This article is about the China vacations and Great Wall travel. You can find some useful information in it if you are planning your Great Wall travel now.
Badaling Great Wall is the site of the most visited part of the Great Wall, approximately 80 kilometers northwest of Beijing in Yanjing County, which is within the Beijing municipality. The portion of the wall running through the site was built during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location’s strategic importance.The highest point of Badaling is Beibalou, approximately 1015 meters above sea level.
The portion of the wall at Badaling has undergone heavy restoration, and in 1957 it was the first section of the wall to open to travellers. Now visited annually by millions, the immediate area has seen significant development, including hotels, restaurants, a cable car, etc. The recently completed Badaling Expressway connects Badaling with Beijing.
Badaling and the expressway were the site of the finishing circuit of the Urban Road Cycling Course in the 2008 Summer Olympics. Laps of the circuit passed through gates in the wall.
It was here that President Richard Nixon and his wife visited on 02/24/1972, during his historic journey to P. R. China. ( From Travel2ChinaInfo Dot COM, you can get more info about China vacations)
Travel tips for your Badaling Great Wall tour:
1. To get here, you can take the Line 919 city bus in Deshengmen (Desheng Gate) of Beijing. This is the cheapest way to get to the Badaling Great Wall. The Line 919 bus is available at 6:30 – 17:00 and the bus station is right there under the Deshengmen (Desheng Gate). The cost is 12 rmb ( for the bus goes through the Badaling express way and with air condition in it ) for one person. It takes about 1 hour to get to Badaling Great Wall. One thing I have to mention is that there is another type of Line 919 bus here. It is cheaper (only 5 rmb) and also heads to the Badaling Great Wall. But this bus doesn’t have air condition and takes 2 hours to get to the Badaling Great Wall because it choose another road, not the Badaling expressway. The Line You 1, You 2, You 3, You 4, You 5 bus is another option for you (“You” is the meaning for travel in Chinese). These buses can take you to the Badaling Great Wall, The Ming Tombs, etc. The disadvantage is that you will not have enough time for each scenic spot. If you wanna spend more time in the Badaling Great Wall. This Line You bus is not your best choice.
2. To get back, you can take the Line 919 bus or the Line You 1 – You 5 buses. Some friends told me that the Line 919 was very crowded and it was not easy to find a seat in Lin 919 bus. But it is in a totally different situation now. There is a starting station in Badaling now and you will be able to find a good seat in this place. I once made a mistake there. I found a Line 919 bus with many people in it. I thought it was goting back to Deshengmen and when I got on the bus I was told that this bus was the free bus for the Badaling Zoo. I had to take the same bus to get back when I arrived this Badaling Zoo. If you don’t want to make the same mistake, you’d better ask the driver about their destination before you get on the bus.
3. The train is also a good choice for your Badaling Great Wall travel. You can take the train to Badaling at the Wudaokou station. There are trains heading to Badaling every morning and they will get back in the afternoon.
4. If you wanna rent a sedan or minivan to Badaling, the cost is about 300 rmb for a whole day.
4. If you do not want to have lunch in Badaling (a little bit expensive and not delicious in my point of view), you can bring some food with you.
5. There is a big toilet in the entrance of the Badaling Great Wall. It is clean and free. In other toilets of Badaling, you will need to pay for it and will not be able to find some water to wash your hands. 🙁
6. The sourth part and north part of the Badaling Great Wall are different and you’d better see both.
7. The ticket price is 45 rmb for the entrance of the Badaling Great Wall. This includes the entrance fees for a Bear Garden and a Great Wall Museum.
8. Again, leave nothing but prints, take nothing but photos.