Great Wall Hike with Cultural Tour to the Imperial Tomb
(With Lunch)
TOUR 1C:
from Huangyaguan Great Wall to East Qing Tomb
Popularity Ranking:
*Ranked by the quantity of signups of
all 1-day hiking routes.
All glory comes from daring to begin.
-Alexander Graham Bell
Highlights:
This is a relatively easy hike that almost anyone can do.
This hike also includes a visit to the often overlooked East Qing
Tombs (Qing Dong Ling).
The Huangyaguan section is designed to be a composite of the entire
Great Wall of China, so you will learn much about the Great Wall’s
function and design.
While other companies bus you from section to section, Great Wall
Adventure Club lets you personally experience the majesty of the
Great Wall by allowing you to physically pass from one section to
the next. In contrast to driving across, this lets you see the
differences between the restored, maintained, section on one side
and the radically different "wild wall" on the other.
Trip
Overview:
While this hike will be a bit
long, it will easily be the highlight of your time in China. For those
of you who feel the need to stretch their legs after being cooped up in
an office in Beijing (or wherever you may be from), this is the perfect
opportunity to get some exercise and adventure, while also having loads
of fun!
Because everyone one of us have
different abilities and limits when it comes to hiking, we offer 3
levels of difficulty that will better suit your needs while getting the
most out of your Great Wall experience.
Please note while this hike is
not overly difficult, there are some points where the hike gets a little
challenging. The challenges mostly include narrow and small steps, along
with at times some very steep climbing. For those of you who have
knee or lower leg problems, you might want to consider the leisurely and
first-time hiker level. If you are under the age of 8 or over the age of
70, you should also strongly consider the leisurely and first-time hiker
level.
"We have safely arrived home, and I would
like to thank you for very good organized tour. We really enjoyed our
China travel (except very high temperatures that days), and who knows
probably we will come again to visit another regions and city!"- Al
Swearengen, Chicago
For more testimonials, please click
here
Detailed Hiking Itinerary
Picking you up from your hotel, we will make
the drive to the Huangyaguan section of the Great Wall. Huangyaguan
is about a 3-hour drive from the Beijing city center. Huangyaguan
Pass of Great Wall was first built during the Northern Qi Dynasty
(550 - 557) and repaired in large scale with bricks during the Ming
Dynasty (1368 - 1644). When appointed as the chief commanding
officer in the Ji Garrison (one of the eleven garrisons of the Ming
Dynasty), Qi Jiguang added watchtowers and other defensive works.
It is designed as a miniature of the entire Great Wall of China,
thereby allowing you get an understanding of the entire wall in a
fraction of the time. The entire section is built on an abrupt
mountain ridge. Being endowed with both natural beauty and cultural
interest, it has become famous as a natural beauty spot and a summer
resort. The major scenic area is composed of Huangyaguan Pass and
Taiping Mountain Stronghold. Starting from a tiny village near the
wall, we will take our time exploring eastward the wall’s terrain.
After about an hour’s walk we will reach a peak overlooking the
valley below. Form the peak we can also see the Huangyaguan
Fortress, which was restored in 1984. From this vantage point, we
will be able to see its Baguan pattern, a specially designed
labyrinth designed to confuse and entrap the enemy. We will then
walk down to the fortress for a fascinating and informative visit
inside.
After a lunch near the fortress, we will make our way to the Eastern Qing
Tombs, spending the afternoon there. The Eastern Qing Tombs,
often overshadowed in popularity by the Ming Tombs, is a sacred
burial ground near Beijing, is one of the two tomb areas devoted to
the emperors, empresses and imperial concubines of the Qing Dynasty
(1644-1911, the last feudal empire in China).The other is the
Western Qing Tombs.
The Eastern Qing Tombs, which is among the finest, best-preserved
and largest of the extant tomb complexes in China, is located along
Changrui Mountain in the west of Malanyu Town, Zunhua County, Hebei
Province. Along the south side of Changrui Mountain, the tombs of
five emperors, four empresses, five imperial concubines, and one
princess are arrayed based on the traditional concept of placing the
most senior and most distinguished in the center.
Of all the tombs, Xiaoling is the biggest and most elaborate,
standing as the focal point of the entire structure. The grandeur of
this tomb may be attributed to its having been the first sepulcher
constructed for a member of the royal family of the Qing Dynasty, so
the builders hoped to set the tone for a prosperous future. Crossing
through the Great Red Gate, you can see buildings of different
sizes, all with roofs of yellow glazed tile, connected by the brick
paths or 'sacred ways' that converge in the area of Xiaoling.
An example of the most exquisite architecture of the Eastern Qing
Tombs is Dingdongling, the tomb of Empress Dowager Cixi . Although
she handled affairs of state for more than 45 years, she never
ascended the throne. (The only female ruler in Chinese history was
Empress Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Elaborate and
highly refined decorations and carvings inside Dingdongling make it
unique among the tombs of the Qing Dynasty. The main material used
in the tomb, which took six years to build, was gold, the symbol of
royal family.
After exploring the East Qing Tombs, we will meet our driver in the
parking lot, who will take you back to your hotel in time for
supper.
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