Technical Tour


On July 26, the conference will organize technical tour around Beijing to the Badaling Great Wall.

Tips:
1)Please show your Tour Card when joining the Technical Tour. Please take care of your Tour Card as it is the only access to the tour.
2)Please follow the arrangement of the guide. Participants are not allowed to leave team without permission.

Schedule:
July 26, 2024 08:30-16:00

Badaling Great Wall
The Great Wall is a must for a China tour, while Badaling is a must for a Great Wall tour. Badaling Great Wall in Beijing is the best-preserved and most complete section among the various, hence the most popular, even among world leaders.

Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing District, Beijing. Wind and jump over the high mountains of Yanshan. It is the section with the longest history, the richest culture, the most magnificent architecture, the most spectacular scenery, the most famous and the best preserved among the thousands of famous and dangerous passes of the Great Wall. It is a prominent representative of the Great Wall and the most important section of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty.

The Badaling Great Wall is known as one of the nine fortresses of the world in history. It is an important part of the Great Wall, a great defense work in ancient China. It is a pass of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty and an outpost of Juyongguan, an important pass of the Great Wall.
In ancient times, it was said that "the dangerous thing about Juyong is not in the Pass, but in Badaling." It is a major barrier to the capital, Beijing, and has always been a strategic location for armies to compete over. The Badaling Great Wall is the best preserved and most representative of the Ming Great Wall, so it was the first section to be opened to tourists. The Badaling Great Wall is majestic, steep, beautiful and green. Being one of the eight scenic spots of Juyongguan in the Ming Dynasty, "Yuguan Tianqian" became famous for the vast scenery and the motto of "you won't be a hero until you climb the Great Wall".

The Badaling Great Wall Pass is trapezoidal in shape, narrow in the east and wide in the west, with east and west gates. The inscription on the east gate is "Ju Yong Wai Zhen", and the inscription on the west gate is "Bei Men Suo Yue". The section of the Great Wall that extends north from the Pass has 12 watchtowers, and the section that extends south from the Pass has 7 watchtowers. In addition to climbing the Great Wall from the Pass, there are also tickets to climb the Great Wall at Tower No. 4 in the south, Tower No. 4 in the north, Tower No. 8 in the north and Tower No. 11 in the north . Among them, Tower No. 4 in the south is an excellent place to observe the Badaling Great Wall; Tower No. 8 in the north is the tallest watchtower of the Badaling Great Wall, also known as "Sun Viewing Platform". Tower No. 8 in the north is more than 1,500 meters from the Pass. What is often said, "you won't be a hero until you climb the Great Wall," refers to this place. Cable cars will be found at Tower No. 4 in the south and Tower No. 8 in the north. Visitors who don't want to walk too much can take the cable car to go directly to the watchtower and then return the same way, so they can save energy and have fun without getting tired.

In addition, Badaling Great Wall will also launch Great Wall night tours from time to time to enrich the sightseeing options and in-depth experience of tourists. When night falls, the lights turn on, you see mountains in the distance and trees up close. The Great Wall flies between the mountains like a dragon, which is very magnificent. Visitors can stand at the foot of the Great Wall and feel the unique charm of the Great Wall, which is majestic, ancient and elegant.

Best Time to Visit:
April to October

Beijing Weather in July
July is the hottest and wettest month of Beijing, with the highest temperature reaching up to 40°C (104°F), accompanied with a moderate rainfall of 185mm (7 inches). Thunderstorms are frequent along with sudden torrential rain. Due to the high temperatures and humidity of July weather in Beijing, this city has 'sauna' days towards the end of the month, when it is so hot, and excessive perspiration soaks through the clothes.
It's the season for shorts, thin T-shirts, skirts and sandals in Beijing.


Why visit Badaling rather than others
  • It is the most popular section.
  • It is the best-preserved and most complete section.
  • Compared with other sections, most stairs are not very steep and they are equipped with handrails, so it is a relatively easier climb.
  • This section has been equipped with cable cars and pulleys to save energy, and it even has some facilities to make it easier for seniors and the disabled.
  • It is close to downtown Beijing, about 43 miles (70 kilometers) away, and easy to reach by public transportation.
Basic Facts about Badaling Great Wall
  • Most of the preserved parts were built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) to defend Beijing against the intrusion of northern Mongolians.
  • The total length of this section is 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) with 43 watchtowers, however, only 3.74 kilometers (2.3 miles) and 19 watchtowers have been restored and opened to visitors.
  • In this section the wall averages about 7.8 meters (26 feet) tall, and 6 meters (20 feet) wide, which would allow five horses to gallop or ten soldiers to march abreast.
  • It is built of huge bar-stones and bricks. The interior of the wall was stuffed with rammed earth and small stones to make it firm and solid.
  • A number of holes have been drilled in the wall to shoot arrows and to watch enemies.
  • The watchtowers were built to accommodate soldiers, send messages, observe the enemy, and store supplies. It also has shooting and observing holes.
  • It witnessed many significant events in history: Yuan Taizu, the first emperor of Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD) conquered it, took control over Beijing, then the whole China, and began the Yuan Dynasty; Empress Dowager Cixi of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD) fled from there to western China in 1900 when an alliance of eight western countries controlled Beijing.
  • It has drawn tens of millions of tourists both from home and abroad. More than 370 foreign leaders and celebrities have visited it, including former US presidents Nixon, Reagan, Carter, and Gorge W Bush, Queen Elizabeth II of UK, and former South Africa president Mandela.
  • See more Badaling Facts  
Cable Car & Pulley in Badaling Great Wall
The scenic site is divided into north and south section, and is equipped with cable car & pulley, and the cable cars have aerial ones and ground ones.

The north section provides aerial cable cars and pulleys. Aerial cable cars that run between the parking lot of the back mountain and No.8 North Tower are suitable for all visitors. Pulleys, more exciting and more challenging than sealed cable cars, are not recommended for seniors and little kids. The lower station is next to the Bear Garden at the front mountain and the upper station is close to No.4 North Tower.

In the south section, only the ground cable car is available, no pulleys. The cable car runs between the opposite of Zhan Tianyou Memorial Hall and No.4 South Tower.

Read more: Badaling Great Wall Cable Car vs. Slideway

How to tour Badaling Great Wall - Hiking Tour
North Section:
  • It has twelve watchtowers.
  • The Wall winds up and down the mountain ridges, offering more magnificent scenery, but requiring more energy to climb.
  • The stone stele engraved with “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man” is along this section, close to No. 8 North Tower; it is also the highest point in this area, offering a great bird’s-eye view.
  • The path through No.9 North Tower to No.12 North Tower is not easy, think before climbing.
  • After reaching the furthest tower, No. 12 North, it is not necessary to return the way you came; there is an easier way to get to the exit by Bear Garden. It generally takes about 3 hours to complete this visit on foot. But upon descending via the convenient way, another ticket will be required if you want to climb the south section.
  • Between No. 6 North Tower and the exit, there is also a convenient path for descending. Another ticket is also required to ascend the south section.
South Section:
  • It has seven watchtowers.
  • The slopes are gentle and less energy-consuming.
  • Compared with the north section, there are fewer visitors here and one can enjoy it at a more leisurely pace.
  • After arriving at the furthest No.7 South Tower, return to No.3 South Tower for a quick exit. This visit takes about 2 hours on foot. If visitors want to cover the north section, they can go back to the starting point and then continue to the north section; in that case, no extra ticket will be required.