Thorn Tree travel forum

1

How can there be an old part of the Great Wall in Dunhuang when the western end of it is at Jiayuguan?
Oh, you're a Chinese tour guide, that's why!

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2

I'm not a trekker, but I saw the ruins of the Great Wall just outside of Yulin. I took a taxi to the restored watchtower. It's been restored, but the walls leading to it haven't been restored. This may not be wild enough for you, though.

I heard that outside of Datong you have to do some walking and climbing to get to the ruins.

While you are in northern Shaanxi, be sure to stop by Shenmu. It's not even in my old LP, but it has two fascinating mountain-top temple complexes. One you can drive up to and the other has to be climbed.

!! Be warned that "students" who want to practice English with you may actually be scammers. In Shanghai they try the Tea Ceremony Scam. In Beijing it's the Art Student Scam. Be very wary if a stranger wants to speak English with you, especially if you are in a tourist area. !!

3

We saw the eastern end at Shanhaiguan (if you'll be in Beijing again) - there's a bit that is in the sea and there's another bit a Jianshan where you can walk on the old unreconstructed bit of the wall into the mountains. It was great. We were the only people on that bit of the wall (there is a reconstructed bit which was beautiful and pretty quiet too). Shanhaiguan is about 3 hours on a T train from Beijing. Bear in mind that the guide books mention lots of places to eat/stay inside the city wall. Everything inside the city wall has now been pulled down ready for reconstruction. There is a hotel still in the walls but make sure you bargain on the prices as they have rooms for 140RMB but don't tell you. You'd be better off in a hotel outside the wall. We're heading for Jiayuguan next so may be able to update you on that in a couple of days if we can manage to get a train out of Lanzhou).

4

#1, there IS a section of the Han dynasty Great Wall near Dunhuang. Very original and not touristy at all.
Cheers!

5

#2, what was that temple complex by Shenmu? I saw it when my bus went through Shenmu last year.