As one of the biggest man-made marvels in the world, people from around the globe pilgrimage by the droves to visit The Great Wall of China annually. Who wouldn’t? Throughout all of China’s ancient dynasties and unravelling years the Wall is said to have covered over 13,000 miles – it’s even visible from space! The Great Wall has made countless bucket lists and been the centerfold in many an adventurers’ manifesto. If that’s not spectacular, we don’t know what is.
Perhaps one of China’s best kept secrets is exactly where the best spot to visit The Great Wall of China is located. Let us clue you in – it’s not in Beijing! It’s actually in a small valley about an hour outside of Beijing called Chenjiapu. More specifically, it’s with a family by the name of Chen and their homestay called Great Wall Fresh. This family has very quickly figured out that their proximity to the Wall is something special. From their backyard you can literally see the Wall’s jagged peaks snaking over the mountain tops like a dragon having descended out of the sky and draping itself lazily over the earth. So, if you’re like us and you prefer to get away from highly touristed areas and overly-crowded venues, this may be just the place for you! Not only can you hike parts of The Great Wall without ever seeing another living, breathing soul, but the Chens will give you a modest room, fantastic home-cooked meals, and an experience of a lifetime.
Skip the tourists and crowds: Visit Great Wall Fresh
While the most highly frequented sections of The Great Wall closest to Beijing are quite impressive, nonetheless they come with some glaring downsides. Most tourists end up in the most publicized locations, those sections of the wall have been immaculately rebuilt, and you’re still a little too close to the industrial giant that is Beijing.
If you’re familiar with China, then you understand that there really are a billion and one people there. While it’s not always sardine can crowded, at high times you do feel like you’ve been shoved into your own personal vacuum-sealed jar with not hope of breathing fresh air for a time. Considering that The Great Wall of China is one of the world’s most sought after explorations, especially during summers and holidays, the Wall can be pretty packed, to say the least. Even taking a bus or taxi to the closest section of the Wall can take hours in the height of touring seasons in China.
Personally, the crowds are enough to keep us at bay, but the fact that those portions of the Wall have been rebuilt are also a downside in our eyes. With the city of Beijing peeping just over the nearest mountain peek, it feels less like a step into China’s wild side and more so like a survey of modern architecture mimicking the ancient at the closest convenience to the populace. Again, impressive, but lacking a certain authentic feel.
With that being said, if you visit The Great Wall of China, perhaps consider a different place. Our suggestion is to hop on the next train to Chenjiapu and get a true experience of The Great Wall! Return to nature and even see original portions of the structure in all its glorious decay. Maybe it’s just us, but walking the rubble was ten times more exciting than any rebuilt portions we scaled. In case you’re wondering, yes, there are rebuilt sections that connect to the decaying spots – giving you a taste of both ancient and new sides.
Seriously, if you’re sick of those gimmicky tourist attractions, visit The Great Wall of China with the Chen family at Great Wall Fresh instead. You could spit on the Wall from their house if the winds are in your favor.
Stay with a real family, experience real culture
The Chen family truly has figured out that they’re sitting on something special with their locale. While they won’t offer you any frills or special services – their home is very basic, primitive – they do offer you a legitimate glimpse into how rural Chinese people live. Very few of the family members speak English, there are kids running around the yard with the chickens and dog, and you’ll see the family roaming around the grounds carrying out their daily routines. The neighbors of the Chenjiapu village are quite friendly, and curious, and are willing to attempt to communicate with you too.
With dormitory-style rooms, visiting Great Wall Fresh is perfect for solo travelers, families, or even large groups. Mrs. Chen will cook typical, DELICIOUS dishes (which are more like feasts if you’re familiar with the way the Chinese cook) for you upon request, and are very affordable. Mr. Chen will offer you a free ride to the Wall depending on which spot you want to start trekking. This place brings around all sorts of travelers, being mostly circulated by word of mouth. We ourselves witnessed families with all ages of children, adult travelers, solo adventurers, and your average college-aged “I always look this disheveled” hippy-types (we say this with love). The vastly different types of people that take the notion to visit The Great Wall of China are undoubtedly intriguing.
Between the ease of accessing The Great Wall, the incessant chattering of Chinese tongues, and the rustic family farm functioning at it’s normal every-day speed we found this to be one of the greatest (no pun intended) experiences we had while living in China. We got a glimpse of real people and their culture and we got to scale remaining wreckage of the actual Great Wall of China. Not to mention we got to meet a few interesting, like-minded people who appreciate the same sort of things that we do.
Costs and services vary – from pickup services to camping on the Wall – but they’re all affordable
Mr. Chen’s son will be your liaison for your trip to Great Wall Fresh. He speaks English quite well, and is also very friendly and helpful. The best way to reach him is either through email or China’s WeChat app, both of which are listed on their website.
*As a side note: we HIGHLY recommend you download WeChat before traveling to China – it’s free, it’s easy, and it isn’t blocked like most of the westernized world’s social media and communication platforms. It runs off of both data and wifi just like everything else.
Overall, their prices are reasonable, if not cheap. My husband and I booked a weekend with the Chens; ate at least two giant meals per day with them; organized for one of the Chens to pick us up by car at the nearest to them train station in Beijing and to return us to that spot when our trip was over; and we bought two jars of local honey which they’d gathered from their own honey bees. All of this cost us – two people – around ¥1,200 (around $175). That’s $87.50 per person for three days. Other smaller tallies that were also in our total, which were nominal, included coffee and drink charges (around ¥2-10 each), and the shared cost of firewood for campfires each night which they divided between all the guests that participated.
You can stay as long as you like with the Chens, however they’ll give you honest recommendations on the extent of your stay depending on what you’re trying to do. For us, we just wanted to do a day hike, to which Mr. Chen’s son recommended no more than three days. His biggest emphasis was that outside of seeing The Great Wall, there wasn’t much else to see in Chenjiapu, and that we would be bored with any longer extend of time.
As we mentioned, the Chens do offer a pickup and return service from several locations around Beijing and Chenjiapu – which are listed on their website – if you don’t want to worry about getting to their home own your own. We would recommend this as their home is quite obscure and finding it might be difficult.
One of the coolest options with the Chens is camping on The Great Wall of China! How many people can say that they’ve done that? Some of the tour services and packages available in Beijing can get a little pricey, but the Chens will rent you equipment at a reasonable price, just be sure to let the know in advance that this is what you want to do, rather than rent a room from them. Or if you wish to do a mix of both both.
Be practical, pack light for The Great Wall of China
Like we said, the Chens have a very simple, traditional homestead. There is not central heating and air. If you go in summer it will probably be hot and if you go in the fall or winter it will be cold. You’ll be given bare minimum essentials (blankets, pillows, and sheets on the bed), but you should be prepared to take your own soaps with you. There are shared bathrooms with squat pots, so definitely brace for that if you’ve yet to encounter China’s preferred means of urination and deification!
In all practicality, dress appropriately for the season, but don’t overload yourselves too much, and carry other essentials only (check out our packing guide and tips for an awesome hike at The Great Wall for more help). Taking too much for only a day hike or weekend-long trip can ruin your time! See our thoughts on minimalist travel here.
If you’re camping ask them what all camping gear you can rent, and if you’re hiking don’t weigh yourself down with too many things. The Great Wall is very steep and can be very strenuous at some spots both new and dilapidated. Be sure to carry only what you can physically handle. But we would recommend being as light as possible just because some places on the Wall are STRAIGHT UP AND STRAIGHT BACK DOWN. They really are like climbing over an actual wall.
At one portion of the Wall we did encounter large tour groups closer to rebuilt sections, and many of the climbers were laden with overly heavy packs and gear for camping. It was apparent that even people who were in good shape were winded and those who were out of shape were having a miserable time lugging around way to much for an overnight trip on the Wall.
Travel China unlike anyone else
Great Wall Fresh is an off-the-beaten-path, and for lack of a better word, unique, way to experience not only The Great Wall of China, but Chinese culture itself. It’s refreshing because it draws you out of the hustle and bustle of Beijing and drops you right into the middle of nowhere, natural China. You’re free to breath. You’re free to have The Great Wall all to yourself, which is almost unheard of. And, you’re free to immerse yourself into a real, thriving way of life still prevalent in China if you’re willing to take a winding backroad to get there. Visit The Great Wall of China, but consider doing so by visiting one of its best kept secrets: Great Wall Fresh.
** We would like to disclose that we are NOT getting any sort of endorsement to write about the Chen family and Great Wall Fresh. Our experience there was truly one of kind and it left a lasting, truly special mark on us.
