Great Wall Getaways

Staying at a rural retreat offers the chance to appreciate China’s engineering marvel.

- Mark Graham

A number of boutique experiences have emerged to offer off-the-beaten-track adventures of the Great Wall – the ultimate way to experience China’s most iconic attraction. British explorer William Lindesay (who once ran the entire length of the Great Wall alone and unaided), organises weekend walking tours from his farmhouse home. The kind of insight Lindesay is able to offer comes from three decades of studying, exploring, photographing and documenting the Great Wall, a project that earned official honours from the Chinese and British governments.

It’s a source of amazement to me that people come to Beijing and don’t go to the Great Wall. It's a bit like going to Hong Kong and not seeing the harbour, or Sydney and not seeing the bridge.

A lot has changed since the old days when you were forced to go on a bus tour and stop at the awful Ming tombs on the way. A number of boutique experiences have emerged to offer “off-the-beaten track” adventures – the ultimate way to experience China’s most iconic attraction.

British explorer William Lindesay (who once ran the entire length of the Great Wall alone and unaided), organises weekend walking tours from his farmhouse home. The kind of insight Lindesay is able to offer comes from three decades of studying, exploring, photographing and documenting the Great Wall, a project that earned official honours from the Chinese and British governments.

“It is the largest building project in history,” says Lindesay. “So huge that it was the first man-made structure to show up on world maps.

“It took more time to build than any other project in history and, in addition, most of it goes through mountain terrain, really hostile territory, but the Chinese were prepared to go to any lengths to defend their civilisation. It is the ultimate wonder of the world and it will never be surpassed.”