BEIJING SNAPSHOT: Great Wall, a symbol of China’s strength

Beijing’s famous landmarks are, for the most part, outside the Olympic bubble, including the Great Wall, the ultimate symbol of Chinese history and strength. A group of 60 athletes and journalists were given an opportunity to visit a section of the wall, making them among the few Olympic visitors able to bypass the virtual tours and cardboard cutouts of the wall in the Olympics media center and experience the real thing.

The group climbed the ancient steps of the Juyong Pass, just outside Beijing, a small taste of China outside the bubble that was made possible by closing off a portion during their visit, in keeping with the strict COVID-19 protocols imposed by the government.

Stretching thousands of miles along the crests of ridgelines and mountaintops, the wall has stood as a barrier protecting the Chinese capital for more than 2,000 years. It stood through dynasties and discoveries. And now, it has seen two Olympics.

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