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Climbing The Great Wall of China

From Beijing Tour in Beijing, China on Aug 01 '03

Jia Xuan @ Jia Fang has visited no places in Beijing
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Hao Han po
Hao Han po
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There is a saying in Chinese: "bu dao chang cheng fei hao han", meaning if you don't go to the great wall, you are not a great person. So, if you visited Beijing and never been to the famous Great Wall, that mean, you never been to China. Great Wall was built by Shi Wang Di during Qin Dynasty to serve as military fort to protect the country during war. Many youngand stronghunks were dragged to build the long and magnificient Great Wall. Once they were captured for thefort construction, they never come back home again as the work is not as simple as today, they were no machine or sophisticated tools, everything is by hands and many work to death.

With colleague's brother
With colleague's brother
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The company driver arrived at hotel about 9am, A chinese colleague, his brother, the german colleague and I departed for Great Wall. The journey from hotel to Great Wall took about an hour. The entrance fee is RMB60. It was a super hot summer day. The Great Wall is separated to 2 ways, longer and shorter. We started with the shorter path (nottoo short actually). The path is steep and slippery and I have to hold on the side of wall for support, but surprisingly I saw many old nanny, they are so strong, can climb without holding on any support! I'm so embarassing right...haaaa. The hot sun really eat into our skin, although I live in all year hot khatulistiwa country, but this summer heat is beyond my tolerant. There was no sweat on me but I felt that my skin going to break under the hot sun. We stopped at 858m, and took a picture and I paid for a certification too...hehe. The path was chopped after some distance as the wall is collapsign after years and years of erosion and lack of maintanance. They closed it for tourist's safety.

4 of us at Great Wall of China
4 of us at Great Wall of China
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We walked all the way back to the starting point. My german colleague was red like lobster, I asked if he was tired but he said no, so we continue climbing from the other side. A month before I came to Beijing, I went for climbing and sort of trained, so I felt very energetic, but the burning heat is really torturing, so after some distance we decided to go back and have our lunch at KFC. My china colleague is very generous and he insisted to treat us.

After lunch, we visited the Imperial Tomb. There are a total of 13 Tombs, but on that day, only 1 grave is open for visit. They showcased the underground chamber built to store Imperial dead body. The ancient people believed that there is live after death, so they decorated the chamber with all sort ofEmperor's beloved things such as jeweleries, maids, swords, clothes, vases, potsetc.

China colleague, me and German colleague
China colleague, me and German colleague
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After the Tomb, we go back to hotel. It was my last night of stay,so I went for night walk around my hotel area. I stayed in a hotel nearby the Beijing Railway Station, and it's quite a busy place. Bought some souvenirs and also Pekign ducks for my colleagues in Singapore.


 

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