The Great Wall of China is one of the most popular and visited tourist spots in the world. It is known as the longest wall in the world, built more than 2,300 years ago. It was built in different areas of China as an ancient defensive architecture to protect territorial borders from invasion of other states and to protect the silk road trade.
In history, the Great Wall is the greatest Human Feat. This was built within more than 2,500 years and has cost the greatest in human lives. An estimate of almost a million laborers built the wall and an estimate of only tens of thousands survived. Some died from fatigue, starvation and also the weather.
I remember back in High School, after studying about the Great Wall of China in our Asian History Class, my classmate declared, “One day, we will go to the Great Wall of China!”
A few years ago, that declaration became a reality. In our company, I was one of the awardees for that year. Because of that, I received an incentive I never imagined— an all-expense paid trip to Beijing! The good thing about it is that I also received pocket money.
Me at the Great Wall of China
Our team at the Great Wall of China
To get to the Great Wall, we rode a cable car.
In the part if the Great Wall where we went, there’s a “peak”, which is also the end of where tourists can get to. In our group, only my colleague and I were able to reach the peak. And so, we were able to get a medal as proof that we were able to reach the top.
Here are my other shots of the Great Wall:
Other than visiting the Great Wall of China, we visited other tourist spots in Beijing.
Beijing is the capital of China. It is one of the most popular tourist spots in the world. Yearly, ot has 140 million Chinese tourists and 1.4 million foreign visitors.
One of the spots we visited is the Tiananmen Square. Tiananmen Square is a city square located at the center of Beijing. Tiananmen means “gate of heavenly peace.” Contrary to its name, Tiananmen has a history of public demonstrations and protests, where a number of people died. Being the center of Beijing, it is also a place for vigils, and concerts.
Tiananmen Square is a popular tourist destination. In fact, thousands of people visit it everyday. This is where you can also visit the Great Hall of the People, Tiananmen Tower, Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, Monument to the People's Heroes, and see the national flag raising ceremony.
At the entrance of Tiananmen Square
Inside Tiananmen Square
One of the places we visited in Tiananmen Square is the Forbidden City. It once became the imperial palace for 24 emperors during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
At the Forbidden City in Tiananmen Square
We also had time to watch an acrobatic show. I was in awe of the show. The performances were all jaw-dropping. The performers were so great. Picture-taking during the show are not allowed though but I was able to grab some images that could illustrate some of what I was able to witness in the show.
At the theatre with my colleagues
Image Source: http://theatrebeijing.com/shows/acrobatic/
Image Source: https://www.beijingxiantour.com/beijing-tours/chinese-acrobatic-night-show-coach-tour/
Image Source: http://www.tianditheatre.com
Image Source:
http://quyi.chinesecio.com/en/article/2010-11/22/content_193515.htm
Ahhh
In any travel, local food is definitely something to try.
Our first meal when we arrived
There are exotic food for sale but I couldn’t imagine myself eating them.
street food
My travel in Beijing and visiting the Great Wall is a check in my bucket list. I really had fun to have a tour in this great city. If you have plans to travel around the world, I can say that you must include The Great Wall and Beijing in your list.
Sources:
https://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/facts/who-built.htm
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/beijing/tianan.html
