If you are like most travelers, you don’t have unlimited time to wait on the perfect weather conditions to visit a sight which is outside. Another item that comes into play is that there are some must see venues when you travel. The Great Wall of China is certainly one of them! If you are in China and your time dictates you visit the Great Wall when it is raining, it will be a bit disappointing because your view will be so limited. In most places I have seen, the Great Wall runs along a mountain ridge, so if the clouds are low, you will be in them on the Great Wall and your visibility will be restricted.
It has been my experience that the Great Wall will remain open when it rains. At the entrance there are several vendors that are wise business people. They will gladly sell you a poncho… at an elevated price. If the Great Wall is crowded and many people have umbrellas, watch out! Don’t let them unintentionally poke you with one of the tips of their umbrellas. Umbrellas in a crowded area just don’t work well in my opinion.
Some things you may want to consider is that the stones on the Great Wall are old and smooth, so they can be very slippery when they are wet. Also, you may want to consider taking off your socks, so you can have something dry to put on when you drive away from the Great Wall. Once, I was at the Great Wall and it was so cold that the battery in my camera froze and wouldn’t work! That was a shame, because there was snow on the ground and it would have made for some beautiful pictures! So, be prepared for the weather when you go to the Great Wall!