A refreshing look at the Great Wall

Visitors in town for the Olympics, but hiking from Simatai to Jinshanling in Beijing summer heat doesn't sound appealing? Try seeing the Great Wall from a cooler angle: underwater.

On July 6, intrepid Beijing-based divers, including myself, Will Moss and Ed Thurley and diving club Sea and Wind's Li Hui ventured out to Panjiakou Reservoir to dive a section of the Wall flooded in the late 1970s, as part of a project to provide more water to the city of Tangshan.

Although recent rain limited visibility to a few meters, we were still able to explore rooms of a submerged tower, including swimming in and out of its various windows. We also swam thourg a nearby five-meter-tall archway. Water temperatures ranged between 20 degrees at the surface, to a bracing 8 degrees below six meters.

SinoScuba plans further exploration of the area. Due to lake levels being at their lowest in years, access to deeper sites is somewhat easier. The town of Panjiakou remains at the bottom of the lake with its location undetermined, as are sections of the Wall including the "South Gate," an apparently well-preserved section consisting of a large tower and archway.

You can view a couple of videos of the trip here and here.

Links and Sources
SinoScuba
Ketknbc.Com: Divers Explore Submerged Great Wall
CBN News: Remarkable Underwater Video of China's Great Wall