For great view of the Great Wall of China

Bob Davis -

The Great Wall snakes over the mountains here in sections that are 30 feet tall and a yard across.

But Mervi Husa couldn't see it. She was underwater with a scuba tank strapped to her back and the famed wall was somewhere below her in soupy green water.

"We lost the wall and couldn't find it again," she said disconsolately after the dive. She did scoop up what she thought was a vase, though on closer inspection it turned out to be a discarded liquor bottle.

Exploring the Great Wall in the Panjiakou reservoir requires perseverance, good eyesight and a diving mask.

After a deadly earthquake in 1976, China built the reservoir by flooding battered villages and a half-mile section of the Great Wall.

These days, speed boats and rickety cruise ships ply the reservoir, which has become a haunt for Chinese who want to learn to dive and for foreign divers looking for a fresh adventure.

"It's a chance to dive one of the wonders of the world," said Steven Schwankert, a Beijing scuba instructor, who leads expeditions to Panjiakou, 150 miles northeast of Beijing.

"You can't dive under the Pyramids."

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