"China and THE Great Wall" China by XtravelloverX

China Travel Guide: 36,069 reviews and 80,460 photos

What an incredible trip! I will be loading a ton of tips over the next week or so, as they are still fresh in my mind. Please keep coming back for more pics and info! :)

This was our 2004 Christmas card (above).

Inside Lama Temple

Mao Palace

Pros and Cons

Pros:The historical sites, Great Wall, old Hutong areas
Cons:The congestion in Beijing, dishonest taxi drivers and aggressive vendors at markets
In a nutshell:A trip to Beijing is well worth it b/c seeing the Great Wall, especially at Mutianyu will take your breath away!

Last visit to China: Nov 2004
Intro Updated Sep 24, 2005
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Reviews (10)

You're Gonna Have to Squat, my... Warnings Or Dangers (3)

Plan ahead, I didn't find one toilet in the city of Beijing, outside of our hotel, that had a true Western setup. As... more travel advice

Ming Tombs...defiinitely NOT a... Tourist Traps (1)

Perhaps it's a personal feeling, but I wasn't impressed with the Ming Tombs, I imagine you need to see it for youself as... more travel advice

Hire a Taxi to the Wall, not a tour... Transportation (1)

I would definitely recommend hiring a taxi to the Great Wall to give yourself the maximum amount of time and flexibility... more travel advice

Walking the Great Wall, Badaling, China - China

Walking the Great Wall Warnings Or Dangers (3)

Pack extremely comfortable shoes, water, a light snack and give yourself plenty of time. It's deceiving how strenuous a... more travel advice

Comments (18)

jumpingnorman Feb 17, 2009 at 10:31 PM Report Abuse

Hi DJ! Nice China tips and I found the toilet tips amusing, hehehe...glad to see somebody else from Arizona, jumpingnorman :)
SLLiew Jun 19, 2008 at 9:36 PM Report Abuse

Great tips. The Great Wall is still impressive with its length and steep steps. I enjoyed the giant animal statues leading to the Mong Tombs but was warned that the tombs themselves are empty chambers - looted long ago. Cheers, SL :)
MrDragon Oct 22, 2007 at 8:56 AM Report Abuse

I didn't like the Ming Tombs either, but the nearby Sacred Road is actually very nice, so I you've booked a trip that combines both, try to spend more time at that place.
Jim_Eliason Sep 23, 2006 at 2:28 PM Report Abuse

Nice tips, I know what you mean on the Ming tombs, the grounds itself are better than the tombs.
Sininen Aug 3, 2006 at 8:29 PM Report Abuse

Hello Dawn! This is a very good and informative page. Those loos though maybe not of the Western standard look great comapred to some I've experienced. Happy birthday from Finland!
AlbuqRay Jun 24, 2006 at 10:37 AM Report Abuse

Dawn, I have never been to China but now I know about the toilets. Actually they seem better than many other places in Asia. I don't know about eating American food in China. I like to try the local fare. Thanks for the tips though.
hojasdehierba Apr 5, 2006 at 4:57 PM Report Abuse

Good tips! Thanks for sharing.
kaiwaipi Mar 5, 2006 at 5:04 PM Report Abuse

honest and down to the point. thank you.
BluBluBlu Jan 30, 2006 at 1:43 AM Report Abuse

LOL! You have to love asian loo's! Nice photo's/tips...Blu
budapest8 Sep 7, 2005 at 8:13 PM Report Abuse

Honey if you loved the toilets in the nice places in China your just gonna luv the toilet arrangement in the simple houses in Goa. They use pigs, no flushing required. "Drop and Go" I didn't eat meat in India! Tim