Tag Archives: Great Wall of China

China, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Skylines

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Once I started going through old photos for skylines I found I couldn’t stop. To keep the post a moderate length I put them into a slide show. These are all from China, but taken over several years and representing a variety of cities.

  • Waterfront in Qingdao.
    Waterfront in Qingdao.
  • Kites flying on the waterfront in Qingdao.
    Kites flying on the waterfront in Qingdao.
  • Another view of Qingdao, this time looking down.
    Another view of Qingdao, this time looking down.
  • Chongqing through the mist.
    Chongqing through the mist.
  • Boats and bridges as well as buildings define the skyline of Chongqing.
    Boats and bridges as well as buildings define the skyline of Chongqing.
  • The Bund in Shanghai, viewed from a boat on the Huangpu River.
    The Bund in Shanghai, viewed from a boat on the Huangpu River.
  • Looking the other way: a view of the ultra modern Pudong skyline in Shanghai from a boat on the Huangpu River.
    Looking the other way: a view of the ultra modern Pudong skyline in Shanghai from a boat on the Huangpu River.
  • The pagoda of White Emperor City on the Yangtze River with the Wu mountains of the Qu Gorge (western most of the Three Gorges) behind it.
    The pagoda of White Emperor City on the Yangtze River with the Wu mountains of the Qu Gorge (western most of the Three Gorges) behind it.
  • Old and new on a peaceful morning looking out at the new city of Fengdu (relocated because of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam) from the ancient Fengdu Ghost City temple complex.
    Old and new on a peaceful morning looking out at the new city of Fengdu (relocated because of the construction of the Three Gorges Dam) from the ancient Fengdu Ghost City temple complex.
  • A view of Xi'an from the top of the Great Goose Pavilion.
    A view of Xi’an from the top of the Great Goose Pavilion.
  • The Forbidden City in central Beijing, photo taken from the Jingshan (coal hill) park.
    The Forbidden City in central Beijing, photo taken from the Jingshan (coal hill) park.
  • The Great Wall of China snakes along the skyline for many miles, this view is of the Mutianyu section, north of Beijing.
    The Great Wall of China snakes along the skyline for many miles, this view is of the Mutianyu section, north of Beijing.
  • Construction cranes at the Beijing Capital Airport and the mountains beyond it at sunset.
    Construction cranes at the Beijing Capital Airport and the mountains beyond it at sunset.
  • A fairytale view on a smoggy morning in Weifang, Shandong Province, China.
    A fairytale view on a smoggy morning in Weifang, Shandong Province, China.
  • Sunrise in Penglai, Shandong Province.
    Sunrise in Penglai, Shandong Province.

For Travel with Intent’s One Word Sunday: skyline.

China

A thin line across the land

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A view of the Great Wall of China, heading west. Photo taken at Mutianyu in the springtime.
From a distance the Great Wall looks like a thin line snaking across the countryside.
The Great Wall of China, in the Jiankou to Mutianyi section, from an airplane window.
A bird’s eye view of the same area.

It is a myth that the Great Wall of China is visible from space but one time, when the air was exceptionally clear, I saw it from the window of the airplane as I headed for home. The picture is not great, taken with my old cell phone through a plane window, but I was pretty excited since this is the part of the wall that I walked.

For Becky of Winchester’s Lines & Squares-day 30.

China, Snapshots from a Happy Life

A wall that connected

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One thing that fascinated me when I researched about the Great Wall of China is that it was used more for communication than for separation. In the days before cell phones, messages could be sent quickly over long distances along the wall using smoke, flares and flags.

These are photos from the reconstructed area called Mutianyu. It is less crowded than Badaling, which is more easily accessed from Beijing. As I mentioned we had a private driver to our hotel as part of Wild Great Wall’s self-guided tour so we did not have to figure out how to get back to the city.

Comparing from the photos I posted last week, Which Way. You can see that the reconstruction and maintenance are a monumental endeavor. The wall is along the crest of the hills and the area is not accessed by roads, the materials are heavy and there is a lot of territory to cover.

Traveling this section there are a lot of stairs, steep and uneven in many places.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge

China

Which Way

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These are from a walk we took on the Great Wall of China last spring, from Jiankou to Mutianyu. These are all from the unimproved section (Mutianyu is one of the large sections that has been improved.)

The walk was about five miles and the package we used had a driver who drove us to Jiankou, then walked with us to the first tower on the wall (that is a steep-ish, but short hike), after taking our picture he returned to the car and drove around to Mutianyu to meet us. Once on the wall you can follow it and the instructions provided easily. I can recommend the outfit we used: “Wild Great Wall”, I’ve used them three times for different activity levels. We all felt that is was beneficial to see both the unreconstructed and the reconstructed wall. If I stay on task this week (not real good odds) I will post pictures from the reconstructed section of the wall next week.

For Son of a Beach’s Which Way Photo Challenge.

 

China, China A to Z

China A to Z: W is for Wall

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The symbol of China more than any other is the Great Wall. It winds its way along the tops of mountains. It has a fascinating history, if only because it has so much history. A History of the Great Wall of China Ebook by Luo Zhewen gives a better idea than any attempt I might make to paraphrase it. It was provided by WildGreatWall.com, the outfit through which I arranged our hike from Jiankou, where the wall has not been restored, to Mutianyu, where it has been. If you like to hike I strongly recommend that hike, although the hike up to the wall is a bit challenging. I’ve used WildGreatWall.com three times and they have all been good experiences. Here are some pictures from the hike we took earlier this month:

Zhengbeilou tower
Deciduous azalea blooming near the trail up to the wall.
The road not taken, looking west-ish from zhengbeilou tower.
Watch your step.
Path is narrow in places.
Broken area gives a chance to see construction details.
Spring blossoms and the “oxhorn”.
This section is in good shape for being un-restored.
The resoted section has lots, and lots, and lots of steps.
Still quite a ways to go.
Looking back at where we came from.

Myth busting: The great wall is not visible from space. It is too narrow to be seen from even a low earth orbit. Here is a view from a plane:

KSM-20151029-GreatWall-01

 

 

 

 

China, Picture Galleries, Snapshots from a Happy Life

Great Wall Walk

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In the spring of 2014 my son and I did a “wild wall” walk from Jiankou to Mutianyu.  This gallery is a sampler of the paths along that trip, from the rickety ladder up to the tower to the stone mosaic (I know that isn’t quite the right word for it) on the path from the wall down into the town.

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Beneath Your Feet.”

China, Snapshots from a Happy Life

The (Not so) Easy Road

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The “carriage way” along the top of the Great Wall of China was used to get people and messages across China easily.

Carriage Way on the Great Wall at Mutianyu
Carriage Way on the Great Wall at Mutianyu

 

Yes I went up. I am in the top photo, my dad took the picture. Yes, it was nerve wracking. Being afraid of falling doesn’t necessarily make you a coward, just cautious.

Cee’s Which Way Challenge and Look up, look down challenge, as if the climb wasn’t challenge enough!