I visited the Mu Tian Yu Gate in March, 2003. You first run a gauntlet of stalls with vendors selling everything from the usual tacky souvenirs to better quality items and food. If the dried fruit vendor is there, load up. It's wonderful! You do take a cable car up to the western end of the restored section. While you can walk to the west ...

Definitely go to the Great Wall at Mu Tian Yu. It's the other section of the Great Wall near Beijing. The main or more frequented section is Ba Da Ling. When I was there ... November, 2005 ... hardly anyone was around. I felt as if I had the Great Wall to myself ... quite a feeling.

As a documentary photographer, I took numerous stills ...

The best side to visit The Great Wall is without question the Mutianyu section, by far better than Badaling, less crowded, older, more difficult to go up to (which is good for me) and just prettier. You can have it just for yourself! At the end, ask for this new place called The Schoolhouse, really nice, great western (and chinese) food and relaxing environment, english speaking staff and probably the best bathrooms in China!!

loved this section of the wall. it's not nearly as crowded and you can get some great shots with no one in the background in places....it looks like your on the way all by yourself. when you arrive make sure you only buy a trip up on the gondola and a trip down on the toboggan. its lots of fun. i also bought some coffee table books there that i could not find anywhere else in china.