Exploring the Great Wall of China - Dhawa Jinshanling

Most people visit the Great Wall as a day trip out of Beijing, so the closer tourist spots are quite busy. However, if you allow a little more time, you can visit the 'prettiest' part of the wall. Surround by forest and mountains, the views are stunning, and for much of your visit you will have the wall to yourself. The Jinshanling section is only partly restored, so it makes a much more interesting comparison to see it's natural state after centuries, as well as what it would have looked like.







This section is about 10kms long, and weaves it's way, serpent like, over the rolling hills in the distance. There are 67 watchtowers, the horse wall and two lookouts (not connected to the wall, but for signalling to the soldiers on the wall). There is even some accommodation rooms and armouries, and all the structures are described with their histories on the guided signs.








As remote as you feel, there are vendors selling water, ice creams and even beers, hidden in the turrets.

What people don't tell you, is the wall is quite mesmerising. I thought perhaps an hour would be enough, but even after three hours, we were debating if we should head back down or continue a little further...the view of the wall changes, there are little differences in structures, it never quite feels 'more of the same'.

There is a hotel, Dhawa Jinshanling at the base of the Great Wall, literally a minute's walk from the cable car or hiking path. It's only a kilometre up so many people who stay there rise early to watch the sunrise or stay late and hike down to watch the sunset.

We  hiked the wall for a few hours and then hiked down. You can get a pass that allows you entry into the Great Wall park for your entire stay, though you still have to pay for the cable car. I suggest using the cable car to go up and then hike down, if the weather is hot or you want the sunset.

One of the buildings on the Wall.

Dhawa Jinshanling is linked to Banyan Tree but dial back those expectations, as it's more a budget chain and priced accordingly. English was limited with the staff, but google translate app made it manageable.

Meal options are equally limited - only one restaurant and vending machines, however there is a little 'village' with a restaurant and two cafes so grab lunch there and dinner at the hotel, if more than one night. The shops shut at night. Fortunately, the food in the restaurant is good.

Did you know there were trees on the Great Wall?

We got a car transfer to the hotel from Beijing, which took roughly two hours. Our room was a two bedroom courtyard, so we had plenty of space and a lovely private outdoor area to relax with a drink - they pipe music round the hotel so the ambiance is very inviting.

We went up to the wall twice - the first time late afternoon and spent an hour or so pottering around and taking photos, but we came down on the cable car so missed the sunset, not understanding the distances were more manageble than we initially thought.




The next day we went up after breakfast, trying to beat the heat. We covered 4 kms of wall and then walked down. There really is so much to see as it varies in structure as well as in ruins or repair.

Our highlight was a group of Chinese tourists, singing and waving giant flags, and all in some form of traditional regional dress (or even a ball gown and playing a violin). We wanted their photos, only to discovered they wanted ours. We spent a good half hour in a 'photoshoot' with them. They wanted our photos as much as we wanted theirs! We have no idea exactly what it was all about, but it was jovial and really special.

The walk down offers some interesting insights into the tourist attractions when the park was on the rise in the tourist boom of the 80's. There's a little 'village' and what may have been a planned water park and a restaurant, which would have been lovely if it was open.

The whole Jinshanling area has a feeling that it is a ghost town being brought back to life. The big spa building was under renovations but massages were still available in a room converted for an interim treatment room.

While we were pushed for time on our trip, and it came at the cost of missing out on visiting Shanghai, as the purpose of the trip was to see the Great Wall, it was the perfect way to do it. After a busy few days in Beijing, it was relaxing and easy and a much slower pace.

And a holiday is meant to be just that, a holiday!















Practicalities:
Dhawa Jinshanling

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