Embrace The Chinese Dragon, Visit Great Wall Of China

The Great Wall of China was originally created in 221 BC by joining several local walls which were built by ducal states to defend their own territories. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. The current measurement of this defensive wall, which stretches across northern China from east to west, is 7300 kilometers (4300 miles). Beijing without a doubt is the best place to experience the Great Wall.

In Beijing you can visit lots of different sections of the wall which is three of the largest allures for visiting Beijing. Different sections of the Great Wall present different features & different scenery. Badaling & Juyong Pass is the most visited & most easily available part of the Wall.However, compared with the Badaling-Juyong Tour, other Great Wall Tours cost a small bit more because of the distance & accessibility. The scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall is stunning in autumn while the section between Jinshanling & Simatai requires more physical stamina to climb. The Water Great Wall Huanghuacheng as well as the miniature of the Great Wall Huangyaguan is becoming popular with hikers. (click here for the location, difficlulty level & other useful info about Every parts of Great Wall)

Juyongguan Great Wall
Juyong Pass is regarded as three of the three greatest passes of Great Wall. The wall they can see today was built in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), well-restored. The valley where Juyong Pass lies is steep & precipitous, giving Juyong Pass the reputation of being the most steep & risky pass.
Juyong Pass & Badaling, not far away from each other, were vital gateways in the northwest region of Beijing. If you are dreading the crowded Badaling Great Wall but hesitant to tackle the difficult trek from Simatai to Jinshanling, the much less visited, then the easily available Juyongguan Great Wall can be a lovely choice. Visiting Juyongguan Great Wall, you will take a short but vigorous walk that loops along the mountains either side of the pass, for the steps are narrow & steep. It must be three of the coolest things to visit the Great Wall in winter. You can visit Juyongguan in winter. It is safe, as the wall here is reconstructed & in lovely condition. Lovely tourist facilities are equipped, including handrails that help people ascend & descend on the slippery & steep stone walkway.

Badaling Great Wall
The best-preserved & most imposing section of the Great Wall is at Badaling. In Chinese, 'Bada' means 'giving access to every direction'. The name itself suggests its strategic importance. This section is made of huge blue bricks.?The road on the wall is wide to permit ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The highest point here is over 731 meters (2,400 feet) above sea level.

The Badaling Great Wall is the most popular section, not only because of its close propinquity to Beijing, but also because of the fantastic & wonderful scenery it provides. The walk usually takes about 3.5 ~4hrs (also depends on how lots of photos you shoot). If you are afraid of the long way to the top, you can take the 10-minute cable automobile to reach the "near-top" where there's few more sections to climb & some hike is needed. The view is rewarding. The wall follows the contour of mountains that rise on behind the other until they finally fade & combine with distant haze. The Great Wall here has lovely tourist facilities, including handrails, cable automobile & even toboggan. So a winter visit is cold & safe!

Mutianyu Great Wall
Mutianyu Great Wall is famous for its autumn foliage. This area provides great "people-free" photo opportunities. There's fewer people about, for the location is less available than Badaling. There you will enjoy a "wilder" Great Wall experience!

The forest-coverage rate there is over 90 percent. Surrounded by woodland & streams, this section takes on a different look in each season.?Blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn & white snow in winter make this part of the Great Walls most photographic spots. Late autumn is definitely the best time to visit Mutianyu, when the leaves turn in to all hues of red, & the air is cold.

It is definitely more relax walking on the Mutianyu than Badaling, for there's less steep steps here. However, you ought to still expect some strenuous walking. Magnificent in appearance, the Mutianyu Great Wall has been preserved intact. The overall infrastructure is lovely. Cable automobile & toboggan are also available.

Jinshanling Great Wall
The Jinshanling Great Wall features complicated & well preserved fortification systems & possesses the largest number of watchtowers. The watchtowers are taller & retain the original Ming Dynasty appearance, each three serving as an example of different architecture. The walls are more solid than Simatai. Here you can see the wall relatively undisturbed & in its original condition, so it's a special beauty.

Jinshanling Great Wall is steep & stony, trek is a real challenge. Hike the wall here, & you will see the complicated watchtowers & neat turrets which show how the wall would have looked in its prime.

Simatai Great Wall
The Simatai Great Wall is often described with the following three words: hazardous, diverse, & peculiar. The Simatai Great Wall is also called "Wild Great Wall", meaning a section that has not been restored. Much of the section is in a state of ruin with exposed bricks & incomplete structures & the walls that go along precipitous jagged ridges have mostly fallen down.
As the Simatai Great Wall is not easily available & the long trek is strenuous, there's only a few people visiting. Although you may encounter some other tourists & a handful of vendors, you will still be able to explore the Great Wall in relative privacy. Crumbling staircases & ruined watchtowers are along the way. The trail in some parts is broken down & overgrown. The steps are uneven, some steep & some shallow. Parts of the bricks are loose & you must watch your footing. Cable automobile is also available at Simatai Great Wall. So don't worry about being trapped on the Great Wall.

Jinshanling-Simatai Great Wall Hiking Tour
Hiking lovers take the rugged hiking route of Jinshanling-Simatai Great Wall, about 10 km, which usually takes about 4 hours. Some say that the hike between Jinshanling & Simatai gives you a truly "authentic" Great Wall experience. Trekking along the Great Wall, you can select to return to the city or camp overnight on the Great Wall, or stay overnight in local guesthouse.

There is a lake & a crescent shaped reservoir nearby. & the lake breaks this section of the Great Wall in to three segments naturally. Part of the wall is under water & becomes submerged at high tide. So the Huanghuacheng Great Wall is nicknamed"Water Great Wall". The scenery here is matchless & will surprise you.

Huanghuacheng Great Wall
This section of the Great Wall is a resort with mountains, lakes & the ancient Great Wall. There's few people to be found here, but it is becoming popular with hikers.

Also you can pay a visit to the ancient chestnut garden under the Great Wall, dating back to the Ming Dynasty.

Huanghua cheng provides a challenge as it's no stone steps or no single smooth path like the ones found at Badaling & other sections of the Great Wall. The wall is steep & the surface is slippery with lots of loose bricks. The walkway is mainly overgrown with trees making this a rough Great Wall experience.

Huangyaguan Great Wall
Located in the mountainous area of Tianjin's northern Ji County, the Huangyaguan is the longest restored section of the Great Wall with a length of 3052 meters. Huangya, means "yellow cliff". The entire section is built on a precipitous ridge of yellowish mountains. With various forms of watch towers presented along the walls, & the largest tower of the Great Wall"Phoenix Tower"and the most unique"Baguaguan Castle", Huangyaguan Great Wall is thought about to be a miniature of the Great Wall.

The Huangyaguan Great Wall possesses lots of features including antiquity, grandness, steepness & gracefulness, & it is regarded as an 'Impregnable Passin 'Tianjin. Being endowed with both natural beauty & cultural interest, it's become famous as a natural beauty spot & a great place for hiking the Great Wall. The sunset view at Huangyaguan is imposing.

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Ten Paradise Islands Photos

A holiday on a remote island might be the single relaxing experience and the perfect getaway. The white smooth sand and the blue waters go great with a hammock and a refreshing cocktail. Even if you’re trying to find your the destination for your next holiday or just want to relax thinking of sunny beaches, here are 10 perfect islands you have surely dreamt about.

1. Caprera Island, Sardinia, Italy
Caprera is a small island off the coast of Sardinia, Italy, best known for its serene beaches but also being the place to which Giuseppe Garibaldi retired. The name is most likely given because of the wild goats inhabiting the island (Capra = Italian for goats). Even though it has only 6 square miles, the island has been declared a natural reserve, being the home of the royal seagull, the cormorant and the peregrine falcon. Apart from being an attractive destination for natural lovers, it also has a sailing center, the only places to stay in being couzy bungalows.

2. Santorini, Greece
Santorini is the name given to an archipelago of volcanic islands in the Aegean sea. The amazing sunsets, fantastic beaches but also the active volcano are just a few of the attractions for this destination. The islands are what remained from the volcanic explosion that split one single island into several, smaller ones. This even is said to be the inspiration for the myth of Atlantis. Be that as it may, the small islands has a wide variety of attractions, including Akrotiri, the 3,500 year old Minoan town preserved in volcanic ash.

3. Cocoa Island, Maldives
The fascinating and romantic island located in the South Male Atoll in the Maldive Islands takes pride in the white, powdery sands and the turquoise water that make it a top travel destination. The Robinson Crusoe style Island has some fascinating small huts, with deluxe furnishing and private sun decks. For total relaxation, visitors get the chance to enjoy a hydro-therapy pools, spas, massages and various treatments to pamper yourself.

4. Cousine Island, Seychelles
Cousin Island is a granitic island covering 27 hectares, close to the Praslin Island in Seychelles. In 1968, the island was purchased by Birdlife International to save the remaining warblers, thus becoming the the world’s first internationally owned-reserve. There is a large population of endemic land birds, giant tortoises, the island being a breeding ground for sea birds.The island attracts 10,000 visitors annually, being open only during weekdays (no overnigh accommodation available). The impressive number of species and habitats set in a exotic landscape make the destination a unique travel experience especially for nature lovers.

5. Capri, Italy
Known in Greek mythology for being the isle of the sirens, the Capri island is known since the days of the Roman Republic. There are several art festivals from April to September that appeals to tourists: you can see anything from painting, sculptures to plays and traditional dances being performed. one of the most appealing attractions is the Blue Grotto, a cave at the water’s edge, opening to the sea that Romans used as a bath. One of the most sought after sights is the colorful sunrise, that’s certainly worth waking up for.

6. Kauai, Hawaii
One of the oldest of Hawaii’s islands, Kauai is referred to as the Garden Island, due to its lugh vegetation made out of tropical plants. Erosion lead to exciting landscapes such as Waimea Canyon and the Na Pali Coast. Formed around 6 million years ago, Kauai is more laidback and less populated than the other Hawaiian islands. There are plenty of activities to choose from, including golf, horseback riding and various water sports. Be sure to take plenty of time to explore the multitude of landscapes and attractions.

7. South Beach, Miami, Florida
Probably one of the best known beaches on the list, South Beach is a vibrant place that never sleeps. Hundreds of nightclubs, restaurants and hotels attract both American and international tourists every summer. One of the busiest times of the year especially for the Pearl and Nikki Beach night spots is Spring Break, when students come to relax and party. South Beach can satisfy a variety of culinary preferences, with numerous restaurants. The city is also home to various cultural events, art exhitibitions and conventions that you might enjoy while visiting.

8. Ihuru Island, Maldives
Set in the unspoiled natural beauty of the Maldives,the Ihuru is the stylish paradise ideal for total relaxation. White beaches, a shallow lagooon and shady palm trees make the Ihuru Island the lost paradise waiting to be rediscovered. The reef are perfect for snorkelling, scuba diving and but also surface water sports. Ihuru is one of the most environmentally conscious islands, using biodegradable materials, solar heating or environmental friendly methods for reactivating corals.

9. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Bora Bora island is possibly the single most famous island in all the world. The volcanic island has a stunning lagoon with abundant underwater life waiting to be explored. A multitude of outdoor activies are available for tourists: underwater safari, water sports, jeep tours, horseback riding or kiteboarding. Convince yourself why Bora Bora one of the world’s most beautiful places

10. The Similan Islands, Thailand
Located in Southern Thailand, the Similan Islands is a national park convering 140 square kilometers, encompassing 9 islands. One of the most attractive sights is the enormous variety of fish and corals, easily spotted due to the transparent waters. Apart from that, the island has everything needed to be considered an exotic paradise.

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