clean. There were many things that told the history of Chinese human live.  We made photo in room that decorated with Chinese character. The writing explain, "You're not a great man if you haven't climbed the Great Wall". It was proofed that if someone enter the room it meant that he or she was a great man or woman.

We spent many hours there and we did eat very well because we prepared some food and drink before we left Beijing.Every person need 3 RMB for the subway, 6 RMB for the train ticket to Badaling Station and 20 RMB for Great Wall Entrance. Comparing the cost of tour travel, which cost USD 50, we did save much money. We went backto Beijing in the same way with going to Great Wall from Beijing, we used train from Badaling Station and then chanced to subway to the Mudanyuan Station. It was dark about 7.00 p.m, and we were really looking to nice dinner, when we saw a little restaurant that was very clean and I expected that the food was very delicious. There were food pictures on the board, and I chose one that I thougt it was proper for my taste. It was my problem when I came to China choosing the right food because most of them was written in Chinese. Fortunately I had friends who always explained what it meant. It was an honor for me that the students who accompanied me never let me payed all our transportation, lunch and dinner.

Before I arrived in Beijing airport in 23 September 2015, I was worry because I did not know anyone and I would have many problems because I did not speak Chinesse.  I remembered Xiaoying Chang, a Chinese student who I met as a close friend in Chengdu last December 2015 and she started her PhD program in Canada on August 2015, left Beijing and made me have none who can help me. Many times Xiaoying said that I would be able to find many Chinese students who could help me when I came to Beijing, ... and it was true. During my visit in Beijing they were very polite and friendly and entertained me as a special guess and as their own uncle. They always called me uncle, and it made us as real family. This was my second time visiting China, and my friend Xiaoying Chang did the same when I visited Chengdu. After having dinner we went to the hotel that was not far from the restaurant.

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