On the first episode of the televison show The Amazing Race 10, the first pit stop was at Juyongguan, part of the Great Wall of China. I watched the background closely, as this section of the Great Wall was new to me. In the footage, much of this ancient 'wall' looked pretty darn new to me.I've been to the Great Wall at Badaling two times now, and although some of the access approach there had been newly restored, much of the wall was very old. For me, that's the appeal. From the rather limited footage shown, I had the impression that the Great Wall at Juyongguan (guan means mountain pass) was more theme park than historic site. I look forward to a return trip to China next year, so I can get a closer look before I decide which section I prefer.
The picture here shows the new development around the valley just below the stairway. You can see yourself how much building is going on.
