Badaling

Located about 50 miles northwest of Beijing, Badaling is the most visited section of the Great Wall. It's also the only section you can visit via the train. Due to it's carnival-like atmosphere, many people avoid it like the plague. To celebrate Labor Day, I went up for a visit (my previous visit was also on a holiday -- Thanksgiving).


There are free shuttle buses from Badaling Train Station to the wall.


But once you get off the bus, and before you're actually up on the wall, there are dozens and dozens of souvenir shops, restaurants, etc.








They're trying on hats. I later saw them up on the wall where they pulled me aside to do a little impromptu photo shoot.




If you want, you can even go for a camel ride in the parking lot.


Once past all of that, there's cable cars up to the wall (or you can walk up if you prefer).





Like many tourist sites in China, Badaling can get really really crowded, especially on a late-summer day like today when the weather is fine.







Looks like they decided to buy the hats.