Avoid Ba Du Lang(?)
By A Yahoo! Contributor, 5/17/11
There are many spots that tourists go to along the wall. The most popular is Ba Du Long (sp?). Avoid it if you can. Most tours go there and the hawkers are the worst in northern China (that's saying a lot!). Hire a cab or private guide and go to another access point. If you must go to Ba Du Lang, get on the Wall quickly and walk away from the crowds. The steps are sometimes huge, but climb eastward. Few tourists go more than 50 feet on the Wall and when you get further, the views become better and you can contemplate things.Much of the Wall has very makeshift repairs that are obvious and do distract from the original, but you see back restoration in many places, including the Forbidden City.