Walking the Great Wall

By KEN COLLINS*

Trekking along parts of the Great Wall of China is an adventure of a lifetime. For those intrigued by the culture of traditional Chinese village life, who have dreamt of exploring ancient temples, forts and pagodas, it is a must.

Few of those who visit this amazing place are unmoved by the experience. I have been leading treks in this part of the world now for more than a decade, but I still remember my own first response to this mysterious place.

I recall the sound of small feet and whispering voices as I visited the Inner Mongolian village of Shuiquan. Villagers glanced from windows to see me, the "foreign ghost" as I arrived.

Then there was the wonderful campsite outside the time-warp of Guang Wu Fort, a 14th century walled town today occupied by 2000 people, most of whom are descendants of the fort's Ming Dynasty soldiers.

Although I have been to these places many times since then, I still feel privileged to visit and camp at villages in the closed area of China's Yellow River district. The locals are as intrigued with you as you are with them. Even today, in these rural regions, foreigners are rarely seen.

My most rewarding trip included trekking along three major sections of the Great Wall, starting on the border of Hebei Province before venturing into the ShanXi Province and Mt Yanmen and the historic Guang Wu Fort.

From here I travelled westward to the Inner Mongolian border for the third leg of the trek, a walk to the Yellow River. This area is culturally rich: walls once enclosed several of the towns and villages. And some of the villages today are made up of underground homes.

I climbed to the junction of the inner and outer wall before starting a five-day stroll through farming districts to the Yellow River. I was often invited into the homes of the villagers and experienced some wonderful hospitality and was offered apples and tea with a politeness that bordered on ceremony.

China's imperial past, reflected by the colossal wall, ancient forts and walled towns is fascinating. On a trek in rural China you can see where dynasties toiled for centuries to rebuff invading Mongolian hordes.

The trek ended at the Yellow River, at which point we meandered through northern ShanXi Province, where some of China's great cultural sites are located, including the famed Yung Gang Buddha grottos, the Hanging Temple and the 10th Century Wooden Pagoda.

By the time I returned to Beijing, I was brimming with excitement at all I had seen and done.

Beijing is a city in a state of immense change. It houses priceless relics such as the Imperial Palace (Forbidden city), the Summer Palace (summer retreat of the emperors), the Temple of Heaven and Yong He Gong Lamasery. Shopping and going for a ride in the subway leaves most travellers wide–eyed.

* Ken Collins has been leading this trek along the Great Wall in China for World Expeditions for more than a decade.

Departures are in May, July and September.

Contact: World Expeditions
Tel: 0800 350 354
Email enquiries@worldexpeditions.co.nz