It was another early start this morning. We were up at about 5:30 am, so we had time to have breakfast before departing for Mutianyu to see the Great Wall of China. We didn’t really feel much like having breakfast that early, but we managed to get into the swing of it.

The Peninsula Beijing lobby for breakfast.
The Peninsula Beijing lobby for breakfast.
Breakfast.
Breakfast.

We set off with Colin, our guide, and our driver, at 7:00 am for the drive to Mutianyu to access the Great Wall. The early morning traffic in Beijing was very heavy, but after we got out of the city, we had a pleasant drive to Mutianyu. We arrived at about 8:45 am, which was early enough to give us access without busloads of people.

To get to the wall after parking the car, we had a short walk, a bus ride, a gondola ride, and another short walk.

Andrea, in the gondola at Mutianyu.
Andrea, in the gondola at Mutianyu.

We were very excited to finally make it onto the Great Wall, many years after deciding that we wanted to see it. And, it didn’t disappoint. It is a breathtaking sight.

The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.

The Great Wall stretches over 21,000 kilometres. Construction took place over more than 2,000 years, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and continuing through the Ming dynasty (14th–17th centuries). It’s not a single wall; rather, it’s a network of many segments, created by different dynasties over the centuries. Along the wall, there are more than 25,000 watchtowers.

Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea (taking a photo), on the Great Wall.
Andrea (taking a photo), on the Great Wall.
View through a watchtower window on the Great Wall.
View through a watchtower window on the Great Wall.

We had a lovely, leisurely walk along the wall. Each part provided different views and perspectives. Along the way, Colin provided us with interesting insights (and even showed us where he and his wife had some of their wedding photos taken!).

Andrea, showing Colin something interesting!
Andrea, showing Colin something interesting!

The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
View through a watchtower window on the Great Wall.
View through a watchtower window on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
Keith, Andrea, and Colin (our guide), on the Great Wall.
Keith, Andrea, and Colin (our guide), on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
Keith and Andrea, on the Great Wall.
The Great Wall.
The Great Wall.

We were lucky to have beautiful weather to experience the Great Wall. Whilst it was cold (-1C), unlike yesterday, it was not windy, so it didn’t feel unpleasant.

After a wonderful experience on the Great Wall, we returned to the car and headed back into Beijing. We decided to stop at the Hongqiao market (also known as the Pearl market), where we had a bit of fun doing some souvenir shopping.

Andrea, doing some souvenir shopping at the Hongqiao market.
Andrea, doing some souvenir shopping at the Hongqiao market.

Shopping completed, we got back into the car and made our way back to The Peninsula. We said goodbye to Colin and our driver (who didn’t speak English and whose name we didn’t ever find out!) and headed inside the hotel. When we got into the lobby, we decided to check out the Christmas-themed afternoon tea, which turned out to be an excellent idea!

Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.
Afternoon tea at The Peninsula, Beijing.

We indulged as much as we reasonably could before having the left-overs boxed up to put in the fridge in our room.

Despite our late afternoon tea, we ordered dinner not long after we returned to the room, so we could have a reasonably early night.

Dinner.
Dinner.

Tomorrow we are spending the day in the city of Xi’an in the Shanxi Province, about 1,100 kilometres southwest of Beijing.