When Machu Picchu stands as the miraculous citadel in South America, the Great Wall of China is the counterpart, if not more imposing, in Asia. Breathtaking it is. With its pristine watchtowers and multi-function walls stretching thousands of kilometre across the historic frontier, the Great Wall is the ultimate bucket-list adventure for many.
My first out-of-town trip was when I visited the capital city of China at the age of nineteen. The Great Wall is so impressive it's worth a return journey. The second visit, it turned out, happened this summer, when my daughter joined a summer physics course in Beijing.
The Great Wall, being a timeless monument, never fails to surprise. Climbing the gravity-defying Great Wall often makes one wonder about how it was built. The builder of the Jiayuguan fort, as the legend goes, calculated the construction materials precisely. So much so that one brick remained by the time the building had finished.
We could never verify that piece of history. What we are pretty sure is that the ancient wonder is a never-ending story.
