With the advent of the Paralympic games, Beijing has spared no expense in creating barrier-free facilities in and around the city. Tourist spots; including the Great Wall, the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City have all had facilities installed to help disabled people.

Among these facilities, a 180-meter long barrier-free passage, and two elevating platforms, have been set up at the Badaling section of the Great Wall in northwest Beijing.

Xie Jiuzhong is a spokesman from Beijing's Badaling Special Zone.

"The Great Wall has been here for thousands of years but this is the first time that people with disabilities can travel along it. However, we haven't stopped there. We will continue to make other facilities and areas barrier-free, including the toilets and dining halls."

A well-known Chinese saying says: he who has never been to the Great Wall is not a true hero. Now Paralympic athletes can realize their dreams of becoming "true heroes" not just in the sporting arenas but also at China's famous Great Wall.