The Great Wall at Badaling
The weather has turned very cold recently after Beijing had been enjoying one of its mildest winters in decades.
One advantage of the snow, low temperatures and strong winds is that tourists are few out at the Great Wall.
Badaling is the nearest section of the Great Wall from Beijing being about 70 km from downtown. Many visitors to Beijing take a bus tour to the Great Wall booked from their hotel, which is often combined with a trip to the Ming Tombs and a few souvenir shops and Chinese herbal medicine centers as well.
If possible it is best to visit the Great Wall during the week rather than at weekends.
Badaling has two sections of the wall to see, left and right of the main entrance site. Visitors are usually transported up to the wall on ski lifts. The admission fee allows entrance to the China Great Wall Museum.
