Climbing China’s legendary Great Wall at Badaling 🇨🇳
Badaling Great Wall offers perhaps the most accessible way to experience the epic scale of China’s Great Wall. Located just an hour’s drive (around 70 km) from central Beijing, this section draws throngs of visitors — but for good reason. Its stone ramparts rise and fall along verdant mountain ridges, providing sweeping views and a tangible sense of history at every turn.
Built in the early 1500s during the Ming Dynasty to guard a crucial pass leading to Beijing, Badaling has long been a strategic stronghold. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 as part of the Great Wall. The fortifications here are monumental: towering watchtowers and broad walls wide enough for five horses abreast. As an outstanding representative of the Great Wall’s grandeur, Badaling has become world-renowned — a symbol of China’s heritage and a must-see for travelers.
In 1957, Badaling became the first section of the Great Wall opened to tourism, heralding a new era of visitor access. Since then, millions of people from around the globe — including world leaders and royalty — have walked these ancient stones. Over decades, the wall at Badaling was extensively restored and improved for safety. Sturdy handrails now flank the steepest stairs, and a cable car can lift visitors up to a high point, bypassing some of the more arduous climbs. Uniquely, Badaling even offers wheelchair access: an elevator and gentle ramp lead to a lower section of the wall, making this the only part of the Great Wall where those with limited mobility can touch the ramparts. On peak days up to 65,000 people visit, so arriving early (or on weekdays) is wise for a more relaxed experience.
Modern amenities blend with the historical atmosphere. At the base, the China Great Wall Museum (free entry) showcases the history and construction of the wall, adding context to your visit. There are plenty of eateries and souvenir shops around the entrance for a quick bite or memorabilia. In recent years, Badaling has even introduced night tours on select dates, illuminating the wall after dusk in a golden glow — a spectacular sight against the starry sky. Getting here has become easier than ever: public bus 877 runs directly from Beijing, and the new Badaling Great Wall Railway Station (opened in 2019) whisks visitors from Beijing North Station to the foot of the wall in about 30 minutes.
Address: Badaling Great Wall (八达岭长城) — Yanqing District, Beijing
Fun facts — The name “Bādálǐng” (八达岭) means “reach eight directions,” referring to the convergence of roads at this mountain pass. And despite the popular myth, the Great Wall cannot be seen from the Moon with the naked eye (it’s barely discernible from low Earth orbit).
Beneath the mountains, a state-of-the-art Badaling Great Wall train station now lies hidden underground. Opened for the 2022 Winter Olympics, this high-speed rail stop was built 60 m below ground to preserve the landscape, yet it brings visitors from Beijing to the foot of Badaling in under half an hour — a modern engineering marvel beside an ancient one.