Need Advice for Beijing and Great Wall Toboggan

I really enjoyed reading your blog. I am 9 and have moved to Bangkok for my Dad's work. My mother, my little brother and I want to go to Beijing to see the Great Wall. Do you feel safe in Beijing and is the tobbogan safe? Some people say it is dangerous but I REALLY want to do it! Do you have any tips for kids in Beijng? I would love your feedback.


Thank you,
Anna Olivia in Bangkok


Dear Anna Olivia,


I was 7 when I first went to Beijing, I remember my mom being all freaked out with the traffic and people not obeying the traffic lights.  Beijing is a safe city but like all big cities, you always need to be careful, mostly with the crazy traffic and the pick-pockets that might try to get your money, and the vendors at the stalls that also try to get you to buy everything.   The main tourist places and public transportation can get very crowded, so you need to take care of your little brother so he doesn't run around!

Beijing is one of my favorite cities,  what I enjoyed most was zipping around the Hutongs in a rickshaw,  seeing the Pandas at the Beijing Zoo, the  Kung Fu Show, and of course the Toboggan at the Great Wall.

Regarding the Great Wall Toboggan, you need to go to the Mutianyu section of the wall, this is where the toboggan is.  It is very safe and there is safety personnel stationed all the way the toboggan route, mainly telling the ones that were going too fast to slow down and the ones taking pictures to stop doing that.    I wasn't tall enough then and had to ride with my dad, he let me operate the brake and it wasn't difficult.   You control your own speed and can go slow if you want, just tell the person behind you to wait a while before going down, otherwise some people that want to go fast get very impatient behind you.  So depending on your height they might let you go alone or you will have to go with an adult. It was a lot of fun and definitely you have to do it.


Hope you have a fun trip, please write back tell us all about it  and send us some pics! 

Christopher (10)