阅读理解building the great wall must have been thirsty work. it was lucky for the builders all those years ago that they could buy ice water from people along the way. if it got cold, they could always buy an “i climbed the great wall” t-shirt and perhaps even go to kfc for dinner.ok, maybe this isn’t quite true. but it does make a very important point: some parts of the great wall have been reduced to marketplaces. sections of the wall close to beijing are now full of tourists, with salespeople standing around the gate. as a result, you lose all sense of history. how can you admire the wonderful views when someone is whispering in your ear: “sir, i give you good price.”with this in mind, last weekend i went to the “wild wall”, where the salespeople do not come. it seems many chinese people like to visit parts of the wall that have been rebuilt for tourists. but a lot of foreigners want to see it in its natural state. walking from jiaokou to mutianyu, i wasn’t disappointed.here the wall is overgrown with plant life. tr
