Introduction:
Throughout the week just ended, I was in Beijing to visit a bunch of things: Some temples, some parks, but of course the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square and the Great Wall of China!
The trip was difficult to go, 17h30 train sitting (just a reminder, it took me barely 14h plane to Paris-Nanjing), and for the return, 11 hours without being seating position, ie standing, but small seats "fishermen" have saved lives. But the train was still filled like a Paris subway in rush hour, so if I swear, I'm not exaggerating)
So here, for a first post, my Great Adventure on Wall Gande ...
The Great Wall:
The Great Wall is a series of fortifications that have been totally constuit Chinese, destroyed and rebuilt in other nostril dynasty, between the fifth century BC. JC and XVI in order to protect the northern border of China.
It is the largest architectural structure ever built by humans in terms of length (8600 km), surface and mass, and is of course, world-heritage by UNESCO.
The Great Wall is reputed to be the largest cemetery in the world, because 10 million workers have died in its construction (these are buried near the Wall).
Finally, some portions are really in very bad condition, it remains but a heap of stone, and the government allowed people to take up stones to build their house.
Our section: Jiankou Great Wall
The goal was to hike non-tourism on a portion of the Great Wall, and believe me, our wish has been realized.
portion of wall that we have so called "Jiankou Great Wall", and is an important section of the wall built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). This section has not been renovated, making it one of the most dangerous.
This part of zigzag Wall for 15 km to the tops of fixtures, between "The Ox Horn Edge Wall" and "The Nine Eyes Tower" which is actually the guard tower on which we slept.
Finally, this section is one of the highest and more rocky, with numerous cliffs notament.
The adventure begins here!
We are thus part of a long trek for 2 days. For info, "we" consists of 17 people (including a allemend). Two shuttles have deposited at the foot of the mountains, and having shared the nourishment, we are part.
prime concern: the beginning, we are chasing a Chinese because we would not have paid the entrance fee. We decide to push through, but then he seized a tree branch to threaten us!
The organizer of our hike is due to him for a quarter of an hour, the tone rises, then we give him a hundred yuan to pass. We can finally start assencion ...
Rising:
That is, apart from the climb was very demanding, especially the end.
Some places were slippery, steep, and my shoes were not suitable. I finished climbing the hill with 4 legs, literally.
First impressions once at the top of the mountain
On arrival, you find yourself on a pile of stone .... Here the group:
"Oh that's the Wall?" Yes, that's it ... and I'm sitting on top.
Not being in the right place, we continue to advance along the Wall, to finally arrive at the place desired, the guard tower.
The Nine-Eye Tower:
tower of 9 eyes is the guard tower on which we slept. This tower is very well known on the part Jiankou because it is an important command post during the previous war.
It consists of 3 floors, and 9 holes at 9-like eyes on either side of the tower.
The view is simply magnificent: the Great Wall stretches for several kilometers, so much that once the tower is reached, the emotion and joy were return!
Walking on the Great Wall:
After a hard night on the tower of 9 eyes (he fesait very very cold), I got up at 5:10 to see the sunrise:
I then went back to bed for a nap, then once everyone was ready, we left.
The first run made me scared, having a bit dizzy, because we had to walk on rocks, downhill, with cliffs on either side. Fortunately, the sequel was more practical.
Nothing to say in particular that part of section, then it goes down it goes, it's difficult because we do walk on the stones, we must cling to the branches on the sides to prevent slippage.
Then finally, we arrive on portions Walls in better condition! The dream! The photos speak for themselves:
One last photo to show you the path that we did on the Great Wall:
In the background you can see two mountain peaks. On the left is a "little square", it is in fact the guard tower of 9 eyes, our starting point.
You realize the extent of the course?
This hike on this stretch of Great Wall was really great, exeptional, I realize the enormous opportunity that I had to see the Great Wall of China on the one hand, and especially sleep over being surrounded by beautiful scenery and historical sites.
Thank you all read! Soon the ticket on the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square, and photos on picasa.
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