Cruise The World With Us 2026

Monday – March 30, 2026 – Beijing

Today’s featured photo is a selfie of us on the Great Wall of China at Mutianyu Section. This area of the Great Wall is one that is in good repair and is frequently used when dignitaries wish to see the wall.

We began the day with a leisurely breakfast at the hotel’s buffet. There was an extensive offering of all things breakfast as well as some I wouldn’t have thought of – like noodle soup. The group assembled in the hotel lobby around 9:00 am and boarded our bus for the drive to Mutianyu – about an hour and a half.

In the gallery there is a photo that shows the area we visited. We walked on the section of the Great Wall indicated by the numbers 11, 12, 13 and 14 in that photo. Near the bus parking lot there is a tourist center that is fairly new. From there we walked to the shuttle bus uphill station. That path has vendors lining both sides. We were watching for things we might like to purchase on the way out later. The shuttle buses carried us closer to the hills on which the Great Wall was built. We arrived at the shuttle bus downhill station. Next, we walked uphill to the ticket checkpoint. Our passports were used to verify that we had a valid ticket. Once we were verified, we waited in a queue to board a cable car. The cable car did not take us to the top of the wall – just close to the wall so we could climb stairs to reach the top.

Climbing to the wall was difficult for me because the steps are uneven, some are large and in most areas, there is no handrail. Thankfully, there are people coming up and down the steps who offer assistance to those of us who are not as steady on our feet as we once were.

Standing on the wall it is amazing to think of all the time and people it took to build it – all the rocks, bricks, mortar that had to be hauled up the hills. The wall was not built all at once – it is the combination of many walls built in separate areas of China and finally joined for form a 13,000 mile barrier to keep out the barbarians of the North. First sections were constructed 700 BC, joining of sections began around 200 BC and the best known sections were built during the Ming Dynasty (1300’s – 1600’s). Read the information at the link above for more on the history of the wall as it exists now.

The weather was great today – sunny, crisp (60’s) and little wind. We could see for miles and could follow the wall both East and West until it disappeared from view. There were tourists but not crowds like there were in Shanghai. We only saw a small portion of the structure, but the experience will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

When we had all descended from the wall and gathered at the visitor center we walked to and boarded our bus for a short ride to the town of Madaoyucun. From our parking area it was about a half mile walk to the restaurant. Our lunch entrée had been decided yesterday when we chose either beef or chicken. Pretty standard meal with salad, vegies, meat and a drink.

On the ride back to the hotel, Ting Ting was asked about the bicycles in Beijing – specifically how many there were. She said she didn’t know the count but there are 3 companies that provide the rental service for the bikes. They each have a color – yellow, green and blue. She also said that a British musician – Katie Melua – had released a song titled “Nine Million Bicycles” about the bicycles in Beijing. Then she played the song from a YouTube video.

We returned to the hotel and had some time before meeting to travel a short distance to a special dinner – Peking Duck at Hua’s Restaurant. I have heard of Peking Duck but didn’t know the reason it might be special. If you read the information in the link above, you’ll have a good idea what makes it unique. I won’t list all that was served – there are several photos and videos of the dinner that will give you an idea of what we experienced. An item I didn’t try was the octopus. An item I did try and liked was tempura shrimp. There are photos of each in the gallery. There is also a photo of Ting Ting helping us move food from the lazy Susan to our plates. I thought the Peking Duck was tasty but it isn’t going to replace staples in the “Dick’s favorite foods” list.

Our restaurant was next door to a shopping mall, and the shopping mall included the largest Apple store in Asia. We wanted to stop in to see if they might have a case for Kelsey’s iPod. We did – they didn’t. It was a nice store but nothing more than what we have at home – just more of each section (sales and repair). Kelsey and Dina (one of the other English members of the tour) decided to take a look at the stores in the mall. Jan and I set out to see if the Sketchers store a block away was open. Sketchers was closed for the day and Kelsey and Dina didn’t find anything worth purchasing. We walked back to the hotel and on the way passed a store with Jade for sale – large pieces of Jade! There are a couple photos of items for sale – too large for us.

It was a busy and interesting day.

Gallery from day 2 in China can be viewed here.