- The Great Wall of China became one of the 7 New Wonders of the World when it was chosen in 2007 by a vote of 100 million people.
- The Great Wall may be one of the most iconic man-made structures in the world and is a must-see for most travelers.
- There are many places to see the 13,000+ mile long wall. I decided to visit a section called Mutianyu about 2 hours outside of Beijing.
- Located in a picturesque verdant valley, the Wall was beautiful and, on a spring day in May, there was perfect weather and few crowds. I can't wait to visit wilder sections of the Wall on later trips.
While only one of the ancient seven wonders of the world still stands - the Pyramids of Giza - 100 million people voted in 2007 to select a New Seven Wonders of the World.
Among the winners: the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Brazil, Machu Picchu in Peru, Chichen Itza in Mexico, the Colosseum in Rome, and the Taj Mahal in India.
And, last but not least: the Great Wall of China,
Though the Great Wall was not listed as World Heritage site by UNESCO until 1987, it is possibly the most iconic man-made structure in the world. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it is a must-see for just about every traveler with even a passing interest in seeing China.
Visiting the Wall can be easy or hard depending on what exactly you want to see. Stretching over 13,000 miles through mountains, grasslands, and deserts, there are lots of places to see The Great Wall. It all depends on how much time you have and what you want to see.
When I visited China in April, I was on a tight schedule that had me running from Shanghai to Beijing to Shenzhen for a slew of meetings with tech companies. It left me little time to traverse the wilder sections of the Great Wall. But there was no way I was going to miss a chance to see the wonder.
I decided to visit the Mutianyu section of the Wall, just a couple hours outside of Beijing. Located in a picturesque green valley, the well-maintained section is one of the most popular places to walk the Wall.
It was the perfect trip to see 3,000-years worth of history in a single day.
Here's what the experience was like: