At the foot of the Great Wall, I have my own section of the wall.

As a child, I was always disappointed that I never got to visit the Great Wall, even though I had been to Beijing many times! This time, I was determined to go, but the thought of the crowds made me nervous. Luckily, I found a fantastic hotel that allowed me to enjoy a private section of the wall! This hotel is part of the Hyatt chain and was designed by 12 top Asian architects. It was even invited to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. The location is perfect, right at the foot of the Shuiguan section of the Great Wall. From the back of the hotel, you can walk a short distance to find a section of the wall with no crowds, which is amazing! There are several villas scattered around the park, and this time I stayed in the Red House. The Red House has three rooms, and I chose the one with a view of the forest and the sunset. The house has two floors, and the high-ceilinged hall has three moon-shaped lamps. In the afternoon, the sunlight shines in, and the shadows of the trees look like photographs. When I wake up in the morning and open the curtains, I feel like I'm sleeping in the forest, which is so refreshing! There is also a communal kitchen, which is great for cooking with friends. For meals, there are two options: breakfast buffet (with a wide variety of options, including a whole honeycomb) and dinner à la carte (I was tempted by the water-boiled pork slices at the next table). For transportation, you can take the high-speed train from Beijing Qinghe Station to Badaling, or take the subway to Changping. Next time, I recommend taking a taxi, as the high-speed train is cheaper. As for service, Hyatt is consistently excellent. The general manager even came out to greet me, and he was very friendly. He also gave me a lot of fruit and wine. The next day, I ate like a special forces soldier, and my favorite was the little squirrel. I carried it on my back all the way, and I was so happy!