Tuesday 6 to Wednesday 7 August, 2013 at Jinshanling

After breakfast on Day 4 we set off in a minibus for the four hour journey to Jinshanling and the Great Wall. At Jinshanling we stayed at a guesthouse with a lovely courtyard where the boys were able to play.

The Great Wall at Jinshanling was initially built from 1368 to 1389 in the Ming Dynasty. It is one of the best preserved parts of the Great Wall with many original features. It got its name because it was built on the Greater and Lesser Jinshan (Gold Mountain) ranges.

We had our first walk on the wall in the afternoon and it was a long climb up to it. There were just a few other people on the wall. We walked along for a bit before I took some of the boys back down.

According to the different terrain, the watchtowers were built in different shapes: tall or short, rectangular or squere, with three to five embrasures. Most are one or two floors.

The next morning, before breakfast, we went up again. Luke and I got to the top of the wall first and there was not another soul in sight. That was a fantastic experience.

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