Everything you need to know to camp on the Great Wall

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More than 2,000 years of history and 21,000 kilometers in length, the Great Wall of China remains high on many people's bucket lists as one of the world’s most iconic structural marvels.

Perhaps you have visited the Great Wall, but maybe you haven’t truly gotten the most out of the experience – other than a crowded day trip trekking through the watchtowers from narrow paths to wide open vistas.

Great Wall at night /VCG Photo

Most people go for a day to explore the history of the Wall and see why it was built. But not too many get out of the hustle and bustle to experience the Wall’s real untouched grandeur.

If the Chinese saying “he who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a true man” implies that people wouldn't understand what the human spirit is capable of until they overcome the Great Wall, then for some people who’ve experienced the Great Wall in another way, perhaps they have taken on the next level.

A watchtower at a wild Wall during the night /VCG Photo

Here’s another way to experience the Great Wall like nothing else

Live it, or live on it: Camping is how more people are coming to experience one of humanity’s most incredible feats of engineering.

A tourist camp inside a watchtower on the Great Wall /VCG Photo

“Do you know what this means? Glorious, uninterrupted wall bliss,” says Claire in her blog post, a hiker who has conquered the Great Wall crowd-free.

Venturing into the unrestored section into the wilderness and passing by the ancient villages and unique lakeside off the beaten path is surely not easy. But having a night tour and sleepover on ruins of the Wall, then catching the sunrise atop one of the world’s seven wonders is certainly all worth it.

At the Jiankou, one of the wildest and steepest Great Wall sections, you’ll be greeted with fascinating architectural feats of the 15th and 16th century with majestic wall spanning up and down hills. The wall itself is completely unrestored, as if the last people to be there were those from the Ming Dynasty over 500 years ago.

Sunset at the Jiankou, "arrow nook” Great Wall /VCG Photo

Jiankou Great Wall when night falls /VCG Photo

Chenjiabao is another wild wall section on Mount Yan located in Beijing’s Miyun District. Famous for its three peculiar views: unilateral Great Wall, U-shaped Great Wall, and Great Wall on the cliff. Camping at one of the section's watchtowers as night falls, hikers will get the chance to witness a lovely sunset that overlooks rolling hills and an even more magical sunrise.

Wild flower cover the Chenjiabao Great Wall. /VCG Photo

Other than Jiankou and Chenjiabao sections, there’re countless other parts of the Wall devoid of tourists. The Gubeikou, Zhuangdaokou and Qiangzilu are sections that offer captivating sunset and sunrise views promised at the top.

Misty wild Great Wall /VCG Photo

Night sky at Qiangzilu Great Wall /VCG Photo

So, camping, if you’re not glamping

Spending a night on top of the Great Wall seems more in demand than ever, so popular that Airbnb has decided to chip in and open a room inside a watchtower in its newest “Night At” campaign.

The Great Wall is now temporarily listed on Airbnb. /VCG Photo

The campaign – in the spirit of bringing people together with walls – as opposed to dividing them, offers a temporary accommodation in partnership with Beijing Tourism Development Committee for eight lucky winners who will be chosen to stay for a night on the world wonder.

Lucky winners will be the first group to camp on the Great Wall in style, comfort and luxury. /Screenshot via Airbnb Youtube

With a candle-lit pop-up room that features a double bed, modern lamps, floor lighting and a cozy lounge area with a sofa and a dining table for guests to enjoy gourmet food and traditional Chinese music before bed, and even a guided sunrise hike through the countryside and a tour of the Great Wall with historians, Airbnb undoubtedly ensures that its lucky winners will be the first group before anyone to camp on the Great Wall in style, comfort and luxury, although how they will be protected from a sudden downpour remains in question.

Although luxurious, how guests will be protected from a sudden downpour remains in question. /Screenshot via Airbnb Youtube

While claiming to represent the first time in thousands of years that “ordinary visitors” have been permitted to sleep on the ancient fortification, Airbnb is hardly the first-ever host of any ordinary tourist to have a sleepover on the Great Wall like an ancient wall guard.

Eight lucky winners will get chosen for the stay. /Screenshot via Airbnb Youtube

What to expect for camping on the Great Wall?

Many travel agencies have long provided camping tours on the Great Wall. Meanwhile, if you’re an adventurous soul, you can also plan an overnight stay with 21,000-kilometer of history all to yourself.

In popular and restored sections like Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling and so on, camping is prohibited due to the ever-increasing number of tourists. However, in the unrestored sections, the wild Walls are known for a stomping ground for outdoor enthusiasts.

Camping on the “arrow nook" Great Wall in winter /VCG Photo

There’s no camping facility on the wild Walls, so be prepared and doing your research is most important, as some unrestored sections are closed for a reason and it's strongly advised to not go.

The wild Walls are very rural and don’t sell anything so you would have to carry your own camping equipment, water (lots of them) and food. Hiking on the uneven and sometimes steep Great Wall paths with the extra weight is very strenuous, so beware of trips and sprains.

While it might seem like a trek, when you found a good campsite and the night falls, it will all pay off. Such camping tour is suitable for mountain views during the day and stargazing at night. And the only thing below is the stars? The incredible land of the surrounding hills will be absolutely silent.