The Great Wall of China was selected as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in a global poll announced on July 7, 2007. “If you haven’t climbed the Great Wall, you haven’t seen China." Many of your friends who visited China before might have told you this. It is, indeed, an experience of lifetime. The Great Wall of China, one of the most magnificent man-made projects in the world, lies across the northern part of China like some great sleeping dragon, winding its way through the vast territory of China. With a history of over 2,500 years, the Great Wall is still active to attract visitors from all over the world. In 1987, the Great Wall was inscribed on the World Heritage List by the UNESCO.
History & FunctionThe construction of the Great wall began during 770-476 BC. Ducal states at that time built walls to defend their own territories. In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang conquered the six kingdoms and unified China to become its fist emperor. To consolidate the country and ward off invasion by ethnic minority tribes in the north, he had the separate walls joined together and extended to form a united defensive system. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure.
Construction-He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a real hero!The Great Wall is coagulated with Chinese labors' wisdom, sweat and toil. Ancient records report that at least one million slaves and prisoners of war were conscripted to build the great wall which followed the contour of the land, taking advantage of natural defenses. As many died from exhaustion and starvation while working on this colossal task, the Wall was also known as "the longest cemetery in the world."
The bricks, rocks and lime used to build the wall had to be carried up to the mountains by bare shoulders. Those who succeeded in climbing the wall today are often regarded as "real heroes", from this we should realize the difficulty in climbing the wall, and can imagine how difficult it is to build the Great Wall without modern machinery at that time. Chairman Mao proclaimed that any person who wanted to be a real hero must climb the Great Wall, which has inspired many ambitious visitors. All tourists now know Chairman Mao’s famous words, “He who does not reach the Great Wall is not a real hero!”
Legend-Meng Jiangnu bringing down a section of the Great Wall with her tearsMany beautiful legends and tales have left in China about the construction of the Great Wall. Among them, the most popular would probably be the one about Lady Meng Jiangnu.
On the night of their wedding, Meng Jiangnu's husband was conscribed to build the Great Wall by the Qin soldiers. Before he went away, Lady Meng broke her white jade hairpin into two halves and gave her husband one half as a token of love. One day, lady Meng dreamed that her husband was constantly yelling: "Cold, cold!" She recalled that her husband was wearing very thin clothes. Very soon, she made some padded clothes and left home to look for her husband. She didn’t expect that her husband had already died of exhaustion and she burst into tears. The Great Wall was moved and it collapsed for more than 20 Km, revealing the dead bodies of her husband and many others. On seeing this, she committed suicide by jumping into the sea.
Now, a temple can be found at Shanhai Pass near the sea in memory of this loyal lady.
LengthThe Great Wall is said to be the only man-made project visible with the naked eye from outer space. The current measurement of this defensive wall, which stretches from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west, is 7300 kilometers. Its thickness ranges from about 4.5 to 9 meters (15 to 30 feet) and is up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall.
StructureThe Ming Dynasty was the last dynasty in Chinese history when large scale construction of the Great Wall took place, and most of the walls we see today were built in the Ming Dynasty, starting around 1368 and lasting till 1640.
Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. It is constructed of locally available materials – stone, adobe or rammed earth and also large blocks of granite and bricks. The Great Wall comprises walls, passes, beacon tower, watchtowers, castles and fortresses.
Beacon TowerAlong the 3,600 miles long wall, there are countless beacon towers that were used as signal tower to deliver messages from one place to another. When the enemy invaded in the daytime, heavy smoke was lit as a signal; while at night, big fire would be lit up, because fire was easy to see in the distance. Moreover, the scale of the smoke and fire signals could reveal the number of invading enemies.
Watch TowerThe watchtowers are built at intervals of 1,500 feet except where the terrain is more complicated, and then they are even closer. In ancient time, everyday thousands of soldiers were there to make sure the whole nation was safe. And at night, they slept inside the towers too.
the Great Wall near Beijing Factors, such as season, accessibility, safety, health condition, should be taken into account when visiting the Great Wall. The view as you climb to the top is stunning. Badaling and Juyong Pass is the most visited and most easily accessible part of the Wall. The section between Jinshanling and Simatai requires more physical stamina to climb. The scenery of Mutianyu Great Wall is extremely beautiful in golden autumn.
Juyong Pass Juyong Pass, located in a valley more than 50 kilometers from Beijing City, is one of the three greatest passes of Great Wal. (The other two passes are Jiayuguan Pass and Shanhai Pass)
The wall we can see today was built in the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The valley where Juyong Pass lies is steep and precipitous. Thus, Juyong Pass won the reputation of the most steep and dangerous pass. Juyong Pass and Badaling in the south are vital gateways in the northwest region of Beijing City.
Badaling Great WallThe best-preserved and most imposing section of the Great Wall is at Badaling, 45 miles away at the northwest of Beijing. In Chinese, ‘Bada’ means ‘giving access to every direction’. The name itself suggests its strategic importance. The section is made of large blue bricks, with an average height of 24 feet, 19 feet wide of the bottom, and 16 feet at the top. It is wide enough to allow ten soldiers to march side by side along the wall. The highest point here is more than 2,400 feet above sea level.
Mutianyu Great WallThe great Wall from a different view! Mutianyu Great Wall, located 70km from the center of Beijing, is much steeper than Badaling Great Wall, and a more challenging climb. This section, older than Badaling, is considered by Chinese and foreign tourists as the best part of the Great Wall. There are fewer people about because the location is less accessible than Badaling. Surrounded by woodland and streams, this section takes on different looks in different seasons, blossoming flowers in spring, flowing streams in summer, red leaves in autumn and white snow in winter at this photogenic spot. Fiberglass Window Screening
SimataiThe Simatai Great Wall, 120 kilometers from the city center is often described with the following three words: perilous, diverse and peculiar. This section has not been restored as much as Badaling and much of the section is in a state of ruin with exposed bricks and incomplete structures. A famous specialist of Great Wall says: “The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai section is the best of the Great Wall." This section was said to be "people's excellent cultural relics of the world" by UNESCO.
JinshanlingThe Jinshanling Great Wall, 140 km at the northeast end of Beijing City, features complicated and well preserved fortification systems. The walls are more solid, and the watchtowers taller and it retains its original Ming Dynasty outlook. Here you can see the Wall relatively undisturbed and in its slightly more original condition. The wall goes up and up along the ridge and stretches on endlessly. The wall is slightly in ruins and thereby has a special beauty. It is the section that foreign visitors like most.
Jiayu PassJiayu Pass, located in northwestern part of Gansu Province, was a pass of strategic importance in the Ancient Silk Road. This section, first built in 1539, is the representative of the part of Great Wall in western China, and also the west starting point of the Ming Walls. It enjoys reputable names as "the most important pass in the world" and "the most strategically significant pass in Hexi".WOW Gold
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