Jiankou Great Wall Tour Summary

Number of participants: 20 Activity purpose:

1. To appreciate ancient Chinese culture - its remnants and grandeur

2. To enhance class cooperation and unity
3. To enrich our extracurricular life and broaden our horizons

Activity record:

In the vast and majestic Bohai Sea, in the desolate and solitary desert beyond the Great Wall, on the rugged and towering Xiao Yue, on the dusty and isolated island, a magnificent and mystical Chinese dragon dances, which is the immortal Great Wall.

Life is full of uncertainties and unexpected encounters. As for the Jiankou Great Wall, I have always been fascinated by it and longed to see it, but I never had the chance. Therefore, Jiankou became a beautiful expectation in my heart.

Today, our class organized an outing, and the destination was the Jiankou Great Wall that I had been longing to see. The Huairou Jiankou Great Wall is a section of the “wild Great Wall”; the Great Wall in Beijing has a total length of 629 kilometers, of which 600 kilometers are in a natural state, known as the “wild Great Wall”. The dilapidated, ancient, and simple bricks and stones stretch across the mountains and valleys, and the unadorned natural beauty makes people feel the unyielding spirit of the Great Wall.

At 5:50 in the morning, our classmates gathered in front of the Gongzhu Building and set off. We took the bus to Xizhimen, then transferred to the subway to Dongzhimen, and finally took bus 916 to Huairou, and then transferred to a small van. After an hour, we finally arrived at a farmhouse at the foot of the Jiankou Great Wall. It was already past 11:00, and we had been admiring the scenery along the way. I really enjoyed walking on the mountain roads and loved the scenery in the mountains. The blue sky and white clouds seemed to be getting closer and closer as we climbed higher. The mountains were covered with bare rocks, which looked like a traditional Chinese painting from a distance. I thought, living in such a place must be like being in a paradise. Each mountain peak had a beacon tower, and the continuous city wall was like a thread, connecting one peak to another. As I followed the mountain peaks, I knew I was getting closer to Jiankou.

“Zhao’s Mountain Residence” is a farmhouse and also a photographer’s home. Many photographers who take pictures of the Great Wall have stayed here and left their works, exchanging ideas with each other. This makes the farmhouse quite famous. There was a rack in front of the house, with corn and lanterns hanging from it. Such houses and decorations can be easily seen in rural areas. What I found strange was that the central room of the south-facing house was used as a kitchen, whereas normally it would be used as a living room. The house was also decorated with many gourds hanging on the walls, and there was a large pot that could cook for 30 people. The rooms on both sides were used as guest rooms, with only one large bed in each room. The female host was very enthusiastic. Due to time constraints, we had to climb the Great Wall first and then have lunch. At around 12:00, we began our ascent.

From the mountain residence, we climbed up along the mountain valley, and in the distance, we saw a beacon tower standing alone on a mountain peak, but it didn’t have the feeling of being surrounded by artificially built Great Wall walls and tiles. Because we were walking on small mountain paths, the girls and some boys couldn’t keep up, so we encouraged and helped each other along the way. To see the scenery of the Great Wall, I quickened my pace, regardless of the grass and trees around me. After a while, the scenery in front of me suddenly became clear, and I saw a Great Wall platform standing before me. I climbed up to the platform and looked around. The road behind us was steep and shrouded in mist. The platform was at the lowest point, with the Great Wall leading up on both sides, and there were platforms on the upper parts of the wall. Looking closely at both sides, I saw that the right side of the Great Wall stretched far into the distance, with a beacon tower in the distance. The left side, however, only had one beacon tower, and the direction of the Great Wall beyond that was unknown. This place was formed by the collapse of the base of the city wall, with only rubble and lime on the surface, and solid rocks underneath. Holding onto the solid rocks that were exposed outside the rubble and lime, I climbed up to the platform, which stood out prominently, offering a panoramic view in all directions. It followed the Great Wall as it wound its way down, without any bricks or tiles in sight. In the distance, there was a beacon tower, but it was incomplete.

It took us 40 minutes to reach the Great Wall. Everyone was exhausted, but we were also thrilled because the scenery was so magnificent and beautiful! The mountains stretched out continuously, and although the plants had not turned green yet, there was a sense of vastness and grandeur. The sun shone through the clouds, and we could see the mountains on the other side, sometimes bright and sometimes dark. A large area was covered in clouds, while other areas were bathed in sunlight! The feeling of having a broad view was wonderful. We basked in the warm sunshine and moved forward, laughing and chatting. It’s said that the Jiankou Great Wall is the most beautiful and majestic section of the Ming Great Wall, which is why photographers love it so much. Unfortunately, we didn’t know how to take good pictures, but we were happy nonetheless!

We rested on the Great Wall for a while, took some photos, and ate some food. Then, we prepared to head towards the right side of the Great Wall. The path was filled with broken bricks and rubble, and there were almost no stairs. The area was overgrown with weeds and trees, and only a small path was visible. The Great Wall wound its way along, and even though it didn’t seem long, it took a lot of time to walk. The ups and downs were quite steep, and we had to climb up and down repeatedly. Of course, there were also some relatively flat areas, which helped to ease the tension.

Whenever we reached a dangerous section, we would help each other, with the braver boys going first to explore the path, and then the other boys would follow, helping the girls to climb over. One of our classmates had a mild fear of heights, so whenever we reached a dangerous section, we would work together to help him get to a safe area. Our teacher and instructor reminded us to be careful and to help each other, and before we knew it, we had navigated through many treacherous sections.

We took photos at a relatively high beacon tower and rested for a while. Since time was running out, we decided to start looking for a way down. We walked for another half hour and saw the path leading down the mountain. As we thought about the journey, which involved walking and climbing, sometimes struggling and painful, we also felt a sense of pride and accomplishment. As we descended, I felt a lingering fear in my heart. We formed a line, holding onto each other, and sometimes moved slowly and carefully, one step at a time. Later, the road became easier to walk, and we finally felt relieved, thinking that we hadn’t taken the wrong path. In the second half of the journey, everyone was chatting and laughing, and before long, we reached the foot of the mountain.

We returned to Zhao’s Mountain Residence, where the classmates who had arrived earlier had already prepared tea for us. We discussed and decided to eat first and then leave. Everyone was tired, so we sat in the chairs, chatted, and played cards. After a while, the food was ready, and we ate. We took the same van back to school.

Thus, our Jiankou Great Wall trip came to a successful end.

Time is limited, so I’ll post this version to the academy first. Later, I’ll write another article myself.