The Great Wall of China: A World Wonder: Untold Stories of the Great Wall

Number of days：3 days
Time: November
Average cost: 3000 yuan
With whom: and friends
Tour kinds: Food, Photography, Self-driving, Humanities, Free Travel
The author went to these places： The Great Wall Mutianyu Great Wall Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall Beijing Ming Tombs Peking University

The Great Wall of China, a wonder of the world, a symbol of human civilization, and a monument to the history of the Chinese nation. The Great Wall boasts numerous ruins spread across a vast expanse. Badaling and Mutianyu sections are widely known for their early restoration and opening, but there's more to the story. Today, Panda will lead you to explore some of the wall's lesser-known stories, get up close, and experience the unique charm of its towering majesty.

Visit the unique Upside-Down Great Wall, a unique section of the Great Wall, and discover a Great Wall banquet that even gourmets will never forget.

Banchangyu, a Qinhuangdao completely different from your imagination. Here, the Great Wall retains its original, pristine appearance, with broken walls and overgrown weeds. Looking up at the clifftop, the Great Wall stretches out in a single row along the high ridge, its undulating and winding course. Here, you'll find the "Inverted Great Wall," a unique section of the Great Wall, seemingly suspended from the sky. It's a difficult climb, attracting countless experienced hikers. Besides the awe-inspiring grandeur of the Wild Great Wall, Banchangyu also hides a Great Wall Conservation Station. While not as imposing as the Great Wall itself, it's a mere 100 square meters. Unsung volunteers meticulously guard this small courtyard, where every brick and stone tells the story of those who protected the wall: millstones, water-controlling beasts, stone cannons, weights, Buddhist shrines, and quda... Seeing them, we're not only amazed at the ancients' construction of the magnificent Great Wall, but also proud of their perseverance in defending it. Another Banchangyu specialty is the Great Wall Banquet at the Foot of the Ming Great Wall. Sitting at the Banchangyu Hotel at the foot of the Great Wall, the dining table decorated with hawthorn leaves is filled with various rural delicacies, sweet potatoes, peanuts, edamame, tender and smooth water tofu, and of course the most distinctive local hot pot called the meat pot. It seems to be neatly covered with various tofu and sausages on the surface, but in fact the bottom is also filled with kelp, cuttlefish, firewood chicken and sauerkraut. It is not only eye-opening but also very satisfying.

Built during the Yongle reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall boasts a history of over 600 years. After Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty established Beijing as the capital, he constructed the Ming Tombs on the south side of Tianshou Mountain in Changping. Huanghua Town is located north of Tianshou Mountain, so this section of the Great Wall not only guarded the northern gate of the capital but also served as a crucial gateway to the Ming Tombs. The Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall wasn't originally built in water. Instead, a dam diverted the river, causing rising water levels to submerge the lower reaches of the wall, resulting in three sections being submerged. While you've seen the magnificent Great Wall winding its way through towering mountains, you may not have experienced the beauty of the Great Wall, which curves along the mountain ridges and wraps around the shores of Haoming Lake. The lake naturally divides the Great Wall, making it difficult to tell whether the Great Wall itself is playing with the water or the water itself is playing with it.

During the fragrant autumn chestnut season, a 100-acre Ming Dynasty chestnut orchard nestled within the Huanghuacheng Water Great Wall boasts over 40 ancient chestnut trees, each boasting deep roots and lush leaves. The most unforgettable is the weathered yet vigorous King Chestnut Tree, over 800 years old, which still produces chestnuts annually. Walking through the orchard, your feet are covered with prickly chestnut shells fallen from the trees, creating a truly enchanting autumn experience.

Listen to community opera and enjoy a pig's trotter feast in a century-old village at the foot of the Great Wall.

Changyucheng, a border fortress and military stronghold since ancient times, is a century-old village at the foot of the Great Wall. What's most remarkable is that it still maintains the tradition of community opera. Established as a village during the Ming Dynasty, Changyucheng boasts a history of five or six hundred years. Within and outside the city walls, there are intact urn walls, city walls, ancient houses, and temples. The walls divide the village into the old and new parts. The existence of the ancient city and temples attests to Changyucheng's rich history.

In the evening, enjoy scutellaria tea, hand-collected by villagers in the mountains, and enjoy an authentic pig's trotter feast. The pig's trotters are rich but not greasy, melting in your mouth. They're perfectly cooked and paired with homemade braised pork, stewed chicken, cabbage and bean curd, and the unique sweet and sour sauce. At nightfall, villagers from Changyucheng Village, who toiled during the day, gather on the stage in the backyard of Yongxing Temple. Some play drums and gongs, some dress up, and the audience cheers as they create an authentic community opera at the foot of the Great Wall. Changyucheng has a nearly 600-year history of community opera, performed annually during the first month of the lunar calendar and on various traditional festivals. Community opera evolved from Hebei Bangzi opera, but in Changyucheng, it has developed its own unique singing style.