Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China (traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; simplified Chinese: 万里长城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng, literally "ten thousand li long wall") is one of the most famous structures in the world. It is a series of fortifications built across the northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China. The wall was made to protect China from various nomadic groups who lived on the Eurasian Steppe.

Construction of the first walls began as early as the 7th century BC. These early walls were later connected and expanded during the Qin dynasty. Over many years, different Chinese rulers added to the wall. The sections most people see today were built during the Ming dynasty.

The Great Wall includes many features to help with defense, such as watchtowers, places for soldiers to stay, and ways to send signals using smoke or fire. It also helped control who could enter or leave China and collect taxes on goods traveling along the Silk Road.

The entire wall stretches for thousands of kilometers, from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west. It is so long that it can sometimes be seen from space! In 2007, the Great Wall was chosen as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Today, it stands as an amazing example of ancient engineering and remains a popular place for people to visit and learn about history.

Names

Huayi tu, an 1136 map of China with the Great Wall depicted on the northern edge of the country

The Great Wall of China has had many names. In Chinese, it is often called the "Long Wall." The name "Ten-Thousand Mile Long Wall" means the wall is very long, not that it is really ten thousand miles.

Different Chinese rulers used many names for their border walls. Today, we call it the Great Wall of China. Some parts are called the "Wall of Genghis Khan," but he did not build them.

History

Main article: History of the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of the Qin stretches from Lintao to Liaodong.

The Chinese started building walls as early as the 7th century BC to keep their borders safe. During a time when many small states fought for power, called the Warring States period, each state built its own wall for protection. When the state of Qin united China in 221 BC, its leader, the First Emperor, joined these walls to make one big barrier against invaders from the north, like the Xiongnu people.

Later rulers, such as the Han, Northern dynasties, and Sui, also fixed up and made the wall bigger. During the Ming dynasty, the wall was rebuilt with stronger materials like bricks and stone, and many watchtowers were added to help guard against attacks. Even today, parts of these walls still stand as a reminder of China's long history.

Course

Great Wall of Han dynasty near Yumenguan

The Great Wall of China has many parts, like walls, trenches, and small forts. In 2012, experts counted many pieces of the wall that are still there today. They found over 10,000 sections of wall, more than 1,700 trenches, almost 30,000 buildings, and over 2,000 places where walls go through.

The Ming Great Wall, built during the Ming dynasty, is one of the most famous parts. It stretches for about 8,850 kilometers. Some parts go through deserts and mountains. Near Beijing, many tourists visit each year. One well-known piece is the Badaling Great Wall, the first part opened to visitors. Other famous spots include Jinshanling, where the wall climbs steep hills, and Shanhai Pass, called the “First Pass Under Heaven” because it marks the end of the wall.

Characteristics

1793 technical drawings of the Great Wall produced during the Macartney Embassy to Qing dynasty.

The Great Wall of China was built from many different materials. At first, people used packed earth, stones, and wood. Later, during the Ming dynasty, they began using bricks. Bricks were easier to shape and stronger than earth. Stones were also used, especially for the bases and important sections of the wall.

Guards walked on special paths called battlements on top of the wall to look out for trouble. Tall signal towers were built on high spots so armies could send messages to each other. Near the wall, soldiers had barracks, stables for horses, and places to keep their weapons.

Condition

A more rural portion of the Great Wall that stretches through the mountains, here seen in slight disrepair

Parts of the Great Wall of China near Beijing and popular tourist spots have been carefully preserved. In many other places, the wall is in poor condition. People have sometimes taken stones from the wall to build houses and roads. Some parts have been damaged by graffiti and vandalism. Valuable bricks from the wall have even been stolen and sold.

Strong winds and sandstorms are causing some parts of the wall to wear away. Some people have also damaged parts of the wall for construction or other purposes, which has caused lasting harm to this important historic site.

Visibility from space

Identical satellite images of a section of the Great Wall in northern Shanxi, running diagonally from lower left to upper right and not to be confused with the more prominent river running from upper left to lower right. In the image on the right, the Great Wall has been outlined in red. The region pictured is 12 km × 12 km (7 mi × 7 mi).

Many people think the Great Wall of China can be seen from space with just your eyes, but this is not true. It cannot be seen from the Moon because it is too far away. Even from low Earth orbit, it is very hard to see unless the conditions are just right. Some astronauts have said they saw it, while others, like Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut, could not. Photos taken from space often show the wall only faintly, and sometimes other objects look like it.