Great Wall of China -Xiangshuihu

Great Wall of China -Xiangshuihu

Latitude:  40.461299  /  Longitude: 116.460918
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This is the Xiangshuihu section of the Great Wall of China, a short drive outside of Beijing

Rather Great Indeed! - Blog

By:  BW Admin  (5/14/2022)

Date:  10/10/2019

Rating:
Total: 1

While staying in Beijing we were looking to take a day trip to see the Great Wall, we had a driver at our disposal and he recommended this spot as the crowds here tended to be lot smaller than at some of the other popular locations. It did not disappoint in this regard as we only saw a handful of other people during our visit.

There is a ticket booth you need to stop at first to gain access, then it is a short walk through a gate from the parking area to the wall. There are two lookout buildings along the wall in this stretch, the first is about five hundred or so relatively easy steps up from the start. The second is about a quarter mile up the mountain and involves some steeper climbing. Some of the steps on the way up between the first and second lookouts are close to two feet high, so be advised if you are going to attempt this portion your thighs are going to get a serious workout. There are hand rails on the steepest portions, but I witnessed a woman crawling down on all fours in one section. The two towers made it a great location for our group as those in our party who weren't interested in doing the more difficult climb were still able to hike the first section and relax there.

The fact that this was completed without the use of heavy machinery is nothing short of astounding. Considering the terrain in this section it was difficult not to feel a bit sorry for the poor bastards that had to build it. The end result is admittedly pretty great though.

Rather Great Indeed! - Photos

by:  BW Admin  (5/14/2022)

(click images to view full size)


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This is our driver getting us the tickets

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Gate to get to the wall

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The beginning of steps

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This is about the distance and level of difficulty to the first lookout up on the hill

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Approaching the first lookout building

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Arch window from inside the first building

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This is a view of the steps up to the second building, quite a bit steeper...

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View of the steps up to the second lookout from inside the first lookout

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Looking back at the first lookout while starting off for the next one

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This will give you an idea of the degree of difficulty on the second portion of steps

Lat.:  40.457527 / Long.: 116.454208
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Some of the steps are almost two feet high

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Serious steps in some portions. Not sure if they were giants back then or if perhaps they just cut corners and eliminated some steps when nobody was looking.

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View looking back down the steps. I did see one woman climbing down on all fours, but I was able to manage with one hand on the rail and the other with the camera.

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Archway at the top

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oh boy

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up, up and more up, selfie with death stairs

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May have used my hands a bit here

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Rather Great Indeed! - Videos

by:  BW Admin  (5/14/2022)

This is inside the first lookout where the guards would have been stationed. There were a few steep steps to navigate in dark corridors but not too difficult overall.
This is a shot of one of the steeper stretches on the way up to the second lookout
This is a shot at the top lookout
A look at the treacherous steps down
More treacherous steps down
Yet some more treacherous steps down on the second stretch. Kind of boring but I figured it will help you decide if you want to deal with this portion.
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