Finding a Secluded Section of the Great Wall of China

The main areas to see the Great Wall of China are overrun with the crowds. But with 21,000 kilometers of wall, there have to be places where you can have the wall to yourself. Right?!

So I set off on my motorcycle to search for one of those places. I didn't want the packed viewpoints or the long lines—I wanted a part of the wall that still felt wild. Following side roads and rough tracks, I rode deeper into the landscape until the crowds disappeared. That's when I found a stretch of the Great Wall I wasn't supposed to find. It stood silent, crumbling in places, with no ticket booths and no selfie sticks. I climbed up and walked along the old stones, looking out over the hills as far as I could see. It was just me and the wall.

This is the best of China for me: not the busy famous sections, but the quiet, forgotten ones. If you're ever searching for the Great Wall, remember it's more than 21,000 kilometers long. There is still a place where you can have the wall to yourself.