While in Beijing earlier this month, I took a day trip to the Great Wall of China. I entered the wall through the gate in Badaling, which is about an hour’s drive from downtown Beijing. The air was crisp and cold, but I stayed warm by hiking about a mile in each direction. It’s straight up either way you go, and after walking (climbing) 2 miles you feel as if you’ve walked 20.

The views were magnificent, and I left the site amazed that human beings could build such a massive structure using the most primitive of tools.

Below are some of the photos I snapped during my visit. Click a thumbnail to see the full-size image.

Great Wall of China (1)Great Wall of China (2)Great Wall of China (3)Great Wall of China (4)