On a beautiful day during the Chinese New Year holiday we drove to the Jinshanling Great Wall section in Luanping County, 125 km northeast of Beijing.

After getting my Chinese drivers licence I hadn’t had a chance to go out and try it. In Beijing I could finally put it to use. After some short trips within Beijing this was my first time behind the wheel in China for a long drive. It’s so nice to be able to drive in China and have the freedom to go wherever you want without depending on someone. Of course we have been to the Great Wall before but always to different sections. The Jinshanling section has only been partially restored and opened quite recently for tourism. When we got there it was still really quiet and we could enjoy the marvelous landscapes without being bothered by anyone.

“不到长城非好汉 (bú dào Chángchéng fēi hǎohàn): He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true man.”

According to the wisdom of the internet this is either a line from a classical Chinese poem or a quote of Chairman Mao. Either way being on top of one of the wonders of the world feels special.