Badaling Great Wall

Introduction

Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing County which is 70 kilometers north of Beijing city. This section of the Great Wall was built from spring to autumn a period between 770 BC and 476 BC. It was the first section to be opened to tourists in 1957 after it was reconstructed in the Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1644 AD when the government moved its capital from Nanjing to Beijing and the wall was a very important pass to protect the city on the north side against the intrusion of northern Mongolians. The total length of this section of the Great Wall is 12 kilometers and has a total of 43 watchtowers, although only 3.74 kilometers and 19 watchtowers have been restored and opened to visitors. The wall’s width is 6 meters wide and 7.8 meters tall with its highest point being Beibalou that is approximately 1,015 meters above sea level. It was built from huge stone bars and bricks with its interior stuffed with rammed earth and small stones to further strengthen it. The wall also has holes drilled on it to allow soldiers to shoot arrows as they kept track of their enemies.

Because of how well it is preserved and maintained, Badaling section of the Great Wall shows the Great Wall as it looked when it was first constructed. The wall got its name Badaling meaning eight prominent peaks from how it is easy to navigate through traffic in the region suggesting its strategic importance and convenience. In Chinese 'Bada' means giving access to all directions. In ancient times, smoke and fire were used as signals when soldiers found an invader then the signals would be sent to other parts via Great Wall at the fastest speed to reach the capital and hence the whole country will get prepared for war. The fire was always lit on beacon towers in the evening and smoke was used during the daytime. The number of the smoke and fire columns always represented the number of invaders. This traditional communication system was being used for over 2700 years.

Things and activities to do on a visit

Hiking

A visit to the Badaling Great Wall gives visitors a chance to have a rather smooth hike as the stairs are not very steep and there are side lines with handrails in most parts. The Great Wall can be seen winding its way in the midst of undulating high peaks and magnificent scenery. The Great wall experiences four seasons and in spring the vicinity gets covered in flowers.

North Section

This north section has the most magnificent scenery but has the steepest slopes and a total of twelve watchtowers including the renowned stone stele engraved with the words “He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man” located near number 8 Tower which is also the highest point in this section with magical bird’s eye views. Also on this section is tower number 9 through to number 12 which are quiet a challenging hike trail.

This section can also be explored on a cable car and a thrilling pulley. The cable cars run between the parking lot of the back mountain and number 8 north tower and are suitable for a more relaxing visit and for seniors and children. The pulley is however not recommended for children and seniors because it is not sealed but it runs from the lower station next to the Bear Garden at the front mountain and the upper station near number 4 towers.

South Section

This section has a total of seven watch towers with gentle slopes as compared to the north section and it gets fewer visitors meaning one can enjoy the beauty of the wall away from the crowds in a more leisurely manner. This section also has a cable car running between the opposite of Zhan Tianyou Memorial Hall and number 4 South Tower. Its furthest tower is tower number 7.

Towers

There are more than 43 towers on the Badaling Great Wall that were used for signaling, guarding, watching and battling invaders. The towers have diverse interiors and exteriors which were very effective in their functions. They have a rectangular shape that is two storied and the ground level of the watchtower served both as both the storage area for weapons and a defensive structure.

The upper level was a battlement with peepholes and portholes for archers and sets of beacon towers for signaling and sending out warnings and are located at regular intervals serving as very important defensive grounds on the Great Wall.

Beacon Tower

There are several sets of beacon towers on the Great Wall for the sole purpose of defense constructed every 5 to 10 kilometers. The beacon towers structure is big enough to generate the signals there were supposed to be passed.  A fire and smoke warning would set to attract the attention of other consecutive beacons hence conveying the message far and wide.

Fortress

The fortress has two main gates; the eastern gate, Ju Yong Wai Zhen and the western gate, Bei Men Suo Yue. These Fortresses divide the Great Wall into many sections. They are mid-sized and are shaped into trapezoids. Their walls are strong and tall and strong measuring 8 meters high and 20 meters wide to allow the soldiers to fight against the invaders. There are two high prominent fortresses that allowed guarding solders to keep an eye on the invaders from a distance.

Ancient Cannon

This is the most advanced weaponry of the Ming Dynasty that is found near the entrance to Badaling Great Wall. There are five pieces of ancient iron cannons that were set up in 1638 with the largest being 2.85 meters long.

Changling Tomb

Introduction 

Constructed by Emperor Zhudi also known as Emperor Yongle in his seventh year of power, in 1409 this Changling Tomb took a total of 18 years to be completed. This imperial tomb covers a ground of 120,000 square meters and is the largest of all other Ming Tombs. The Changling Tomb is located in Changping County, 40 kilometers from Beijing at the foot of Heavenly Longevity Hill; a location that followed the principle of Feng Shui which is meant to harmonize everyone with nature. The Emperor started by building his tomb and then other emperors followed suit and eventually there was a cluster of tombs in the same valley leading to its development into a Cultural Protection Unit and a 5A Scenic Spot. In 2003, it was UNESCO listed amongst other World Cultural Heritage sites. 

Other tombs are usually located 8 kilometers away from Changling Tomb and they all have a common layout with a square yard at the front and a round yard at the back. Each tomb has the main structure built in the axis with a huge temple on the ground from front to back in this order; the Front Gate to the tomb, the Gate of Eminent Favor, the Hall of Eminent Favors (LingEn Dian), the Dragon and the Phoenix Gate, Soul Tower and the Wall-Encircled Earth Mound.

Things to do and see on a visit

Ling En Gate

Ling En Gate is located in the second courtyard of Changling Tomb area and has white marble railings curved with phoenixes and dragon with three stone steps at the front and the back of the basement stone. The gate is 31 meters wide, 14 meters deep and 15 meters high. At the corners of its steps and under the railings of the gate are dragon head shaped stone drainages. The lower part of the carved stones is a surging sea in which mountains stand and two sea horses are leaping out and in the upper part, two vigorous dragons are flying up and down, chasing fire beads.

Ling En Hall

Ling En Hall was initially a place of worship for the heirs of Emperor Yongle. It is 66 meters wide and 29.12 meters long. In the middle of the hall is a copper statue of Emperor Yongle on the throne decorated with nine dragons and the hall is the largest Nan wood building in China. It is supported by 60 wooden columns made of precious Nan wood. This is a special brand of wood originally found in the mountains in the southern part of China. The wood is believed to dispel mosquitoes during summer. The hall is set on a three story high pedestal of white marble and its ceiling is colorfully painted and supported by sixteen solid Nan wood, being 13 meters high and 1.1 meters wide and the floor is covered with golden bricks. 

The Hall now serves as a museum for precious artifacts found in the imperial coffins as well as an indispensable source of material for study about Ming’s architectural design. In addition, there is a portrait of Emperor Zhu Di and Empress Xu. In another picture is a list of achievements that Emperor Zhudi achieved including moving the capital to Beijing, organizing scholars to compile the Yongle Encyclopedia, constructing the Forbidden City and dispatching Zheng He to sail to the Atlantic. The palace also displays a live video of the underground excavation, which enlightens visitors on how to unlock the mystery of the underground palace.

Stele Pavilion

In the courtyard inside a double eave and hip pavilion stands a perfectly preserved dragon stele built in the 21st year during Emperor Jiajing’s reign. The dragon stele poses like a turtle yet it is a crawling dragon whose body is covered with protruding scales. There were no inscriptions on the stele except those written by three Qing Emperors. 

Treasure City

This is the back portion of Changling Tomb which when seen from above looks like an enclosed circular castle with a diameter of 300 meters. It is inside this 'city' that Emperor Zhu Di and Empress Xu were buried.

Divine Burner

There are two yellow glazed pottery burners that were used for burning silver ingots, prayer paper made of gold after sacrificial ceremonies.