I was born in the year of the dragon. I was always dreaming that one day I could visit the Great Wall of China, a giant dragon stretching over mountains and deserts, and walk on it. And this day had finally come.
It was July 2019, and I was in Beijing, the capital of China. Standing in the front gate of Mutianyu, one of the best-preserved Great Wall sections in the Greater Beijing area, my body was full of excitement. I had been waiting so long to climb it.
But getting to the Great Wall of China was not easy; I had to climb many stairs that seemed like a million steps. And since the Great Wall of China is on mountains, I had to ride a mountain cable car afterwards. And then came a bunch of other stairs. When I finally got to the Great Wall of China, I was tired and sweating from head to toe. I wanted to sit down and rest, but my excitement pushed me up and got me to start walking.
Walking there was amazing! There were little holes in the brick walls that helped soldiers in those ancient times spy on their enemy and know that they were coming without being seen; the soldiers could also shoot arrows at the enemy through the holes and the enemy couldn’t shoot them successfully through those tiny holes. I saw and passed many fire towers that were once used to “message” soldiers in the next fire tower that enemy were coming, by making thick smoke during the day or lighting a fire during the night. The soldiers would see the light or the smoke and one by one, they would light every fire tower and prepare for the intrusion. I’d say that is a pretty safe and smart way of warning.
When I left the Mutianyu Great Wall, I was exhausted. All I wanted then was to take a nice shower and go to bed. But I couldn’t wait for my next adventure to explore other sections of the Great Wall!
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