The Great Wall of China is one of the most highly visited tourist attraction in Beijing, China. It is in fact the symbol of China, because anytime you see a picture of the Great Wall, then you know that picture has something to do with China.

The Great Wall has been recently added to the one out of the twenty one finalists running for the New 7 Wonders of the World to be decided in July 2007. I for one believe that the Great Wall of China would make it to this list, as this monument is considered to be one of the most appealing attractions all over the world because of its architectural and historical significance. Enlisted in the World heritage site by UNESCO in 1987, the Great Wall winds up and down stretching across hills, lowlands, deserts and plateaus extending from the eastern border of China to its western border; with a history of about 2500 years ago to the time of the Warring Period, the Great Wall has served China a great purpose in terms of defense in the ancient time and it is now one of China’s most booming tourist destinations. The history of the Great Wall of China shows how history, culture, defense and political administration are intertwined to finally bring out a site which now serves for entertainment and leisure purposes.

Since the Great Wall stretches across various provinces, the same goes for the best time to visit the site; the scenery from across the wall in different seasons is different and allows you to see the wonderful and vast landscape of China. In spring time, all the plants and trees are lush green with beautiful displays of the wall looking fresh in bright green colors. Spring time is always the best time to visit the Great Wall because the wall is not always crowded with tourists. In the summer and autumn, the flowers and plants are more blooming than other periods of the year and a view from above makes the wall look like a long silver necklace. This time is always the best time to climb the Great Wall.

Fall is also a great time to visit the Wall as the peaks and hilltops are displayed in colors creating an amazing and perfect view. Winter which is usually the best time to view the entire length of the wall turns the landmark to snowy frosted scenery. Most tourists do not like to visit at this time because of the bitter winter cold.

To travel and see the beautiful landscapes on the Great Wall of China, you have to climb it from the most accessible section. The most popular sections of the Great Wall for tourists are at the Simatai sections, Badaling sections and the Mutianyu section. These sections have all played their roles during the construction and destruction of the Great Wall of China during the revolution. The Simatai section, northeast of Beijing is the quiet section of the wall which is still preserved the way it was since hundreds of years ago; this is why it is good to take a long quiet walk on this section.

The Badaling section of the Great Wall was the first section to be opened to tourists and locals; this is why many tourists come to this part of the wall. The Mutianyu section is the furthest section of the Great Wall; this area is the largest section of the Great Wall which is still being preserved and has a low number of visitors due to the distance. Many travelers from around the world are eager to visit and climb the Great Wall of China. For foreign tourists interested in this travel project, it is best you seek the services of the reliable tour operator in China to help you make the arrangements. There are a wide variety of package tours designed to suit your Great Wall of China Tour and making it a memorable one.

Sally Meyers
http://www.passport-to-china.com/