January 22, 2012

Beyond Levittown: Photos of early Division Avenue graduates at the Great Wall of China. Chapter 5 in our travel series.


Jim Halpin (1960) at the Great Wall of China in 2009.

A freezing Frank Barning (1960) visited in 2006.


Franne Newman Lee (1960) at the Great Wall in 1986.

The Badaling entrance to the Great Wall of China.

A Great Wall of China souvenir stand. All items were made in China.


Chinese New Year 2012 - The Year of the Dragon - begins on January 23. Division Avenue High School graduates know about that ferocious creature because our mascot was a Blue Dragon.

However, only a handful of early Division Avenue High School alumni have had the good fortune to visit China. A can't-miss attraction is the Great Wall of China.


The Barnings had a chilly three-hour stop there while on an Asia tour in 2006. We visited the Badaling section of the Great Wall which is reputed to be the best preserved and the most popular one amongst all the sections. It is more than 3,281 feet above sea level, and commanded a strategic position for transportation and defense in ancient times.


Badaling, literally meaning “reach eight directions”, got its name because the maze of its ridges stretches in all directions. It is easily accessible and has easy walking conditions.

According to the China Highlights website:


"The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sights in the world. The longest wall in the world, it is an awe-inspiring feat of ancient defensive architecture. Its winding path over rugged country and steep mountains takes in some great scenery.


"The Great Wall is the building project with the longest duration and greatest cost in human lives, blood, sweat and tears. It deserves its place among "the New Seven Wonders of the World" and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China."

3 comments:

Bill Fey said...

The Great Wall Of China also known as the worlds biggest cemetery!

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