My Grand Tour of China – Part One ‘Beijing and the Great Wall’ – Mobility and Special Dietary Needs!

My previous blog two weeks ago set the scene for our popular ‘Bucket List’ package for 2019.

Over the next weeks, I will be sharing my experiences with you.

I and six colleagues flew to Beijing to start our 12-day Escorted Tour of China, each with a different brief.

Mine was to look at the trip from a mobility and dietary aspect, this was perfect for me as having arthritis in my knees and being diabetic meant I could report fully on these areas from a personal point of view.

Upon arrival in Beijing we had to go through a ‘finger-printing’ procedure which for some of us took a few attempts to register, so please be patient.  We then proceeded to immigration and completed an arrival/departure card.  After collecting our luggage we made our way to meet our Tour Guide, Andy.  Beijing is a big airport so be prepared for a bit of a walk as the bus pick up is underground.  If you have requested assistance then you may still be required to walk a distance as they will not take you to the bus.

The hotel we stayed in for 3 nights was a 4* and had real Chinese character.  The rooms were adequate and all had showers over the bath.  This hotel did not have any accessible rooms and could not guarantee any other special diets other than vegetarian meals.

Most of the restaurants we visited throughout our tour could accommodate most diets to a ‘degree’ (I will explain more in later blogs).

After visiting several hotels we then had a quick shower and strolled across the road from our hotel and shared a Chinese meal which was enjoyable.  One of our group was a vegetarian and had a variety of dishes.  The Chinese do not use a lot of milk or cream in their food so if you are lactose intolerant then you will find enough to eat.

The next morning was an early start as we headed to the ‘Juyong’ section of the Great Wall.  If you have mobility issues then this section of the wall is the most easily accessible section from Beijing and wheelchair access is best here for the valley-bottom fort area.  If you want to go further then take a look at the photo below, my six colleagues made it to the top.

Steps are irregular, uneven and very steep in places so a certain level of fitness is needed if you want to make it to the top.

The Juyong section was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in a strategic valley that allowed direct access to Beijing.  It was considered one of the three most important passes in the whole Ming Great Wall.

It is thought that the fort and wall were called Juyongguan because in the Qin Dynasty when they were building the first united Great Wall across the northern frontier, common people were assigned to build this part of the wall. Ju (居) means dwell, and yong (庸) means mediocre or common. The world guan (关) can mean pass or gate.

China’s Great Wall is truly a marvellous sight to see and I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to visit this iconic site.

After the Great Wall, we visited the Jade Palace and were shown different types of jade, had a demonstration of how it was shaped and then sat through a ‘sales pitch’ presentation.  Lunch was served in an adjacent room and the variety was very good.

This was the start of my adventure and in my next blog, I will let you know about my visit to Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace.

If you are thinking of going to China and would like more information especially if you have mobility or dietary issues, then please message or call me on 0333 300 2803 and I will be more than happy to discuss your requirements with you.

The average temperatures encountered were 34-40 degrees and the humidity was high too.

On average you may walk 2-4 miles daily and China has a lot of steps (again I will be sharing details with you).

Have you been to China?  Let me know what your thoughts are!