The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China, one of the most awe-inspiring man-made projects in the world, lies across the northern part of China like a great sleeping dragon, winding its way through China's vast northern territory. With a history of over 2,500 years, the Great Wall attracts visitors from all over the world. In 1987, the Great Wall was listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Great Wall of China was selected as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a global poll announced on July 7, 2007. It is often said "If you haven't climbed the Great Wall, you haven't seen China." Most people in the world have seen photos of The Great Wall, but photos are but poor imitations of the beauty and grandeur that is China's Great Wall. No China tour is complete without seeing the Great Wall. Visiting it is the experience of lifetime.

The legend of Meng Jiangnu bringing down a section of the Great Wall with her tears
Many legends have survived about the construction of the Great Wall. Among them, the most popular is the story about Lady Meng Jiangnu.
On the night of their wedding, Meng Jiangnu's husband was conscribed to work on the Great Wall by the Qin soldiers. Before he went away, Lady Meng broke her white jade hairpin in two and gave her husband one half as a token of love. One day, lady Meng dreamed that her husband was constantly yelling "Cold, cold". She recalled that her husband was wearing very thin clothes. She made some padded clothes for her husband and left home to look for her husband. She didn't realize that her husband had already died of exhaustion. Upon hearing this, she burst into tears. The Great Wall was moved and more than 20 Kilometers collapsed, revealing the body of her husband and many others. On seeing this, she committed suicide by jumping into the sea. A temple can be found at Shanhai Pass near the sea in memory of this loyal lady.


The Great Wall Near Beijing
Factors, such as season, accessibility, safety, health condition, should be taken into account when visiting the Great Wall. The view as you climb to the top is stunning. Badaling and Juyong Pass is the most visited and most easily accessible part of the Wall. The section between Jinshanling and Simatai requires more physical stamina to climb. The scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall is extremely beautiful in autumn when the trees covering the mountainsides have turned golden.
Badaling Great Wall
The best-preserved and most imposing section of the Great Wall is at Badaling, which is located 72 kilometers (45 miles) away at the northwest of Beijing. In Chinese, 'Bada' means 'giving access to every direction'. The name itself suggests its strategic importance. This section is made of large blue bricks. The wall has an average height of 7 meters (24 feet) and a width of 6 meters (19 feet) at the bottom, and 5 meters (16 feet) at the top. It is wide enough to allow ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The highest point here is more than 731 meters (2,400 feet) above sea level.


Mutianyu Great Wall
Suggested Beijing tours including Mutianyu Great Wall
Mutianyu Great Wall is located 70kilometers (43 miles) from the center of Beijing. It is much steeper than Badaling Great Wall, and a more challenging climb. This section, older than Badaling, is considered by Chinese and foreign tourists as the best part of the Great Wall. There are fewer people here because the location is less accessible than Badaling. Surrounded by woodland and streams, this section takes on a different look in each season. Blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn and white snow in winter make this one of the Great Walls most photographic spots.


 

What Kids can do in Abu Dhabi

First and foremost, it is an intact reality that the place is not any less fun than all the major cities of the world and one can enjoy as much as they do on any of their trips to New York or Paris or Cairo.

From activities for kids to enjoyment for elders, the city has it all. The hotels in Abu Dhabi are verily luxurious and provide a lot of options for those who like diversity of assortments for them to make a choice. Also flights to Abu Dhabi are not as expensive as flights to other places but all of that depends on where one lives. Once a family arrives in the city they can access any of the Abu Dhabi car hire options that will make them independent in terms of transportation. Anyone who wants to visit Abu Dhabi can get hold of a rental car to enjoy the attractions of the region at their own convenience and time preference.
There are a lot of restaurants as well that offer a lot of local as well as international cuisines for the tourists. Also for the shopping lovers, the malls are amazing and contain retail outlets from all the major brands of the world. Even for those who want to enjoy their Abu Dhabi holidays in solitude and peace and relish some quality family time, there are many things to explore such as art galleries, outdoor sports, museums and so on and so forth.

Trips to any of these places is not only entertaining but it is also enlightening for the kids as well as the adults. If someone is visiting with friends instead of family members, there are other choices in terms of recreational activities such as movie theaters, spas, fitnesscenters and so on and so forth. Basically there is no dearth of fun options for any kind of people coming from any kind of place as the city promises lasting amusement for its visitors.
No wonder the emergence of Abu Dhabi and rest of the cities of the United Arab Emirates is quite prominent in the tourist industry as fresh options for those who have already toured all the major cities from the European attractions to the historical elements of charm spread all over the world. All in all be that the prospect of what kids can do in Abu Dhabi or what adults can do in the city, the most important fact to consider in this regard is that one would not regret the days they spent in this particular tourist region.