I've read about the different sections of the wall, the parts that are touristy, the parts that aren't and hiking along the wall where there aren't many other people. My question: is it safe to be alone (or with one other person) walking along the wall? One book I have mentioned that if you go too far away from the crowds at Badaling, there's a risk of being mugged by locals. Does anyone have any information on this and other locations? Thanks.

The US state department does not offer any particular travel warning for China, and starts its safety report about China by saying "travelers should follow normal safety precautions" (the sign of a "safe" country). <BR><BR>It also says that while pickpocketing can be an issue, crimes against foreigners are rare.<BR><BR>I have always felt very safe in China, and think that you would be pretty safe exploring along the great wall on your own. Particularly at Badaling, which is the BUSIEST section of the Great Wall, reportedly overcrowded with tourists.

We were at Badaling in May. The wall was crowded with tourists - mostly Chinese. The left part of the wall was less crowded, but there was still a lot of people. I can't imagine that there would be a time when there would not be some people around. You can be sure that you will see many booths and hawkers selling everything.

Just hire a cab and go in the afternoon (say around 4 pm). You will see then a sunset you will never forget and the numbe rof people on the wall is very limited, the souvenir stands are closed.<BR><BR>When I was there with two friends there were in total 7 people on the wall, at least as far as we could see.

There were cases of mugging at Badaling a few years ago. It isn't difficult to escape the crowds if you have travelled there independently. Few people have time to go very far along the Wall, and not that many have the stamina to continue beyond the initial steep climbs. With 20 minutes or so of effort you can reach un-rebuilt sections, and it's here that problems occasionally took place, for those who wandered further out of sight of the main crowds.<BR><BR>However, China is generally remarkably safe for visitors, and I haven't heard any stories of any problems at Badaling for a while. The last time I went that way there was a pair of distinctly shifty and rather muscular characters around, but we were two males determined to enjoy a picnic in a quiet spot and they didn't approach, and may have been quite innocuous. Another man popped up out of nowhere to collect our cans and bottles (in China there are not many truly empty places, and certainly none that close to Beijing).<BR><BR>Since then I've hiked from Jinshanling to Simatai on an autumn afternoon with no one around at all, at least until a roving souvenir seller found me and stuck to me for the entire remainder of my walk--a major nuisance at that location, but much worse if you start at the Simatai end. If I were a mugger I'd also hang out at Badaling where there's more choice of victim. Certainly there's no chance of difficulties whatsoever if you just ramble at random in the countryside (as I often do) whether on the Wall or not. Like airports, railway stations, and major tourist sights everywhere there are a few criminals waiting to target the unwary, and Badaling is one of China's most popular sites, offering plenty of pickings. But in China attacks on foreigners are rare indeed, and the chances of encountering problems are very slight.<BR><BR>Peter N-H<BR>http://members.axion.net/~pnh/China.html