Next Day I went from Simatai up to the very top...Tower 10
http://M-carstairs.com/travel
The Towers were sturdy and strongly built of thick stone. Five thousand kilometers like a gigantic dragon winding its way across China, with many of its sections and passes now designated as Key national Cultural Sites.
Each main area divided into smaller areas with a turret window in each section, which would have been manned by soldiers in the past. A small staircase led up steep steps, to the parapet, from which one could get a 360 degree view over the land.
There were steps up to the tower and down from the tower.
The walking path ran alongside the wall in most places, and you can see it quite clearly. The tour guide told us there were 1000 steps from where we started, to the wall, when he suggested we take the chair lift to the top, at the beginning of the tour. Because of the weather in January, and also the time element of the tour, we chose the faster pulley up to the Wall, so we could spend the entire time walking the wall.
There are many stories written about the Great Wall, but the one that I like best is the fact that it was called the Wall of Tears, as so many lost their lives in the creation of this World Wonder. The faith and heart of the Chinese is very strong here. They considered it an honor to die in the course of serving their Emperor. Many died from the hard life they left, and were just buried under the wall itself making this the "Wall of Tears".
When you stand and marvel at the feat of construction, spare a thought for the workers who toiled so hard to build this Fantasy.
Yes, it is a very memorable wall and if walls tell stories, there is a story here with each stone.
It is a wonderful Physical and Spiritual Experience to Walk the Wall.
Maggi Carstairs 2006
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