unrestored section of the Great Wall

This is what we were really looking for. We wanted to see what the Great Wall would look like today. We actually found it on the southern stretch of wall at Mutianyu. This stretch, built during the Ming Dynasty, hadn't been repaired--so it was neat to see the missing stones/bricks and all of the bushes, shrubs, trees and grass growing on parts of the Wall. I guess this was the 'romantic' image I had of the Great Wall in my head.