Badaling Great Wall (Apr 4th): My Verdict? Hard Pass. Never Going Back.
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Took the kids to the South Great Wall, and it was a good experience.
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This North Great Wall is absolutely gridlocked, not moving at all.
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Stayed at the Mutianyu Great Wall Hotel last night. Tickets were included, and the cable car entrance is just 20 meters from the hotel. The environment is lovely. I had a leisurely breakfast, went up by cable car around 7-ish, and came down after 9. I spent the time climbing, taking photos, and enjoying myself – there was hardly anyone around.
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So jealous of that light crowd!
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The South Great Wall is pretty good, but it took us nearly three hours just to get out of the parking lot.
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Everything has its pros and cons.
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It's incredibly crowded today too.
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You just can't escape the crowds during holidays. I just went for a night bike ride around Tiananmen, and the traffic was so bad we came to a complete standstill. Even the traffic police looked so exasperated they just had to laugh.
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What's even the point of being in such a massive crowd?
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Actually, it's because the staff at North No. 5 [Tower/Entrance] blocked access, creating that standstill situation.
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So glad I didn't listen to the tour guide yesterday and went to the South Great Wall instead.
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Smart move.