If you want to do a day-hike on the Great Wall, the best place in my reckoning is Simatai to Jinshanling (or vice versa). This is the trip I chose for our Dartmouth in Beijing program, which I am now running.
Read MoreDavid Spindler and the Great Wall
This week, tens of thousands of people will be reading Peter Hessler's New Yorkerarticle on David Spindler and his Great Wall project. Here I offer a brief testament in support of David's work.
Read MoreThe Great Wall of China: Article and Film
For several years now, a former classmate of mine from Dartmouth College named David Spindler ('89) has been conducting fieldwork and scholarly research on the history of the Great Wall. Specifically, his interest is in the walls built in the areas north of Beijing during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in order to protect the capital from Mongol raids.
Read MoreA Short Walk on a Great Wall: David Spindler Strikes Again
Mark Schatzker, a travel journalist, has posted two blogs (April 4 and 5) on a hike on the Great Wall with David Spindler on his 80 Days blogsite for Conde Nast Traveler. In the process, he also recounts some of the knowledge that David has accumulated over years of research on how the Ming Wall worked and whether or not it kept the Mongols at bay.
I also remind readers that I have a few blogs and photos of David and the Wall as well. See my Great Wall journal. I promise to add more soon. We're also nearing completion of a documentary film featuring David hiking on and telling stories about the Great Wall. If anybody is interested in learning more about this film, please write me at andrew.field@unsw.edu.au.
Great Wall Exhibit in Sydney/Melbourne
I've written a review of the Great Wall exhibit sponsored by the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, which has shifted over to Melbourne. Here is a link to the review, published by the online journal reCollections.