Great Wall Safety Tips

[Bryan]

The Great Wall of China can be a dangerous place. If you're planning a visit to the Great Wall, you would be wise to prepare yourself to guard against dangers and minimize your chance of injury.



What makes the Great Wall so dangerous? Several things. The Great Wall was not built to be a tourist attraction and it was not built to accommodate crowds of tourists. Safety was not an important design consideration. The Wall was built to follow high points of the local topography, and as a result the Wall follows steep mountain ridges. Looking at photos of the Great Wall rarely gives a good perspective of just how steep the Wall really is.

In addition, the Wall has deteriorated in many places making it even more dangerous than it was originally. Many bricks and stones are loose. Small stones and gravel as well as plant growth makes the surface slippery and unpredictable. It’s even worse if it’s at all wet.



Accidents can and do happen even in restored areas. The long, steep flights of stairs of uneven heights, depths, and angles are very unforgiving. The first time I visited Mutianyu, the area between east towers 1 and 2 was closed due to a visitor having been killed there the previous day.

Here are some suggestions.

• Know your limits and stay well within them. Always retain a significant reserve when it comes to strength, stamina, balance, etc.
• Take your time. Don’t be in a hurry.
• Carry plenty of water and drink it regularly. If you find yourself rationing water, you did not bring enough.
• Don’t hike and definitely don’t use cell phones or other electronic equipment during times of thunderstorms. Pay attention to the weather forecasts and the weather itself in summer months and do not go out if thunderstorms are expected.
• Rain, snow and especially ice makes the Great Wall even more treacherous.
• Don’t multitask. If you want to take a photo, drink some water, use your binoculars, check your GPS, etc., stop walking and make sure you are in a safe position first.
• Don’t hike alone in remote areas.
• Wear appropriate footwear.
• Hiking poles can help you to keep your balance.
• Protect yourself from the sun using protective clothing, hats, sunscreen, etc.
• Read and respect signs that are posted along the wall.
• Be aware that cell phones often won't work on the Great Wall, even in the Beijing area.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The Great Wall Forum and its members are not responsible for your safety. Use your own judgment.

[PWCCA]

In Spring/summer months, wear insect repellant. many varieties of insects thrive by the wall (especially wild sections) and some are rather big and scary when the zoom past you or land on you... I almost fell off the wall once when a wasp decided to land on my arm and I literally shit myself... but maybe I am just a bigger coward when if comes to insects. But, be careful regardless