The real Great Wall, Beijing

Photo © Bianca O'Neill

Anyone heading to China will have the Great Wall on the itinerary. But who wants to be surrounded by tourists on a rebuilt replica when you can see it in someone’s backyard?

Not many people know, but the most popular tourist site is a reconstructed renovation of the original. If you want the real Great Wall experience, drive a few hours outside Beijing to one of the many local sites.

Sure, you can’t walk along it for a kilometre, and you might risk breaking your neck. But standing on the relic as it crumbles around you, with not a tourist in sight, is breathtaking. Be warned – the locals consider the Wall to be part of their private gardens – and you must pay a grand sum of 2 yuan (about 30c) to pass!

Written by

Readers who enjoyed
this article also liked:

  • Heidelberg Project, Detroit

    Why stick to a wee sculpture here, and a piddly little mural there? For a really impressive piece of public art, why not take over a couple of city blocks?

  • Upside-down house, Germany

    This upside-down house was designed by two Polish partners and built on the grounds of a zoo on the northern German island of Usedom.

  • ‘Obby ‘Oss Day, Cornwall

    On the first day of May, the hobby horses come out to play in Padstow, Cornwall.

Discuss