The Great Wall of China: Where to go to see what's left

There are few landmarks more iconic than the Great Wall of China, symbol of the country's history and uneasy relationship with the outside world. Most people have heard the myth that the Great Wall is the only man-made structure that is visible from space. In fact, experts say the wall is only visible from low orbit under optimal conditions.

Built to repel invaders from the hostile tribes to the north, the Great Wall began as a series of separate fortifications that were first united into a single structure in the last decades of the third century B.C. Subsequent dynasties added to the wall up until the Ming era (1368-1644), when the wall reached its greatest extent, stretching for nearly 4,000 miles (more than 6,400 kilometers) across northern China, from the sea east of Beijing to Jiayuguan in the Gobi Desert in the west. Much of what remains is crumbling, something visitors might not realize from the most commonly visited sections, which have been restored for tourists. The Great Wall was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The majority of visitors see the Great Wall on day trips from Beijing. North of the city the wall follows the dramatic, undulating landscape over hills and into valleys. (Good walking shoes are a necessity.)

Among the official tourist sections, the most heavily visited is Badaling (43 miles/70 km northwest of the capital), where you're likely to be surrounded by other foreigners and vendors hawking souvenirs. You can avoid the crowds by visiting during the off season, but make sure to dress warmly as winter here can get extremely cold. The surrounding landscape and views are frequently magnificent.

Another popular section of the wall is at Mutianyu, 56 miles (90 km) northeast of Beijing. Restored to take some of the tourist pressure off Badaling, Mutianyu has not escaped the tour buses and commercialization. Mutianyu does offer an attracive stretch of wall with lots of watch towers and great views of the surrounding landscape. As at Badaling, visiting in the off season will eliminate most of the crowds.

Less touristy due to its greater distance from the capital is the section of wall at Simatai, 68 miles (110 km) northeast of Beijing. The wall here is only partially restored, giving visitors a more authentic sense of the state of the structure. Hiking along this stretch of wall can be marvelous, but visitors should take extra care due to the hazards of steep terrain and crumbling - occasionally missing - sections.

Near the North Korean border, the Hushan section of the Great Wall marks one of its easternmost points. Located 12 miles (20 km) from Dandong, near Jiuliancheng, this section of the wall sees few visitors. It dates from the Ming dynasty and overlooks the Yalu River. A Great Wall Museum opened here in 2003. Visitors here should take extra care not to stray away from the wall, as the border into North Korea is not always clearly marked.

The Great Wall meets the sea at Lao Long Tou (Old Dragon Head), 3 miles (4 km) south of Shanhaiguan, where another Great Wall Museum displays photographs and scale models, as well as tools and weapons that were used to build and defend the wall. The Lao Long Tou stretch of wall has been restored and sees its fair share of tour buses, but it's still worth visiting. East of Shanhaiguan is The First Pass Under Heaven, an imposing section of wall with an enormous gatehouse. The tower has an exhibit of Qing costumes and weaponry. At Jiao Shan, 2 miles (3 km) north of town, there's an impressive section of the wall, which can be climbed on foot (it's very steep) or by cable car.

At the wall's western end, Jiayuguan, there's yet another Great Wall Museum. This one covers the history of the wall from the Han (the first couple of centuries AD) to the Ming dynasties through photographs. models, and other exhibits. About 4 miles (6 km) north of town is a restored section of the wall known as Xuanbi Changcheng (Overhanging Wall), which dates back to the sixteenth century, when it connected to Jiayuguan's magnificent Ming-dynasty fort. Here in the Gobi Desert the wall is made of tamped earth rather than the stone found further east. On the other side of town, 4 miles (6 km) to the south, the isolated First Beacon Tower marks the western end of the Ming-era wall.

There are other remnants of the Great Wall in various stages of preservation that can be visited with a bit more effort. See the resources listed below for more information.