The world-famous Great Wall of China stretches from the province of Lianing via Hebei province, Beijing municipality, Tianjin municipality, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi Province, Shanxi province to the province of Gansu in the People’s Republic of China. There are many places along the length of the wall which tourists can visit. Its present condition now ranges from ruined to excellent and accessing the wall straightforward way can be rather difficult. The various sections charge separate admission fees and there are times where tourists pay twice when hiking from one place to another. The Great Wall has a very long and rich history and it a series of different walls that were built by different ancient emperors at different times.
According to historical data available, the first Great Wall was built from 221 BC to 207 BC by the Qin Dynasty. The second Great Wall was built between 205 and 127 BC by the Han Dynasty. The third Great Wall was built in 1200 AD by the Jin Dynasty while the fourth Great Wall was built between 1367 and 1644 by the Ming dynasty.
The geography of the area surrounding the Great Wall, which is of course Northern China, actually ranges from mountainous regions in Hebei and Lianing provinces via the grasslands landscapes of Ningxia and semi-arid desert landscape of loess plateau in China and borders dunes found in Tegger desert. However, the area near Beijing and Hebei is the one most associated with Great Wall even though most of the bigger part of the wall lies in the country’s desert regions.
Chinese wildlife found near the Great Wall is diverse just as the many and different habitats along the wall’s length. You can see many animals ranging from the Siberian tiger to the rare Giant Panda. In the northern parts, you will find wild mammals like the black and brown bears and Manchurian weasel. Some of the birds available in this region as such as the pheasants, pine grosbeak, black grouse, mandarin duck, fairy pitta, and woodpeckers. There are also many and different tonic plants found along Great Wall like the Ginseng which is a significant part of Chinese medicine.
Juyongguan and Badaling are two of the most visited areas along the Great Wall. Hiking to the wall can be a real challenge due to the steep heels but it is always a fun activity to engage in. when visiting the Great Wall, visitors are advised to wear the right shoes like sneakers and tennis shoes as the area can get quite slippery at times. Apart from hiking, the Great Wall Museum is worth a visit. It houses numerous exhibits that can give you a great overview of the multi dynasty history of the wall alongside the many artifacts, scaling ladders, and watchtowers that are worthy of taking a photo. Make sure that you carry a jacket along with you when visiting the Great Wall during the chillier season. During summer, bring a lot of water and be ready for sudden, violent but rather short thunderstorms.
