Daniel Dumbrill
Jinshanling Great Wall (金山岭长城) was our first stop after Beijing — I’d have to say my favorite section of the great wall so far. This was a 150km journey north of Beijing, not including two short stops. One into a mechanic to diagnost our check engine light, it turned out to be a low Adblue/Eurea warning light that didn't clear itself out after refilling. The other stop was into a gigantic Sam's Club with a huge outdoor parking lot that made me feel like I was back in North America. Jinshanling Great Wall is tucked right on the Beijing-Hebei border, this stretch feels peaceful compared to the busier parts of the wall. There’s a well-maintained restored section that’s easy to walk, but what really makes it special are the rugged, unrestored stretches you can reach on foot from the nearby village. The whole area is dotted with nicely kept homestays, making it easy to base yourself here and explore at your own pace. Construction began in the early Ming Dynasty around 1368, with major rebuilding and enhancements between 1567–1570. The result is a beautiful mix of history and raw mountain scenery that feels far more authentic.
Daniel Dumbrill
I had originally planned to drive straight from Chongqing into Xinjiang. But an event at Tsinghua University I needed to attend gave us the perfect reason to detour, and it turned into a wonderful opportunity to see so much of Inner Mongolia along the way. The drive from Chongqing to Beijing was roughly 1,800 km. We spent two nights on the road, sleeping in our RV at highway service stations to keep things moving. It's free to stay in service stations and there are designated spots for truckers and other vehicles to spend the night. We made a quick stop in a small Shanxi town for a meal. During lunch, the locals asked where we were from. One of the guys was apparently in the military, and they were genuinely excited that foreigners had found their town. Despite our best efforts to convince them it wasn’t necessary, they bought us a couple of boxes of their local snacks. Friendly encounters like this happen all over China. After 18 years, they’re no longer a surprise — but they still feel heartfelt.
