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Gay Travel China: The Great Wall
IMAGES ENLARGE WHEN CLICKED Why get trampled by bus tourists visiting the "theme park" part of the Great Wall when you can visit a breathtaking section of the wall that is still authentic and nearly deserted?
"I had a great time on your tour to the Great Wall. The guide and driver were fantastically knowledgeable and professional. They definitely made a dull-weather day bright and full of adventurous fun. I enjoyed the part of the wall that is less traveled by tourists. I hope to return again in the future."
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The Great Wall and Ming Tombs are both included on this exhilarating day trip into the Chinese countryside. Purple Dragon avoids the tourist trap carnival atmosphere that has spoiled many sections of the Great Wall and takes our guests instead to the "Wild Wall," a segment that remains as it was originally constructed. You will be far from tour bus traffic jams and crowds of camera-snappers, where the majesty of this world wonder may be experienced in its pre-modern ambience. Along the way, stop by China's version of Egypt's Valley of the Kings -- the treasure-laden and largely unexcavated sacred mounds of the Ming Dynasty Emperors.Get an early start with your guide, car and driver. Travel beyond the superhighway ring roads that encircle modern Beijing and head off into the countryside where the rural way of life is much as it has been throughout China's long history. In the late morning you will arrive at a secluded valley, ringed by mountains and abundant with farms and fruit orchards. This once-remote location is the final resting place for China's Ming Dynasty Emperors, and takes its name, Shisan Ling (thirteen tombs) from their treasure-laden burial mounds. During the communist era, one of these tombs was officially excavated to reveal to the population the staggering wealth, including fabulous golden crowns, accumulated by the sons of heaven. Only a few of the tombs are open to the public, and most remain undisturbed. Each tomb is similarly laid out, with sacred gateways leading up to an artificial hill. Imagine what wonders may lie beneath. (Think of the terracotta armies discovered in Xian.) Drop by a village market and sample luscious local fruit. For lunch, try typical peasant fare, like crispy pancakes and stir-fried vegetables, in a local home or cafe. After lunch, take a scenic drive to catch your first astonishing glimpse of the Great Wall, snaking across saw-toothed mountain peaks like a slithering dragon. Comprised of a series of fortifications, the wall runs from Gobi Desert to the east coast of China, an unparalleled enterprise in human endeavor that still echoes the might of forgotten generals and mandarins. This is the Wild Wall, well-preserved, much of it in an original state and gloriously free of cable-cars, flag-waving tour leaders, and hawkers of kitschy "I Climbed the Great Wall" t-shirts. Here you may fully experience the melancholy landscape, divided in two by a failed effort to keep China's enemies at bay, with the haunting voice of the wind to narrate the triumph and tragedy of the wall's construction -- the great lord responsible for this magnificent section was beheaded for the meticulous quality of work he demanded from his stonemasons (only one inch of wall was produced here each day). It's a short climb up to the ruins of a watchtower overlooking a dramatic gorge and the hills beyond. More ambitious hikers will enjoy a longer four-kilometer circuit, for many the ultimate experience in China, that ends in a tiny village occupying a former barracks. Afterwards, why not soothe your tired tootsies with a traditional foot massage that includes a soak in barley tea? Our guide can recommend a skillful reflexology center.
Includes personal guide, car and driver admissions costs. Not included lunch or beverages. Please buy lunch for your guide. |
