We visited Mutianyu in the summer, when the surroundings were green and lush. Pictures I've seen of the Great Wall in the winter are amazing with the snow covering everything and the solitude. Would love to visit, but is it much more difficult to get there in the winter? Is the weather particularly brutal in the countryside? I grew up not far from Chicago, so I know winters. However I've also lived in the South for a long time now and have turned into a bit of a weather wimp.

Also, we couldn't squeeze in Xi'an on our last visit. What's it like to visit in the winter? TIA.