The Great Wall of China
- jennylynncotton
- Jun 30, 2024
- 5 min read
Date of Trip: May 2019
Number of Days: 8
Who went: Jenn & Jasmine
When my oldest niece graduated from law school, I wanted to celebrate with a special trip. This trip to China to run a half marathon on the Great Wall definitely fit the bill!
Top takeaways if you are planning a similar trip:
It's been five years since we took this trip and the political climate has definitely changed. Be sure you check with the US State Department before planning travel to China. You also need a Visa to enter China, so advanced planning is a must.
We stood out in China. Like, a lot. It's hard to imagine that there is an entire population of people who have never seen people that don't look like them. Our blonde and red hair got us stared at and photographed a lot. We got used to it, but it was unnerving at times.
China is the only place I've ever been where English will not get you by. Almost no one we met spoke English in China (outside of our hotel and the tours we were on). Be prepared with translation tools on your phone - you will need them. We found the people to be friendly and helpful when we were able to communicate. But, definitely be prepared to be uncomfortable.
Definitely book an organized tour for your trip (with an English speaker). We booked a 2-day bus trip to see the major sites, and I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to do this on our own.
We planned our trip around running this half marathon on the Great Wall of China. This event is put together by westerners, for westerners. This made it easy to plan and there was a fun group of people that we got to hang out with. It was great!
Day 1&2 - Travel to Beijing & Food Tour
Jasmine was flying out of Tallahassee, while I flew out of Charlotte. We met in Dallas for our 14-hour flight to Beijing. We arrived in Beijing around 2P and went through customs. We were one of the only Americans on the flight, so the customs line was short.
The event had arranged for the hotel (transfer included). The hotel was clean and very nice... and the staff spoke English. They also served a global breakfast that we found delicious. I would recommend it.
The train system in Beijing is comprehensive and clean... and very, very popular (I didn't think you could fit that many people on the train!) We used it many times and never got lost. Just make sure you build in extra time so you aren't rushed.
We booked a food tour for the first night, and we loved it. The guides were Americans living in China. They were super knowledgeable and took us to some amazing spots. The food was amazing!
We tried Mongolian Hot Pot:
Biang Biang noodles (my favorite!):
Rice wine:
Donkey bugers (surprisingly tasty):
Day 3 - Organized Tour
The event had the option of adding on a 2-day sight-seeing tour, and I am so glad we took advantage. This is definitely the way to see the major sites. Being in a group of people that spoke English made us feel safe, even in crowded tourist spots!
We saw Tienanmen Square:
Forbidden City:
Jingshan Park:
Had lunch with a Hutong Family:
Took a rickshaw Tour:
Visited the Drum Tower:
And the Olympic Venues:
We got adventurous for dinner and headed to Hutong Dumplings which we had read are the best in town (which I believe). We got lost on the streets, but it was worth it when we found it!
Wanting to continue the adventure, we found our way to this super swanky cocktail bar. We had read about the security guards, thank goodness they were there... they helped us find the bar!
Day 4 - Organized Tour Today, the organized tour took us to the Summer Palace:
Peking Duck lunch:
Temple of Heaven:
Pearl Market (where we had to see what McDonalds in China was like…chicken wings & waffle fries!)
Day 5 - Tai Chi Lessons & Cooking Class
We wanted to learn some of the customs of the Chinese, and dedicated this day to learning.
First, we headed back to The Temple of Heaven to meet our Tai Chi master for our private class. I'm not sure we'll ever be masters, but learning Tai Chi in the middle of Tian Tan Park was a once-in-a-lifetime experience!
We stopped for lunch at Grandma's Kitchen... where an American grandma serves up American sandwiches. It was nice to have a taste of the familiar!
We took a cooking class at this great little kitchen run by a Chinese-Australian woman. We loved learning how to make dumplings and Chinese pancakes.
Note - we used the best Chinese cleavers in our class, and decided to take them home as souvenirs (I still use mine all the time!) However, this meant we couldn't take the train (there are metal detectors) and we had to get a cab. We used an app to call a car, and this was the single-most terrifying portion of our trip. Communication was impossible and we both felt very vulnerable on this car ride. I don't recommend using taxis in China if you don't speak the language.
Day 6 - Race Day on the Great Wall of China
The day started early (330A departure), but it was memorable from start to finish.
Watching the sunrise over the Great Wall was awe-inspiring.
Pictures do not do justice to this amazing wonder.
The race was tough (so many stairs!), but we got it done!
We were exhausted... so we ended the day with dinner at the hotel and an early bedtime.
Day 7 - Shopping & Central Perk
We started the day with a breakfast food tour. We enjoyed the street food, but both agreed this wasn't nearly as good of a tour as the one we took on our first day.
After breakfast, I had arranged for a guide to take us shopping for the day. I really wanted to find some authentic pieces to bring home, and our guide was a huge help! We went to local Chinese markets where I was able to get a beautiful Buddha statue and lovely paintings that still hang in my home.
She also made sure we found all the cheesy souvenirs and gifts that we wanted to bring home. I highly recommend using a guide if you want to come home with something specific.
After shopping, I was ready to call it a day. But Jasmine really wanted to go to the Chinese Central Perk (an exact replica of the one from the set of Friends). I'm glad she talked me into it... it was pretty wild to see something so familiar in an unfamiliar place.
We ended our trip with a delicious steak dinner and a good night's sleep.
Day 8 - Travel Home
It took all day to get home... but it was worth it. This is a trip I'm confident both of us will treasure forever!
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