Over 300 Foreign Leaders Ascended Badaling Great Wall

After 20 years' repair and protection the Badaling Great Wall scenic spot has developed from early 19 thousand square meters to an area of over 1.19 million square meters, and the wall of this section has been renovated from previous 1300-odd meters to a length of 3741 meters.

Built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Badaling Great Wall today has become a tourist attraction of world renown. Over the past 20 years, more than 300 foreign leaders have ascended the wall.

The Badaling Great Wall scenic spot has always followed the principle: Protection first, tourism and culture stressed, services developed. Rooted in the Chinese culture and tinted with a strong Chinese flavor, Badaling has so far attracted some 120 million tourists from home and abroad.

Since 1996, some 120-odd national and international activities of cultural exchange have been held here, in which, artists and art groups from over 30 countries joined together. Of these, the New Year International Mountaineering Festival, Spring International Concert, and other traditional events have all been well received by people throughout the world.

Today, Badaling Great Wall has become a stage and bridge, which is playing an important role in boosting China's culture exchange with the West.



Brief on Badaling Great Wall: Badaling means "giving access to every direction", the name itself suggests its strategic importance. Badaling Great Wall lies in Yanqing County, northwest of Beijing. Badaling Great Wall is the best preserved part of the Ming Great Wall. Here, the wall averages 7.8 meters high, 6.5 meters wide of the base, and 5.8 meters at the top. The wall was designed to allow five horsemen or ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The flights of stairs up to the outer wall are fairly widely spaced. For every few hundred meters, you can see a watchtower. Also, the wall of this section was built of giant rocks and bricks of similar size. It was faced with stone, and the inside was filled with earth and rubber, therefore, Badaling Great Wall was also regarded the strongest section of the Ming Great Wall.


By PD Online staff member Yin Zhili


People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/