Picture - Amanda Watson
Imagine being told by your commanding officer you are launching an attack on a neighbouring country because its resources are needed for your country.
For days you stumble through the mountains climbing higher and higher through heat which turns knees to jelly and your fighting spirit to misery, leading you and your brothers in arms to ask the biggest existential question of all time:
“Why am I here?” Then, at the end of it, right at the top of the mountain, to be met by a stone wall up to 14m high in some places. Waiting for you on top of the wall in defence of it – as if it needed it – are fresh soldiers eager for a fight who have been sheltered from the worst of the heat or bitter cold in specially designed block towers.
This is the Great Wall of China. While the debate as to whether it can actually be seen from space meanders on much like the wall itself, to truly appreciate its size, one has to see it in person. The visit was made possible by the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Xinhua News Agency.
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Thankfully, today you can drive to near the base of the wall where a short walk, which will still leave you out of breath, brings you to a cable car that whisks you to the top.
Of course, if you want to experience a little of what the soldiers of yore went through, you can walk all the way up. But for those with dodgy knees, the cable cars are your best bet.
The sign next to the cable car, which carried former US president Bill Clinton, states “I am waiting for you at Mutianyu Great Wall” may be meant as a welcome. But after a 20-minute steep climb in 35°C heat, it begins to feel like a threat.
From the base of the mountain, only glimpses of grey brickwork can be seen. It’s only when you’re actually standing on the wall that can you appreciate why people speak of it in capital letters. To quote great-wallofchina. com, the Great Wall of China isn’t actually a single wall, it is a network of fortifications.
“Most of them were built along what was then China’s northern borders to protect ancient Chinese states from various nomadic groups that lived on the steppes,” the site says.
“Parts of the Great Wall extend into present-day North Korea, Mongolia and even southern Russia.” The earliest part of the wall was built 2 700 years ago and from beginning to end – including the parts which were destroyed or lost to time – spans 21 196.18 km.
Fortunately, it is not required to walk all of it when visiting, although a yearly marathon of 42.2km is run over the undulating course over the rough brickwork and stairs.
In the Mutianyu section of the wall, about 70km outside of Beijing, the aptly named 10 Million Steps restaurant is joined by numerous others and gift shops for a permanent reminder if your rattling smoker’s wheeze and clickety- clack knees are not enough. It is strongly recommended for you to take a hat and water at the bare minimum, even if you’re using the cable cars.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), where it is listed as a world heritage site, various components of the Great Wall have been listed as state or provincial priority protected sites under the Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Cultural Relics.
“The series of Great Wall Conservation Plans, which is being constantly extended and improved and covers various levels from master plan to provincial plans and specific plans, is an important guarantee of the comprehensive conservation and management of the Great Wall,” Unesco says.
A signboard inside the No 14 Watchtower says it was built in 1404. And while the watchtowers have different exterior shapes, they usually have a similar interior layout.
The greatest thing about the Great Wall is how it dominates the surrounding landscape, even as it disappears over the mountains, and how it continues to dominate time itself. If you do visit this grand ode to man’s stubbornness and ingenuity, take some quiet time to listen to the Great Wall.
You may just find yourself asking the question asked so often by so many: “Why am I here?” At 2 700 years old, The Great Wall has seen much and may just have the answer you’re looking for.
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– amandaw@citizen.co.za
