The following morning it was a relatively short hop to Beijing via Datong and Zhangjiakou, the point where the old caravan route between China and Russia crossed the Great Wall.

In this specific case, cars and trucks have been piling up since August 14, 2010 on the National Expressway 100, which is also known as the G110, the major route from Beijing to Zhangjiakou.

The traffic jam on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Highway puts any congestion we have to shame.

Zhangjiakou is nice and cool in summer, summer vacation can be ideal.

Liu Tong, Beijing Xinfadi Wholesale Market, said, "For example, farmers in Zhangjiakou couldn't harvest vegetables due to heavy hail, so the supply falls short the next day.