Day 1
Beijing
Meet your expert guide at your hotel at 8 am and travel through the bustling streets by private, climate-controlled vehicle toward the Huangyaguan Great Wall (2.5-3 hrs). Huangyaguan Great Wall was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty (6th century) and repaired extensively during the Ming Dynasty (14th century). However, most of this part of the wall has collapsed due to lack of renovation. Starting from 1984, people spent three years repairing 3,308 yards (3,025 meters) of the wall and 20 watchtowers. Because the cliff rocks to the east of the pass are mostly yellow and they look gilded at sunset, this section got its name Huangyaguan (Yellow Cliff Pass). Surrounded by rugged mountains, Huangya Pass is one of the most critical passes with barbicans, turrets, emplacements, barracks and other indispensable military facilities orderly arranged. Within the pass, more than 40 crisscrossing streets form the shape of the Eight Diagrams, which gives the pass a nickname, Eight Diagram Fortification City. In the center of the Eight Diagram Street block is the Great Wall Museum, which used to be the Dispatcher's Office in the Ming Dynasty. Here, you can have a look at the weapons and daily necessities used by soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. Besides the constructional sites, you can also feel the cultural atmosphere by viewing poems inscribed in the Stele Forests and couplets carved on the bamboo strips in the Couplet Hall. On arrival, we will hike along the steeply stepped battlements, absorbing the spectacular views over the mountains and watchtowers disappearing into the distance. We will spend 3 hours hike this section.
