About:
The Great Wall of China (traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; simplified Chinese: 万里长城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng) is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC,[2] with selective stretches later joined together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first emperor of China. Little of the Qin wall remains.[3] Later on, many successive dynasties built and maintained multiple stretches of border walls. The most well-known sections of the wall were built by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
Apart from defense, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration.[4] Furthermore, the defensive characteristics of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watchtowers, troop barracks, garrison stations, signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire, and the fact that the path of the Great Wall also served as a transportation corridor.
The frontier walls built by different dynasties have multiple courses. Collectively, they stretch from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, from the present-day Sino–Russian border in the north to Tao River (Taohe) in the south; along an arc that roughly delineates the edge of the Mongolian steppe; spanning over 20,000 km (12,000 mi) in total.[5] Today, the defensive system of the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.[6]
The Great Wall of China (traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; simplified Chinese: 万里长城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng) is a series of fortifications that were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. Several walls were built from as early as the 7th century BC,[2] with selective stretches later joined together by Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the first emperor of China. Little of the Qin wall remains.[3] Later on, many successive dynasties built and maintained multiple stretches of border walls. The most well-known sections of the wall were built by the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
Apart from defense, other purposes of the Great Wall have included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration.[4] Furthermore, the defensive characteristics of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watchtowers, troop barracks, garrison stations, signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire, and the fact that the path of the Great Wall also served as a transportation corridor.
The frontier walls built by different dynasties have multiple courses. Collectively, they stretch from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, from the present-day Sino–Russian border in the north to Tao River (Taohe) in the south; along an arc that roughly delineates the edge of the Mongolian steppe; spanning over 20,000 km (12,000 mi) in total.[5] Today, the defensive system of the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history.[6]
Facts:
- The Great Wall of China became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1987.
- The wall is the longest man made structure in the world, with a total length of about 13170.7 mi or 21196.18 km.
- Made over the course of hundreds of years, the wall was built by over 6 different Chinese dynasties, and is over 2,300 years old. The most famous of the dynasties was the Qin dynasty, during which the northern walls were connected.
- One of the many legends surrounding the wall tells of a helpful dragon who drew out the tracks for the wall, which the workers then followed.
- A popular myth is that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space with the naked eye. Unfortunately, a high-tech lens is required to see the wall from the moon.
- The wall is actually not a continuous line. It has spurs going in different directions, and breaks where mountains or lakes offer protection.
- During the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976) bricks from the wall were used to build homes, farms, reservoirs and other buildings.
- The most visited section is known as Badaling and is near Beijing. This portion had almost 63,000,000 visitors one year, and can reach a visitor flow of 70,000 people per day during peak season.
- Apart from minor restoration, no work has been done on the wall since 1644.
- The most well-known and popular legend of The Great Wall of China is the story of “Men Jiangnu’s Bitter Weeping,” which tells of a woman whose husband was killed building the wall. Her tears were so bitter that the section of the wall collapsed to reveal her husband’s bones so she could bury him.
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