The Great Wall of China is
a series of fortifications made of stone, brick, tamped earth, wood, and other
materials, generally built along an east-to-west line across the historical
northern borders of China in part to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical
states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by
various warlike peoples or forces.
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Furthermore, the defensive characteristics
of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watch towers, troop
barracks, garrison stations, signalling 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 Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east,
to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge
of Inner Mongolia. A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced
technologies, has concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km. This is made
up of 6,259 km sections of actual wall, 359 km of trenches and 2,232 km of
natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. Another archaeological
survey found that the entire wall with all of its branches measure out to be
21,196 km.
Night view of the Great Wall of China
Here are 5 Great Facts about the Great Wall of China...
- While the Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is typically included in the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
- The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure in the world. And during its construction, the Great Wall was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people.
- The Great Wall has often been compared to a dragon. In China, the dragon is a protective divinity and is synonymous with springtime and vital energy. The Chinese believed the earth was filled with dragons which gave shape to the mountains and formed the sinew of the land.
- The last battle fought at the Great Wall was in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War, which was between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. Bullet marks can still be seen in the Wall at Gubeikou.
- In 2004, there were over 41.8 million foreign visitors to the Great Wall of China.
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