A special moment
We never really thought we’d make it this far east. And yet here we are, parked in front of the Great Wall of China. Surreal doesn’t even cover it. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA – this is quite cool.
We visited the westernmost fortress of the Ming Great Wall, where China’s territory once officially ended. A huge fort standing alone between mountains and the Gobi Desert. For Silk Road travelers, this was the final big gate before stepping into the unknown west.
The wall in Gansu is one of the oldest and most remote sections of the entire system. The earliest walls here were built over 2000 years ago, long before the famous stone battlements near Beijing. Instead of brick, the wall in Gansu is made from rammed earth, sand and gravel. Out here, the wall wasn’t just for defense. It marked borders, controlles trade, guided caravans and protected travelers as they crossed between fertile oases and the vast deserts.
Taking the first steps onto the wall felt incredible. We couldn’t stop smiling, finally in China, exploring one of the country’s greatest historical relics.
A place we could not miss
And the Great Wall itself? It’s not one single wall at all, but a vast network of fortifications built by different dynasties across centuries. Depending on what you count, it stretches over 20’000 km through deserts, grasslands, mountains and plains.
Everywhere we stopped, we were amazed by the Chinese architecture.
It just looks so amazing.
Walking the Great Wall is a reminder of how small you feel in the presence of history. Standing on one of its towers, you start picturing life back then. Harder, slower, different but beautiful in ways we forgot.
Relics of history and the presence of modern civilization.
Exploring every step and corner of the wall.
