The Great Wall of China is not a single continuous structure, but a collection of walls, fortifications, and sections built in different eras, initiated over 2,000 years ago and expanded for centuries by various dynasties to protect the Chinese Empire from invasions from the north.
While we were flying to Australia to begin our Working Holiday Visa, we decided to make a long stopover in Beijing of about 19 hours. Originally, the idea was to visit the city, but we quickly realized that doing it on our own, without having booked anything in advance, is much more complicated than it seems.
So we decided to focus on just one thing: experiencing the Great Wall. As soon as we arrived at the airport, we met a very peculiar Peruvian gentleman who immediately stood out because of his unusual look: a cowboy-style hat and a shirt with wolf prints. He had very eccentric energy, and so, without planning it, we ended up spending the entire day with him, between taxis, the wall, and completely improvised moments.
The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous symbols in the world, but seeing it in person completely changes your perception. It is not a single wall, but a system of fortifications built and rebuilt over the centuries, starting in the 3rd century B.C. under the first emperor Qin Shi Huang.
That day the wall was wrapped in thick fog, which made the landscape almost unreal. The mountains disappeared and reappeared slowly, the watchtowers emerged suddenly from the white, and the wall seemed to lose itself on the horizon without ever showing its true end.
We spent the entire day there, walking up and down the staircases for several kilometers. The most touristy section of the Great Wall is generally about 10-15 km long on foot (depending on the section), but in reality, the entire system extends for thousands of kilometers across northern China.
If you happen to be in Beijing during a long stopover, it is definitely one of the most unique experiences you can have: it doesn't take much time, but it takes energy. And above all, it works wonderfully to "stretch your legs" between one intercontinental flight and another, in a much more scenic way than an airport.
Before heading back to the airport to catch our flight to Sydney, we made a stop in Beijing to try one of the city's most iconic dishes: Peking duck. Crispy, served in thin slices and accompanied by sauces and pancakes, it is one of the most recognizable symbols of Chinese cuisine and the perfect way to close, even if only for a few hours, our passage through the city.
We know well that a single day is not enough to truly understand China, and certainly this stopover cannot tell it in depth. But it was enough to experience one of the most iconic places in the world. One day, without a doubt, we want to return to China with more time to truly discover it. But this day on the Wall was one of those that stays with you.