Great Wall Pt 2
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The Great Wall of China – Part
Two
  Mutianyu Great Wall:
Total
length of 3.4 miles (5,400 meters). It was first built
in Northern Qi Dynasty (550-557). In the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Tan Lun and
Qi Jiguang, two famous patriotic generals, rebuilt it in order to strengthen its
defensive potential when they guarded the strategic pass. It served as the
northern protective screen, guarding the capital and imperial mausoleums for
generations.
It is mainly made of slabs of granite. It measures 23 feet (7 meters) to 26 feet (8 meters) in height, and 4 yards (4 meters) to 5 yards (5 meters) in width. Both sides of the Great Wall have parapets to defend against enemies. Some parapets are saw- tooth shaped instead of the regular rectangular form. Below the parapets, there are square embrasures, the top of which are designed in an arc structure, different from the traditional round embrasures. There are 23 watchtowers distributed at close intervals along the wall. They are located not only in the main wall but also at the distinctive "branch city". Branch cities are built on the hill ridge against the inner or outer side of the wall. For example, No. 11 Watchtower can be found on the branch wall. Zhengguan Terrace (No. 6 Watchtower) is 44 yards (40 meters) long, 33 yards (30 meters) wide, and 66 feet (20 meters) high. The gate is not designed in the middle but is on the eastern side. The two-storey terrace is comprised of three hollow watchtowers, a large one in the middle and two smaller ones on two sides. It has many rooms to store grain and station troops. Big Corner Tower (No. 1 Watchtower) is connected with Mutianyu in the west, with Gubeikou in the east, and with a branch city wall in the south. The tower looks like a corner from each angle, so it is called Big Corner Tower.
I cannot begin to express how excited
I was to be here, I just kept touching the Great Wall
and smiling.
 Bear was equally
thrilled. Having heard and read sooooo much about
it, quite wondrous.
 An Am-Dram
dance on a Beacon.
 The Great Wall
taken from the window of Beacon 17, we stopped just before the very steep
bit.
 Watchtower Beacon
18, I’m still grinning like a Cheshire Cat.
 Looking
back, we had quite enough uppy-downy bits to do.
             On our way back, still taking in the majestic views.
   Still
smiling as we took the cable car down, the
haze very stubborn.
 One final look at
the Great Wall of China...........
   After our wonderful, memorable,
bucket-list-tick, once-in-a-lifetime experience at The Great Wall, it was time
for a really late lunch. Call us dull, but after looking at loads of pictures of
very dodgy looking things and because we both really fancied it – sweet and sour
chicken. Bear and I chatted excitedly about The Wall
and our food came. We asked for some watermelon for
afters and a small fruit shop appeared with tomatoes
???. Ready for The Sacred Passage and hour or so away. Just a little daft stuff
as we left the eatery.
    ALL IN ALL
WORDS DO NO JUSTICE
UTTERLY
FANTASTIC |
