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Arden Yeomans visits the Great Wall of China and finds a demanding route with steep steps, a long cable car queue and intense heat. The east side’s cable car and toboggan shape her day, while the views, included lunch and friendly encounters make the effort worthwhile. She later ranks the Great Wall third among the seven wonders she has visited, after weighing the climb, rides and waits against the experience of seeing it in person.
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Choosing a route up the Great Wall
Arden Yeomans visits the Great Wall of China, taking the east-side route with a cable car ascent and a toboggan descent. She starts with an early subway ride and expects heavy crowds, but finds the weekday visit more manageable than she imagined. Some sections look less maintained than she expected, which gives the wall a rugged, historic character. The steep steps are a physical challenge, and the views open across the surrounding landscape. Her visit is part of a tour, and the restaurant lunch is included in the package.
Arden waits in a long queue for the cable car and talks with other travelers along the way. She says it took about an hour from joining the line to reaching the cable car. The ride takes her up the mountain, and she describes the toboggan descent as a highlight. It could have been faster, she says, because the operator kept the brake on for much of the way. Her day also includes friendly exchanges with local people and a search for an energy drink in the heat. At lunch she has rice with chicken breast and a spicy sauce, which she enjoys.
Heat, crowds and a personal ranking
The summer conditions add to the effort. Arden describes the weather as about 36 degrees and says she got burnt. The steep climb and waits for the cable car and toboggan test her patience and stamina, even though she finds the crowds less severe than expected. She recommends choosing either the east or west side rather than trying to do both because of the time involved. For visitors less interested in history, she sees the east side’s cable car and toboggan as a reason to choose that route. On the east side, visitors scan their ticket and passport; the west side requires passport scanning, as she explains in her travel tips. She also suggests asking friendly locals for help with photos and meeting the guide at the designated place after activities.
At the end of the visit, Arden reflects on the Great Wall as both a historic landmark and, in her words, ultimately “just a wall.” She ranks it as her third favorite of the seven wonders she has visited so far. The long wait, steep steps and heat are part of her account alongside the rides, views, lunch and people she meets. Her experience gives viewers a sense of the physical demands of this visit and the features that made the east side memorable. Choosing a route with the cable car and toboggan, allowing time for queues and preparing for hot weather are the practical details she takes away from the day.
The tour package includes lunch at a restaurant, where Arden has rice with chicken breast and spicy sauce. As she continues in the heat, she searches for a cold energy drink. Some sections of the wall look less maintained than she expected, which she sees as part of its historical character. The cable car and toboggan queues take time, and she chats with fellow travelers while waiting. The weekday crowds are manageable overall, but the lines still test her patience. She also discusses choosing the east or west side rather than attempting both in one visit. At the end of the day, Arden compares the visit with the other wonders she has seen and ranks the Great Wall third, weighing the steep climb and waits against the views and rides.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: What was the queue like for the cable car?
- A: The queue was massive. It took me about an hour from the time I joined it to reach the cable car.
- Q: How was the toboggan ride?
- A: It was one of the best parts of the visit. The woman operating it kept the brake on for the whole way, so it was slower than it could have been.
- Q: What was the food like at the restaurant?
- A: The restaurant served rice with chicken breast and a spicy sauce. I thought the meal was really nice.
- Q: What was the weather like?
- A: It was boiling hot, around 36 degrees, and I definitely got burnt.
- Q: What was the most surprising thing about the Great Wall?
- A: Probably how steep the steps were. No one warned me about that before I came.
