Beijing D4 - The Great Wall at Badaling, 八达岭长城

Beijing Public Transport Bus No. 877

I read 5 guide books about transport to the Great Wall of China - and all tells me quite differently :(
One simply suggested that we join the local licensed tour bus for ¥120-160 per pax. But this was what we did today..

Clean and comfy Public Buses

Took a subway train and alighted at Jishuitan Station, 积水潭站. Move with the crowd; the majority also visiting the Great Wall, to reach Deshengmen, 德胜门 Bus Terminal where public buses run frequently to the Badaling Great Wall.

You'll know you are on the right path when you got approached by the many private bus operators touting for "fast" transport to the Great Wall, and many travellers queuing up. Their pricing was about ¥60 for a return trip but there's no guarantee for a complete journey, so we were advised not to join these operators. We walked on.

After 15mins of hasten walking, we reached the public bus terminal (like our SBS bus service) where uniformed bus marshals were directing the masses who were there for the Great Wall express buses to the designated bus queue. A cash fare of ¥$12 was collected as you board the bus that leaves the terminal once it was filled. We paid just ¥4.80 using our stored value public bus passes instead!

To our delight, there was even a bus guide on board who made helpful PA announcements about the trip; where to buy tickets, how to return by bus, toilet and food locations, what to do when you got lost and the possible traffic conditions!? Whoa!

Nearly an hour into the journey, i caught my first glimpses of the Great Wall!!! Just as our 1 hour bus trip was delayed by a bad traffic jam on the expressway which causes a hold-up of about 40 mins.

The bus finally touches down at the Badaling Bear Park where we spend another 1.5hr queuing for the pulley slide that took us directly to the North 4th watch tower, 北四楼 of the Badaling Great Wall.

From North 4th, we were supposed to climb to the highest point of Badaling, the North 8th, 北八楼 which everyone aimed to conquer!

You can see that the route from North 6th to 7th watch tower was closed to public, it was much steeply inclined; a side scaffold platform was constructed instead to reach the North 8th.

North 6th, 7th Watch Tower

We were at the North 5th before we turned back for the pulley slide ride downhill; not that we have not the stamina to go North 8th, but to avoid the returning bus crowd and the afternoon traffic jams to Beijing.

The mass of tourist congregating the peak was a daunting sight too.

As we turned to leave, more were climbing up...

I believe it was a let down to every visitors that the Great Wall was always bustling and hustling with people; such that the sense of solitary and grandeur about the structure and its wild surrounding vastness could not be quietly relished.

Seen documentaries narrating stories about watch tower soldiers who miss home badly while guarding the lonely borders for years... how much could we comprehend of that in this busyness?