China Attractions

Venue: China    When: Daily

The largest man-made construction ever built, the ancient majesty of the Great Wall of China can be spotted by anyone who happens to be journeying through space, although not, as is commonly believed, from the moon (Armstrong did try).

Parts of the structure date back to the 7th century BC, when several distinct walls were built. Other parts were added and rebuilt by successive dynasties to protect their empires from marauding tribes from the north.

The wall we see today is largely thanks to a 200-year renovation effort during the Ming dynasty of the 14th century. Since then, the wall has zigzagged its way 6400km east to west to the north of Bejing, as far as the mountains of Korea in the east and the Gobi desert in the west. If you prefer, you can think of the distance as equalling that between Miami and the North Pole.

The Ming builders were possessed of some pretty dramatic engineering skills, having mastered the art of brick-making at a time when European builders were toiling with cut stone. These builders also managed to place their high quality bricks in the world's most challenging terrain; in places, the wall rises out of 70-degree slopes.

Not only a deterrent to northern invaders, down the years the wall also became a vital communications route. Messages could be sent from one end of the enormous Chinese empire to the other at incredible speeds, thanks to the beacon towers that had been built every 15 to 30 miles. By day, troops used smoke signals, and by night torches. One column of smoke indicated an impending attack by a force of less than 500 men, while two columns meant less than 3000 men and four columns heralded up to 10,000.

Today, the only attacks you are likely to encounter are those of other tourists asking you to take a photograph, or hawkers trying to tempt you with a copy of Mao's Little Red Book.

Opinion differs as to which is the best bit of wall to visit. Badaling is probably the most touristy, while Mutianyu is still easily accessible from Beijing at an hour or so's drive. A little further off is Huanghua, a two-hour bus ride from Beijing, or Simatai, at two-and-a-half hours drive away. Generally, the further away from Bejing you go, the less touristy your experience is likely to be.