M-whY

That said, the Great Wall is still a remarkable piece of work. Never mind it proved ineffective as a line of defence. As Genghis Khan supposedly said, "The strength of a wall depends on the courage of those who defend it," and proceeded to bribe his way through. It was still useful as a road for transporting goods and equipment across rough terrain. Millions died in its construction, a project that spanned several dynasties, beginning with the first emperor Qin Shi Huang. The sorrow and grief it caused for those families involved... for many years it was despised more than it was revered.

But as Mao Zedong once said, "One is not a true man until he has climbed the Great Wall", and nowadays, millions each year flock to prove their virility and behold what they consider a great achievement of Chinese people. Like most backpackers, I prefer places with smaller crowds and, preferably, no souvenir vendors. Cherry, a girl working at the youth hostel, suggested going to a section known as Mutianyu, where she claimed not as many sightseers visit. The statement was probably made in earnest, just a little uninformed. The holidays again may have had something to do with it, but the parking lot was packed with cars and tour buses.

"[Meet back at the car at 3:00pm?]" the driver said to me, expecting me to translate for our little group. I did, and we ended up negotiating an extra hour, giving us just under four, to explore. With that, everyone split up and headed in different directions.

Mutianyu may have been reconstructed as a full blown tourist sight with a carnival atmosphere, but built on a ridge of hills, the scenery was very real. Jon and I skipped the cable car, saving about 30 yuan (US$1 = 8 yuan), and did the 25 minute hike to the top.

"Which direction should we go?" wondered Jon.

"Uhh, that way," I picked, and we began walking 'right'. Even though I've seen pictures before, to actually be here was something else. It wasn't an easy walk; In the guard towers spaced maybe 100m apart, people took breaks in the shade. Parts were quite steep, which is probably why all the t-shirts read 'I climbed the Great Wall' instead of 'I leisurely walked across the Great Wall'. With each determined step, I felt more and more manly.

At the last tower in this direction, a sign forbade tourists from going any further. No one else seemed to pay any attention to it, so neither did we, and marched across an unrestored section of the wall still overgrown with weeds. Standing on a crumbling guard tower, the view was outstanding. In the distance, a dozen other stone ramparts, unaccessible unless we were adventurous and willing to risk a fine, could be seen. A poet from the Song dynasty once wrote, "The wall is so tall because it is stuffed with the bones of soldiers, the wall is so deep because it is watered with the soldiers' blood," and it may be a little perverted to heap lavish praise on something made at the expense of so many lives, but if that's the case, well, then let's just say I was left speechless.

Going the other way wasn't as steep, and as the day wore on, fewer people seemed to be around. I overheard a family comparing it to Badaling, the most heavily touristed section of the Great Wall, saying that at Badaling, especially during this week, the 'wall of people' was the real sight. Coming here may not have been a bad idea. Jon, despite having old legs, had fresh legs, and hurried all the way to the 'last' battlement in this direction. I was content to simply sit atop a quiet tower and look over the countryside. By the time he returned, we were running out of time, and shelled out for the cable ride down.

Jon must have a popular face, because even though we had taken a different route down, everyone seemed to recognize him. "Hey, I remember you. Buy a tshirt," they said, dangling the famous 'I climbed the Great Wall' tshirt. China's currency all of the sudden became US dollars, and at three for a buck, might've been worth it as a Great Wall diploma. But feeling tired from the day's climb, and I wasn't thinking about tacky souvenirs, just that Peking duck awaiting me back in Beijing. A meal I would tear into as only a hungry man could.

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