‘’The Great Wall of China’’ A long legacy with unbelievable 20,000 kilometer length, Take a Geotourism around the largest man made wonder
The Great Wall of China is the largest man-made feature in the world. It is a series of walls and ancient fortifications built in northern China. The total length of the Great Wall of China is more than 20000 Kilometers. It is the most recognizable symbol of China. The Great Wall was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing attacks from barbarian nomads. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th- 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty.
The Great Wall of China is an integrated defence system including lofty and solid walls, massive signals, barracks, garrison station towers, barriers, and fortresses along the walls for thousands of years, to protect the territories of ancient Chinese states. Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it only functions as a powerful symbol of China.
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The wall usually stood 6.5 meters wide at the base and 5.8 meters at the top, with an average height of 7 to 8 meters, or a bit lower on steep hills. The structure of the wall varied from place to place, depending on the availability of materials. The Walls were made of tamped earth sandwiched between wooden boards, adobe bricks, a brick and stone mixture, and rocks. Apart from this guard towers were made at specific intervals.
The Great Wall of China was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987 and one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World. It was built in different areas by different states/dynasties to protect different territorial borders. Early in the 7th century BC, several ancient states built their own boundary walls. This wall was connected by Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210BC), the First Emperor of China. The wall is known as the ‘10,000-li Long Wall’. After that in the span of 2,000 years, time period many dynasties continued to consolidate and extend the Great Wall, for not only defence purposes but also for border trade management and immigration control.
Despite its long history, the well-preserved sections that existed today were mainly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Among which the most popular are around Beijing, including Badaling, Mutianyu, Juyongguan, and Simatai. The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest sights in the world. Its winding path over a rugged country and steep mountains takes in some great scenery.
The Great Wall of China is a must-visit China attraction. It is the building project with the longest duration and greatest cost in the human era. It deserves its place among “the New Seven Wonders of the World” and the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Source- history.com, nationalgeographic.com
