First Time Climbing the Great Wall: Autumn Leaves at Badaling

Growing up, I visited the capital Beijing a few times, but never really got to explore. This time, seizing the chance during a business trip, I quickly arranged two free days for sightseeing.

I had originally planned to climb one of the “wild” sections of the Great Wall, like Jinshanling or Simatai, but after researching online, I saw that everyone advised against a solo young woman taking on such risks for her first Great Wall visit. As for why I didn’t go to Juyongguan or Mutianyu – the famous Badaling naturally has its own reasons for being so well known. I’ve always believed that what others say, good or bad, is still their opinion. I had to go see it and feel it for myself.

Because the day before I’d been walking around the Summer Palace in boots for nearly five hours, I was too tired to get up early and lounged in bed until almost 9 a.m. Luckily, I had already booked the 10 a.m. “Busda” direct shuttle to the scenic area. I didn’t dare be careless about the Great Wall trip, so I quickly changed into comfortable walking shoes and took subway Line 10 (Line 8 also works) to Beitucheng Station, exit C. Right there you’ll see staff in green Busda vests waiting for the shuttle. (The subway fare depends on the distance, round trip at most just over 10 yuan, while the Busda shuttle is 80 yuan per person round trip.)

The north often has strong winds, especially on the Great Wall. Be sure to wear warm clothes or bring an extra jacket – it’s not worth catching a cold. Also remember to use sunscreen, no matter the season, especially in an open outdoor area like the Great Wall.

I have to give a shout-out to all my fellow passengers – everyone was really civilized and no one was late. At exactly 10 a.m., the shuttle left on time. The guide was very considerate, helping those who needed to buy entrance tickets and cable car tickets along the way. The journey was smooth, all on the highway with no traffic jams, and we reached Badaling in just over an hour. At the scenic area, we didn’t need to queue at all; we just scanned our ID cards and entered – so convenient and fast.

The return meeting time was 4 p.m., giving us a full four hours on the Great Wall. But I had to get up early the next day for work and meetings, worried I’d be totally exhausted, so I chose to take the cable car up and down. Anyway, after taking the cable car up, you can still climb a very classic section with plenty of slopes, so it was far less tiring than I imagined. If it had been stairs the whole way and I’d climbed entirely on foot, I probably would have been half dead from exhaustion.

Perhaps I didn’t feel too tired while climbing, but when I thought about how the Great Wall was built, and then gazed at it imagining it stretching on and on indefinitely, I could feel its grandeur. The ancient Chinese architects, craftsmen, and people were all so magnificent to have created such an incredible architectural wonder.

At 4 p.m., we gathered and set off back. After the excitement of the day, the bus was full of the sound of snoozing. No matter where you travel, you’re always eager to get home, and though the return trip also took over an hour, time seemed to fly. Before I knew it, we were back at the departure point, Beitucheng Station.

This trip to Badaling Great Wall was truly worthwhile. I especially loved the expansive natural scenery and look forward to climbing other sections of the Great Wall in the future.

Always enjoy being on the road.