Ancient city walls are not unique to Beijing. As a city develops, old city walls slowly lose their functional significance. A city grows beyond them and many of us never think about the important role they used to play.

However, Beijing's city wall holds an important place in our hearts. It might be partly because we live here but there's a lot more to it than that. Did you know that there is an ancient waterway hidden there? The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal that allowed food and cargo from the south to flow northward into Beijing is located close by. Have you ever seen it?

The canal was built from 486BC (i.e. 2,000 years ago) and is 1,794 kilometers long, making it the longest and oldest man-made canal in the world. But that's not the only reason it amazes us. The terrain of Beijing is high in the northwest and low in the southeast. What kind of magic did ancient Beijinger's use to make water flow upwards? During this half-day family program, we'll uncover the mystery.

We'll then recreate a war scene together on top of the wall. We'll learn the role of the city wall during a war and what means the offensive and defensive sides would use to win ground? With props, scripts, characters, games, and stories, your family will never ignore this part of Beijing again.

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This is a WildChina Travel Family Experience, a series of engaging and interactive half-day programs designed especially for families living in the capital. With one of our award-winning guides as your captain, you won’t “listen" to history. You and your family will enter history, interpret history, and become people in the story. Have you ever thought about how difficult it was to be an emperor in the Ming Dynasty? Or how Beijing's city wall actually protected the city?

Now is your chance to find out and start the school year with a renewed passion for China – all without leaving Beijing in the lead-up to starting term. That means no need for extra COVID tests.

All programs will be held in English and Mandarin (a great opportunity for the kids to practice their language skills too) and led by one of our WildChina guides. We've designed them for children aged 6-11 years old, but older children should also enjoy them.

Meeting point: Main gate of Dongbianmen Arrow Tower