China Destinations

A day trip to The Great Wall of China and an unexplored Gubei Water Town

updated on 4 Comments on A day trip to The Great Wall of China and an unexplored Gubei Water Town
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On my recent trip to Beijing, I took a day trip to the Great Wall and Gubei water town, and it was indeed the best day of my overall trip.

I started at 11 am from Beijing in a private car, which I booked through my hotel which is always a good idea because of two reasons.

1. I avoided the language issues as the hotel’s staff explained everything to the driver correctly.

2. It was a lot cheaper in comparison to the rates I was getting online. 

Cost – Private car – 800 RMB for 8 hours 

There are bus options as well but, then I didn’t want to stick to the timings. Also, there is no bus connection between the Great Wall and Gubei water town. 

First Stop: GUBEI WATER TOWN

The first stop was the stunning Gubei water town which is in Miyun county in Beijing. It is 2 hours away from Beijing.

The Gubei Water Town surrounds the beautiful Mandarin Duck Lake Reservoir. It has a combination of mountains, water, and ancient villages. Most buildings are reconstructed in the traditional courtyard style. Based on five ancient villages and a water resource. It is not a historical water town; it is a replica of Wuzhen Water Town in Southern China and has developed into a sightseeing and holiday destination.

It has many hotels, lots of eateries and to top it all the picturesque sights everywhere. It felt like I have stepped into a different world.

That are entry tickets to the water town, that can be bought right at the entrance of the town.

– 140 RMB per person for a day visit.

– 80 RMB but if you are staying in one of the resorts inside the town.

I loved the old-fashioned simplicity, scattered river channels, and stunning backdrops!!! Every spot was a sight to behold. One can easily spend an entire day here.

Admiring the old architecture
Point and shoot! This place was just perfect…

Also, it’s right next to one of the sections of the wall which is called Simatai Section. Interestingly, it’s is the only section which is also open for the night hike.

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Last week I was in Beijing, China and I tried this sugarcoated Haws also called Tanghulu. And I just couldn’t have had enough – these sugar dipped fruits are nowadays very common at few other countries but none make it like China. Dropping a new video tonight on my YouTube channel about the vegetarian food in China. Vegetarian food in Japan is already there on the channel – 💃🏼💃🏼 LINK IN BIO https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JfKIPMyeMMM #tanghulu #beijing #china #vegetarianfood #vegetarianjapanesefood #indianyoutuber #whatiateinchina #allaboutfood #instafood #instagram #beijingtourism #indiantravelgram #tripotocommunity #condenastindia #foodporn #foodphotography #foodinbeijing #sugarcoatedhaws

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Second stop : THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

After soaking in the beautiful views as much, it was time to head to another section of the Great Wall which was just half an hour away. I chose ‘Jinshanling‘ section, which was a little away from Beijing hence fewer crowds and apparently the most beautiful sections as well.

Things to know before going: The Great Wall is 6000 km long, and The best 10 sections to visit are near Beijing. People usually go to 1 or 2 sections of the Great Wall or hike between the 2 to 3 sections. Every section is unique in its own way – Some are fully restored, some are half restored, and some are wild while some are just beautiful.

Tickets to the Great Wall – 65 Rmb 

The main ticket counter was away from the wall entrance, so I took a shuttle for 10 – RMB. One can also walk the whole way to the main entrance of the wall. It would take about an hour. Post that I bought cable car tickets one way as I decided to walk back down… One can hike or take cable car both the ways.

Cable Car Tickets – 40 RMB

It was a 15 min beautiful cable car ride. It takes you right on the wall…

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The first glimpse of the Great Wall of China had swept me off my feet. This human-made wonder which is also one of the seven wonders of the world is quite a sight to behold. Fun Facts – *The great wall is 6000 km long wall, and was built to protect the Chinese empire from Mongolians and other Invaders. * Walking the whole wall can take up about 18 months. * People who visit the wall for a day – visit or hike one or two sections. * The wall closest to Beijing is Mutinayu and is the best-restored wall hence densely crowded. * We went to the Jinshanling section, which is 2 hours drive from Beijing and apparently the most beautiful section of the wall. To be continued 😬 – – – – #thegreatwallofchina #sevenwonders #sevenwondersoftheworld #beijing #indiantravellers #watchtower #china_ig #indiantravelblogger #letstravel #girlswhowander #jinshanling #jinshanlinggreatwall #instatoday #tripotocommunity #cntgiveitashot #bloggerlife #youtuber #delhiyoutuber #exploretheworld #majesticsight #beautifuldestinations #chinatourism #beijingtourism #beijingguide #funfacts #natgeotravelindia #condenasttraveler #7wonders

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I was awed at the first glimpses of the wall. It’s a massive piece of art created by human.

WOW feeling

Built over many years by many dynasties over 22 centuries. It was built to protect the Chinese empire from Mongolians and other invaders. Nearly 400000 people died building the wall, and hence it’s also called the longest cemetery on earth.

There are about 25000 watchtowers, and they were used to watch enemy movements and transmit signals.

After 4 hours, I bid goodbye to the great wall.

For watching the whole experience, Please click the link below:- let me know what you think 🙂

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4 Comments

    1. China has a lot to be explored. Hope the situation gets better soon and you can explore this beautiful country.

      Reply

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