Visit and Hiking to see Natural Wonders of China

Hi everyone,

It has been a great trip to the Great Wall near Beijing and Beijing. I came back feeling that the China History is so rich and how little we know. I like the combination of hiking and culture/history of the trip. Hiking is really very manageable despite got aching butt, thighs and legs and bruised toes. May not be physically satisfying for superhikers but you can ask for longer extended hikes. The training at Bukit Timah Hill helped a great deal in handling stairs.

The hike trails we took did not have much tourists except when we reached the entrance of Jinshanling, Simatai or Mutianyu. Other than that, we enjoyed the wild great wall. OUr favourite hike is the JIankou great wall trail to Mutianyu. It is beautiful. Weather is cool and breezy.

Our tour guide is very knowledgeable and helpful. It helped that we spoke Mandarin and able to interact more. Our driver is also very helpful. Be prepared for simple accomodation as these are guest houses near the wall and not the big hotels. Even with Huangyaguan, we had a shock that water heater is on only from 8pm to 10pm.

The views and sceneries is just amazing that i never had time to count watch tower or watch time. I think if you go later than 12 October 2009, you can see more autumn colours.

Go go go if you are interested in the Great Wall. Talk to me separately if you are interested. There may be several who are interested and you can organise another group to go next year !

Next Year Hike : Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Area
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXKbVQQcLkY

Wulingyuan Scenic Area consists of three parts: Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve and Tianzi Mountain Natural Reserve, covering over more than 26,000 hectares.

Home to more than 3,000 narrow sandstone pillars and peaks (over 1,000 rise at least 200 meters), Wulingyuan has been arguably praised as one of the most beautiful place in China. Often misted in low cloud and scored by countless streams, sixty percent of the park still has its original vegetation. Among the 550-odd tree species (twice Europe's total) are rare dove trees, gingkoes, and dawn redwoods, these last identified by their stringy bark and feathery leaves – a now-popular ornamental tree but believed extinct until 1948. The wildlife list is impressive too, including civets, giant salamanders, monkeys and game birds.

It was included in the World Heritage sites in 1992.

I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in. ~John Muir, 1913