Answer to One China Travel Question
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Q: Where are the ends of the Great Wall? Does one go into the sea and are you allowed to see it? I would like to see a less touristy part of the Great Wall. Can you bike ride on it?
| | A: The eastern end of the Great Wall is Laolongtou, literally "Old Dragon Head." So the Wall does go into sea, but only a small stretch of it. Old Dragon Head is open for visits. It is located a few miles south of the city Shanhaiguan ("Gate of Mountain and Sea), which in turn is about 430 kilometers (approximately 270 miles) away from Beijing. By train it is a four hour ride.
Jiayuguan is considered the western end of the Great Wall. This is a walled fort guarding a corridor between two mountain ranges, through which the Silk Road used to pass. Jiayuguan is located in Gansu Province.
Of the sections of the Great Wall near Beijing, the most frequented part is Badaling. Mutianyu and Simatai are less crowded. There are of course quieter sections of the wall farther away. Given that the wall stands mostly on mountains and hills and for the most part it is not restored or repaired, it is not easy to bike on it for extended distances. There are tours in which people hike along the wall.
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