kcroamer2

How much climbing is involved in seeing The Great Wall of China, sites in Bejing, major sites in China such as Terra Cotta Warriors? I am 69 years old with heart condition controlled by meds and would get MD advice, but just wondering as I never made it to Asia when young and now regret it. Would take a group tour, but no need to go if I cannot see anything. Can climb 2-3 flights of stairs slowly and walk long distances on flat ground.
Thanks

kja

I can only offer some partial information. My recollection is that one can see a great deal in Beijing and Xi'an (including the terra cotta warriors) without much climbing.

There are a few sites that would require climbing a bit (like the drum and bell towers in Xi'an), but I don't think the success of your trip would depend on whether you decide to climb them.

The Great Wall could be a bit more tricky, but not impossible by any means. There is a cable car that you should be able take at Badaling. I don't know how reliable it is, as it was closed the day that I went (so I climbed, huffing and puffing, instead). The view from the top of that cable car were stunning. Here's some info:
http://www.badalinggreatwall.com

Looks like there is also a cable car at Mutianyu:
http://www.mutianyugreatwall.net

BTW, you probably don't need to take a group tour unless that is your preference. Several of us have had very successful independent trips to China; you might want to look for our trip reports. You can find them by going to the China board; they are at the bottom. Another way to find my (very long but searchable) report would be to click on my screen name.

dgunbug

IMO china would not be the place to go if i had heart problems. My concern would be more the level of medical treatment one would get if you need medical care, rather than whether there are too many stairs. As for the Great Wall of china, while there is a chair lift, there is still a considerable amount of climbing necessary.

shelleyk

I think if you doctor says you could go, then you should. If you are uncomfortable going to a country that has limited medical care, then go on a tour with Grand Circle Travel which is used to dealing with older travellers and their medical problems. Make sure to get trip cancellation and evacuation insurance that covers pre existing conditions. You probably could not walk much on the Great Wall, but the terra cotta warriors should be doable for you. China is not the easiest country to see on your own, (very crowded and lots of walking and standing).I definitely would not do it alone if I had a heart condition.

thursdaysd

I would be concerned about the pollution rather than the medical care. I would also never choose to travel with GCT. If you have medical concerns that would lead you to choose a tour, even though China is perfectly possible as an independent traveler, I would look at outfits like the Smithsonian, Road Scholars and Eldertreks. You should make sure you have medical and evacuation and repatriation insurance, and be aware that pre-existing conditions will only be covered if you buy insurance, including cancelation insurance, within 14 days of initial payment.

Although you can usually reach the top of the wall without climbing, once there you cannot get far without climbing steps. It's not an issue at the Terracotta warriors.

jobin

A very fine western medicine hospital in Beijing which i can recommend is Beijing United Family Hospital.
http://beijing.ufh.com.cn/en/
Worked for me for many years. All docs trained in the west, at least.
As far as the Great Wall, my favorite is very 'off the beaten track' and out near Lai Yuan, Hebei Province. There is a National GeoPark, Bai Shi Shan, (White Rock Mt) nearby which has an extensive section of the wall in pristine condition. Really fab and totally devoid of anyone else. Oh, a few venture up in the spring mornings to see the flowering shrubs which blanket the hillsides. One side of the Wall has pink, the opposite side has white. Very lovely. But it would take some doing to get to Lai Yuan, then to the Park (West Gate) and finally wander up the hillside on a well marked trail to the wall itself. Certainly one of the highlights of my stay in Hebei. Although as old as you, i am quite fit; only knee problems. For those keen on the uphill hikes, you can hike to the top of Bai Shi Shan on a good trail but plan the whole day.

Carrabella

We are older than you, and have independantly visited the Great Wall on separate occasions, at Mutinyao and at Badaling.
Mutinyao in July - has about a 500meter uphill walk to the cable car, and once on the wall,we climbed slowly in awful heat up three or four towers.Unforgetable!

Badaling in October - public bus there, and easy walk to entry area. There, one gets a great view of the wall in both directions, and snaking over hill and dale, without actually going on it. We could easily see the horrific crowds already on the wall, and so decided as we'd already been at Mutinyao, we didn't need to join this throng. I thought at the time, that this was the better place to go for physically challenged people or oldies like me, because so much is visible without the climb.

Went again this last May, but this time, caught the bus past the wall to Longqing Gorge, for a different outing. Do go to Badaling if you possibly can. Beijing is tiring, but a wonderful experience. Good luck!

JPDeM

There is plenty of good medical treatment in these cities. You can even deal with an American doctor if you wish. While pollution is an issue, it is unlikely to really affect a tourist who spends just a few days there.
Having said that, in China you need to walk a lot. Understand that the top of the Wall is not flat. It is nothing but stairs. But having said that, you do not need to go far on it to enjoy it. Just do as much as you can handle.

geebee

I am 76 and my husband is 81. We have talked about visiting China for years but kept putting off the trip to go somewhere else. This year we said "if not now, when?" We are both in relatively good health and our doctors have no concern about our doing the trip. We will be travelling on a guided tour with a group of 6 other people. I have mild concern about intestinal viruses but we have meds for that and that is a concern for people at all ages. I jokingly tell my friends that this trip will be our "IronMan" contest. If climbing stairs becomes an obstacle we will either pass on that site or climb slowly. Barring major health issues, you don't know if you can do something until you try.