Great Wall Of China

Great Wall Of China



State Party
ChinaType Cultural
Criteria
i, ii, iii, iv, vi


Chinese: ??; traditional Chinese: ??; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "long city/fortress") or (simplified Chinese:

????; traditional Chinese: ????; pinyin: Wànli Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (?)"[1]) is a

series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC

and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during various successive dynasties.

Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most

famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall

remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly

delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced

technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km

(5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi)

of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.[2][3][4]
Contents

• 1 History
• 2 Notable areas
• 3 Characteristics
• 4 Condition
• 5 Watchtowers and barracks
• 6 Visibility from space
o 6.1 Visibility from the moon
o 6.2 Visibility from low earth orbit
? 6.2.1 Anecdotal reports

History


Great Wall of the Qin Dynasty


Great Wall of the Han Dynasty


Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty


Map of the whole wall constructions
The Chinese were already familiar with the techniques of wall-building by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period,

which began around the 8th century BC. During the Warring States Period from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the

states of Qi, Yan and Zhao all constructed extensive fortifications to defend their own borders. Built to withstand the

attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly by stamping earth and gravel

between board frames. Qin Shi Huang conquered all opposing states and unified China in 221 BC, establishing the

Qin Dynasty. Intending to impose centralized rule and prevent the resurgence of feudal lords, he ordered the

destruction of the wall sections that divided his empire along the former state borders. To protect the empire against

intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the north, he ordered the building of a new wall to connect the remaining

fortifications along the empire's new northern frontier. Transporting the large quantity of materials required for

construction was difficult, so builders always tried to use local resources. Stones from the mountains were used over

mountain ranges, while rammed earth was used for construction in the plains. There are no surviving historical

records indicating the exact length and course of the Qin Dynasty walls. Most of the ancient walls have eroded

away over the centuries, and very few sections remain today. Later, the Han, Sui, Northern and Jin dynasties all

repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the Great Wall at great cost to defend themselves against northern

invaders.
The Great Wall concept was revived again during the Ming Dynasty following the Ming army's defeat by the Oirats

in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. The Ming had failed to gain a clear upper-hand over the Manchurian and Mongolian

tribes after successive battles, and the long-drawn conflict was taking a toll on the empire. The Ming adopted a

new strategy to keep the nomadic tribes out by constructing walls along the northern border of China. Acknowledging

the Mongol control established in the Ordos Desert, the wall followed the desert's southern edge instead of

incorporating the bend of the Huang He.


Photograph of the Great Wall in 1907
Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks

and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted

considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially

strong.[citation needed]
During the 1440s–1460s, the Ming also built a so-called "Liaodong Wall". Similar in function to the Great Wall

(whose extension, in a sense, it was), but more basic in construction, the Liaodong Wall enclosed the agricultural

heartland of the Liaodong province, protecting it against potential incursions by Jurched-Mongol Oriyanghan from the

northwest and the Jianzhou Jurchens from the north. While stones and tiles were used in some parts of the

Liaodong Wall, most of it was in fact simply an earth dike with moats on both sides.[5]
Towards the end of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall helped defend the empire against the Manchu invasions that

began around 1600. Under the military command of Yuan Chonghuan, the Ming army held off the Manchus at the

heavily fortified Shanhaiguan pass, preventing the Manchus from entering the Chinese heartland. The Manchus were

finally able to cross the Great Wall in 1644, when the gates at Shanhaiguan were opened by Wu Sangui, a Ming

border general who disliked the activities of rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus quickly seized Beijing, and

defeated the newly founded Shun Dynasty and remaining Ming resistance, to establish the Qing Dynasty.
In 2009, an additional 290 kilometres (180 miles) of previously undetected portions of the wall, built during the

Ming Dynasty, were discovered. The newly discovered sections range from the Hushan mountains in the northern

Liaoning province to Jiayuguan in western Gansu province. The sections had been submerged over time by

sandstorms that moved across the arid region.[6]
Under Qing rule, China's borders extended beyond the walls and Mongolia was annexed into the empire, so

construction and repairs on the Great Wall were discontinued.
Notable areas


An area of the sections of the Great Wall at Jinshanling


The Great Wall
Some of the following sections are in Beijing municipality, which were renovated and which are regularly visited by

modern tourists today.
• "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their

land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China’s capital Beijing. Made of stone and bricks

from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
• "West Pass" of Jiayuguan (pass). This fort is near the western edges of the Great Wall.
• "Pass" of Shanhaiguan. This fort is near the eastern edges of the Great Wall.
• One of the most striking sections of the Ming Great Wall is where it climbs extremely steep slopes. It runs

11 kilometers (7 mi) long, ranges from 5 to 8 meters (16–26 ft) in height, and 6 meters (19.7 ft) across the

bottom, narrowing up to 5 meters (16.4 ft) across the top. Wangjinglou is one of Jinshanling's 67 watchtowers,

980 meters (3,215 ft) above sea level.
South East of Jinshanling, is the Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged mountains from the

southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25 kilometers (about 1.3 miles). It is connected with Juyongguan

Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east.
• 25 km west of the Liao Tian Ling stands of part of Great wall which is only 2~3 stories high. According

to the records of Lin Tian, the wall was not only extremely short compared to others, but it appears to be silver.

Archeologists explain that the wall appears to be silver because the stone they used were from Shan Xi, where

many mines are found. The stone contains extremely high metal in it causing it to appear silver. However, due to

years of decay of the Great Wall, it is hard to see the silver part of the wall today.
Another notable section lies near the eastern extremity of the wall, where the first pass of the Great Wall was built

on the Shanhaiguan (known as the “Number One Pass Under Heaven”), the first mountain the Great Wall climbs.

Jia Shan is also here, as is the Jiumenkou, which is the only portion of the wall that was built as a bridge.

Shanhaiguan Great Wall is called the “Museum of the Construction of the Great Wall”, because of the Meng

Jiang-Nyu Temple, built during the Song Dynasty.
Characteristics


The Great Wall on an 1805 map
Before the use of bricks, the Great Wall was mainly built from rammed earth, stones, and wood.
During the Ming Dynasty, however, bricks were heavily used in many areas of the wall, as were materials such as

tiles, lime, and stone. The size and weight of the bricks made them easier to work with than earth and stone, so

construction quickened. Additionally, bricks could bear more weight and endure better than rammed earth. Stone can

hold under its own weight better than brick, but is more difficult to use. Consequently, stones cut in rectangular

shapes were used for the foundation, inner and outer brims, and gateways of the wall. Battlements line the

uppermost portion of the vast majority of the wall, with defensive gaps a little over 30 cm (one foot) tall, and

about 23 cm (9 inches) wide.
Condition


The Great Wall at Mutianyu, near Beijing


The Great Wall in fog
While some portions north of Beijing and near tourist centers have been preserved and even extensively renovated,

in many locations the Wall is in disrepair. Those parts might serve as a village playground or a source of stones to

rebuild houses and roads.[7] Sections of the Wall are also prone to graffiti and vandalism. Parts have been

destroyed because the Wall is in the way of construction.[8]
More than 60 kilometres (37 mi) of the wall in Gansu province may disappear in the next 20 years, due to

erosion from sandstorms. In places, the height of the wall has been reduced from more than five meters (16.4 ft)

to less than two meters. The square lookout towers that characterize the most famous images of the wall have

disappeared completely. Many western sections of the wall are constructed from mud, rather than brick and stone,

and thus are more susceptible to erosion.[9]
Watchtowers and barracks


Watchtower
Communication between the army units along the length of the Great Wall, including the ability to call reinforcements

and warn garrisons of enemy movements, was of high importance. Signal towers were built upon hill tops or other

high points along the wall for their visibility.
Visibility from space
The Great Wall of China as seen in a false-color radar image from the Space Shuttle, taken in April 1994
Visibility from the moon
Popular beliefs ranging from Ripley's Believe It or Not!'s cartoons from 1930s, which claimed that the Great Wall is

"the mightiest work of man, the only one that would be visible to the human eye from the moon," to Richard

Halliburton's 1938 book Second Book of Marvels which makes a similar claim, have persisted, assuming urban

legend status, and sometimes even appearing in school textbooks. Arthur Waldron, author of The Great Wall of

China: From History to Myth, has speculated that the belief might go back to the fascination with the "canals" once

believed to exist on Mars.
One of the earliest known references to this myth appears in a letter written in 1754 by the English antiquary

William Stukeley. Stukeley wrote that, "This mighty wall of four score miles in length (Hadrian's Wall) is only

exceeded by the Chinese Wall, which makes a considerable figure upon the terrestrial globe, and may be discerned

at the moon."[10]
The Great Wall is a maximum 9.1 m (30 ft) wide and is about the same color as the soil surrounding it. Based

on the optics of resolving power (distance versus the width of the iris: a few millimetres for the human eye, metres

for large telescopes) only an object of reasonable contrast to its surroundings 70 miles or more in diameter (1

arc-minute) would be visible to the unaided eye from the moon, whose average distance from Earth is 384,393

km (238,857 miles). The apparent width of the Great Wall from the moon is the same as that of a human hair

viewed from 2 miles away. To see the wall from the moon would require spatial resolution 17,000 times better than

normal (20/20) vision.[11] Unsurprisingly, no lunar astronaut has ever claimed seeing the Great Wall from the

moon.
Visibility from low earth orbit
A more controversial question is whether the Wall is visible from low earth orbit, i.e., an altitude of as little as 100

miles (160 km). NASA claims that it is barely visible, and only under nearly perfect conditions; it is no more

conspicuous than many other man-made objects.[12] Other authors have argued that due to limitations of the optics

of the eye and the spacing of photoreceptors on the retina, it is impossible to see the wall with the naked eye,

even from low orbit, and would require visual acuity of 20/3 (7.7 times better than normal).[11]
Anecdotal reports
Astronaut William Pogue thought he had seen it from Skylab but discovered he was actually looking at the Grand

Canal of China near Beijing. He spotted the Great Wall with binoculars, but said that "it wasn't visible to the

unaided eye." U.S. Senator Jake Garn claimed to be able to see the Great Wall with the naked eye from a space

shuttle orbit in the early 1980s, but his claim has been disputed by several U.S. astronauts. Veteran U.S. astronaut

Gene Cernan has stated: "At Earth orbit of 100 miles (160 km) to 200 miles (320 km) high, the Great Wall of

China is, indeed, visible to the naked eye." Ed Lu, Expedition 7 Science Officer aboard the International Space

Station, adds that, "it's less visible than a lot of other objects. And you have to know where to look."
Neil Armstrong stated about the view from Apollo 11: "I do not believe that, at least with my eyes, there would be

any man-made object that I could see. I have not yet found somebody who has told me they've seen the Wall of

China from Earth orbit. ...I've asked various people, particularly Shuttle guys, that have been many orbits around

China in the daytime, and the ones I've talked to didn't see it."[13]

Topographic maps put together showing the location of the eastern parts of the wall between the Yellow River and

the Bohai Sea.
In October 2003, Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei stated that he had not been able to see the Great Wall of China.

In response, the European Space Agency (ESA) issued a press release reporting that from an orbit between 160

and 320 km, the Great Wall is visible to the naked eye. In an attempt to further clarify things, the ESA published

a picture of a part of the “Great Wall” photographed from Space. However, in a press release a week later (no

longer available in the ESA’s website), they acknowledged that the "Great Wall" in the picture was actually a

river.[11]
Leroy Chiao, a Chinese-American astronaut, took a photograph from the International Space Station that shows the

wall. It was so indistinct that the photographer was not certain he had actually captured it. Based on the

photograph, the China Daily later reported that the Great Wall can be seen from space with the naked eye, under

favorable viewing conditions, if one knows exactly where to look.[14] However, the resolution of a camera can be

much higher than the human visual system, and the optics much better, rendering photographic evidence irrelevant

to the issue of whether it is visible to the naked eye.[11]

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in

1987. Just like a gigantic dragon, the Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and

plateaus, stretching approximately 8,851.8 kilometers (5,500 miles) from east to west of China. With a history of

more than 2000 years, some of the sections are now in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the

most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Great Wall Facts:
Chinese Name: ??/????
Chinese Pinyin: Cháng Chéng/Wàn Li Cháng Chéng
Length: 8,851.8 km (5,500 miles)
Construction Period: About 2,000 years from the Warring States Period (476 BC - 221 BC) to Ming Dynasty

(1368-1644)

Great Wall FAQ
How long is the Great Wall?
Who, when and why built the Great Wall of China?
Who of the world leaders have visited the Great Wall of China? Great Wall Sections:
The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644). It starts from Hushan

Great Wall in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin,

Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai. This part shows the incredible diversity of scenery and

ethnic people along the wall, and offers the most detailed introductions and travel tips regarding famous sections of

the wall.
Badaling
Gubeikou
Huanghuacheng Huangyaguan
Jiankou
Jiayuguan Jinshanling
Juyongguan
Mutianyu Shanhaiguan
Simatai
Yangguan Yanmenguan
Yumenguan
Zhenbeitai More Sections

Jinshanling Great Wall, Beijing


Great Wall Travel:
Making a trip to at least one section of the Great Wall should be a must for your China Trip. Quality tour plans

make travel comfortable, memorable and enjoyable. Want to discover the charm of the wall with TravelChinaGuide?

Please see our Memorable Highlights Tours. Longing for a real adventure? You can refer to Great Wall Hiking

Tours which are carefully designed by experienced hikers. Besides wonderful Great Wall tours, here we offer practical

travel tips including the best travel time, packing list as well as health and safety concerns.

Recommended Tours including the visit to Great Wall:
Beijing Highlights Tour: 4 Days to Great Wall & Forbidden City
Beijing & Guilin Tour: 7 Days Travel of Forbidden City, Badaling Great Wall of Beijing, Li River in Guilin...
Beijing, Xian, Shanghai Tour: 9 Days Luxury China Trip to Badaling, Terracotta Warriors Museum, the Bund...


Tourists on the Mighty Great Wall


History of Great Wall:
Excitement abounds regarding the origin, vicissitude and nature of the Great Wall of the Qin, Han, and Ming

Dynasties.
The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring, Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by

the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. It went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it

began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the

Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qin Shihuang succeeded in his effort to have the walls joined together to fend off the

invasions from the Huns in the north after the unification of China. Since then, the Great Wall has served as a

monument of the Chinese nation throughout history. A visit to the Wall is like a tour through the history backwards,

giving tourists a chance to better understand the history of China.
Crenel Stone Used to Build the Great Wall


Great Wall Construction:
The mystery of the construction of the wall is amazing. The construction, which drew heavily on the local resources

for construction materials, was carried out in-line with the local conditions under the management of contract and

responsibility system. A great army of manpower, composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall.

The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people.

Great Wall Culture:
Great Wall carries a considerable part of Chinese culture. It has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and

popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the Wall caused by

Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband after he died while helping to build the wall. This

legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas, and it is well-known in China.

Great Wall Protection:
Following a forty-five day long survey of 101 sections of the Wall in different provinces, the China Great Wall

Academy reported on December 12, 2002 that the forces of nature and destruction at the hand of mankind are

bringing about the gradual reduction of its extent with the result that less than 30% remains in good condition. The

Academy has called for greater protection of this important relic.

Shandan Great Wall in Danger
In July 2009, TravelChinaGuide (abbr. TCG) sent a survey group to investigate the condition of the Great Wall in

Shandan County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province. This was our second visit there after 2002. The situation was

alarming. After comparing the current wall to the wall pictures taken in 2002, it was found that many sections have

become shorter, smaller or have disappeared entirely!