Visiting the Great Wall of China
On our tour of China, we spent a few hours walking along the Great Wall. We visited a popular section called Badaling, about 80 kilometres northwest of Beijing. It is one of the most visited sections because it is the most well-maintained and representative section the Wall.
What is most striking about the Wall is the sheer size of it, and the overwhelming presence it has. The fact that a million people lost their lives building the Wall, adds to its impressiveness. And this fact has also lead the Wall to be called “the wall of tears”.
There is a great legend which tells of a lady called Meng Jiang, whose husband died while working on the wall. Her tears that fell were so bitter that it collapsed a section of the wall, revealing where his bones were. This allowed the grieving wife to bury them properly.
Another interesting fact is that in the Qin Dynasty, glutinous rice flour was used as cement to bind the bricks.
“The Great Wall symbolises everlasting strength and longevity and protection for my people” contemplates Sifu Leo.
> Next blog: Chen Village Museum
On our tour of China, we spent a few hours walking along the Great Wall. We visited a popular section called Badaling, about 80 kilometres northwest of Beijing. It is one of the most visited sections because it is the most well-maintained and representative section the Wall. What is most striking about the Wall is …