The Great Wall of China is the decisive surprise of a November 1982 visit to Peking. The diarist had been putting it down before arriving, but the scale of the place overturned that expectation: it was, finally, “really great.” The entry makes the encounter vivid through the practical choice of route and the people sharing the wall, not through historical exposition.

Arrival and the Route

After a two-hour car ride, the group reached the wall and chose its left side because it was less steep and less crowded. The route turned the visit into a physical climb rather than a distant view. Wind threatened to blow the diarist’s hair off, and the entry notes that someone may have captured the moment in a photograph.

Visitors on the Wall

The wall appears as a place in ordinary use as well as a monumental destination. Chinese visitors were taking pictures of themselves, while soldiers came there with their girlfriends. The diarist compares walking up the wall to walking up the Empire State Building, bringing its immense scale into familiar, effortful terms.

The Afternoon’s Impression

The encounter reverses the diarist’s prior dismissal: the Great Wall is not merely impressive in anticipation but staggering when experienced in person. The group continued by bus to the Ming Tombs, which also made a staggering impression and were another two hours away. Together, the visits filled the afternoon, while the diary’s brief account preserves the wall’s defining contrast: a vast landmark approached through a specific, crowded, windy walk.