On the Road and In Your Backyard

Good Morning All,

On The Road and In Your Backyard is a weekday feature spotlighting reader submissions. From the exotic to the familiar, please share your part of the world, whether you’re traveling or just in your locality. Share some photos and a narrative, let us see through your pictures and words. We’re so lucky each and every day to see and appreciate the world around us!

Submissions from commenters are welcome at tools.balloon-juice.com

Have a wonderful day, and enjoy the pictures!

 

Today is a great treat, and I’ll run parts 2 and 3 as a combined post next week.

 

 

Today, pictures from valued commenter Jerzy Russian.

We had an extended stay in China in July 2016, and during that stay we visited three different sections of the Great Wall. In this contribution I wish to share pictures of the Mutianyu section. This part of the wall was first constructed in the 6th Century. During the Ming Dynasty the construction of the present wall began, where the old wall was built over. It is one of the better preserved sections of the Great Wall and is a popular tourist destination. We took a taxi to the main gate of the area and bought tickets. After that, it was a long walk up the hill to get to a gondola lift, which then took us to the top. One also has the option of climbing 4000+ stairs, but we passed, considering how hot and humid it was that day.

Taken on 2016-07-01 00:00:00

Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section

Here is a view from the gondola lift, close to the top station. Michelle Obama rode in this particular car during her visit to China in March, 2014 (there was a small plaque commemorating that occasion).

Taken on 2016-07-01 00:00:00

Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section

This large rock is like a Rosetta Stone, with captions in several languages (Chinese, English, and German). It reads

ONCE INTENDED TO WARD OFF ENEMY ATTACKS
TODAY IT BRINGS TOGETHER PEOPLES
OF THE WORLD. THE GREAT WALL, MAY IT
CONTINUE TO ACT AS A SYMBOL OF
FRIENDSHIP FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.

IN GRATITUDE FOR THE HELP PROVIDED
BY THE HENKEL GROUP DUSSELDORF, IN
RESTORING THIS SECTION OF THE WALL
BEIJING, MAY 1989

Taken on 2016-07-01 00:00:00

Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section

This section of the wall runs along a ridge, and many parts are not too steep. You can see a few of the watchtowers. There are something like 22 of those watchtowers within a mile and a half.

Taken on 2016-07-01 00:00:00

Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section

Here is another view from the wall.

Taken on 2016-07-01 00:00:00

Great Wall of China, Mutianyu section

As you might have suspected, this wall keeps going and going and going. We probably walked a mile or so, and turned around at the really steep part.

 

Thank you so much Jerzy Russian, do send us more when you can.

 

Travel safely everybody, and do share some stories in the comments, even if you’re joining the conversation late. Many folks confide that they go back and read old threads, one reason these are available on the Quick Links menu.

 

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