Originally Posted by
Chapel Hill Guy
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?
The "countryside" in this case is more of a Beijing suburb or satellite since Mutianyu is not too far away. The photos with snow are nice, but rarely does it snow in Beijing or areas around, rather its very dry, so the landscape might be desolate (or have rugged beauty, you choose the term). Roads to Mutianyu are very well developed so it won't be tough to get there.