Journalists covering the Beijing Games visit Great Wall

A group of journalists covering the Beijing Winter Olympics visited the Great Wall of China on Thursday, in what was the first opportunity for many to get away from the frenzy of work around the games and see the country.

Guided by Chinese staff and volunteers, dozens of journalists walked the 1.5km pass of the Great Wall in Juyongguan.

The area where the tour took place was closed to the public for the duration of the visit.

Among the participants was New York Times reporter Daniel Victor, who said it was an experience to get out and see the real China.

The Great Wall was built as a military defence project of successive Chinese Empires, with a total length of over 21,000 km (13,000 miles).