Great Wall Overview

 

Overview

 

The Great Wall snakes its way across northern China, from the Yellow Sea and past the Gobi Desert for some 6,000km. While it's not visible from the moon as has been claimed, it's still a remarkable pieceof engineering and is the most famous symbol of China.

 

Know More

 

The genesis of the Great Wall dates to the Warring States period from 475 to 221 BC, when Chinese feudal kingdom s built earthern ramprts to defend against nomadic invaders. It was under the fierce emperor Qin Shihuang, who unified China in 221 BC that the Great Wall really began to take shape. He conscriped some 300,000 laborers to work for ten years on jioning the various pre-existing sections into a single fortified wall. The suffering of the workers who toiled in freezing winters and scorching summers became legendary. As dynasty came into being and passed into history, the Great Wall was continuously repaired and extended.

 

The sections of the Great Wall near Beijing were renovated dring the Ming dynasty, whose leaders spent a century strengtherning and extending the Wall to the Yellow Sea. The previous ramparts, which were made of stones, packed earth and wood, were covered by Bing builders with bricks. They built crenellations to protect archers, widened the Wall so it could accommodate five horses abreast, nd added many watchtower ensured that enemy troop movements were swiftly relayed to headquarters.

 

Despite such defensive features, the Great Wall failed in its purpose of keeping yout invaders. It was breached several times, notably the armies of Genghis Khan in 1215 and by Manchu trooops in 1644. Conversely, the Great Wall was a tremendous success in forging a sense of nationhood since it marked the physical bounary between China and abroad, and the psychological bundary between civilization and chaos.

 

Must See

 

Different sections of Great Wall
Badaling Great Wall    Mutianyu Great Wall    Huangyaguan Great Wall    Jinshanling Great Wall    Simatai Great Wall    Juyongguan Great Wall    Jiankou Great Wall    Jiayuguan Great Wall    Overhanging Great Wall    Gubeikou Great Wall

There are three major sections of the Great Wall open to tourists near Beijing: Badaling, Mutianyu and Simatai. All three are built on steep

terrain so it's a good idea to wear comfortable shoes and bring water.
This advice holds especially true when gong to the Simatai section or

to the "Wild Wall" sections that haven't been restored. Many ex-pats

enjoy hiking along the "Wild Wall" but it's not for the faint of heart: climbing conditions can be arduous and there are no signposts, so hikers will need a good map or a guide.

 

Badaling Section: Only 70km away by superhighway, Badaling is the closest section of the Great Wall to Beijing and can be visited in half a day. Moreover, its proximity to the Ming Tombs means both sites can be seen in single outing. Badaling was completely restored after 1957. It has a chairlift and fast food restaurants and can be very crowded with hawkers and tourists, but all that fades away once you leave the parking area and begin to walk along the wall.

 

Mutianyu Section: It is located some 90km north of Beijing, and like Badaling, is a recently renovated section that's very popular. Once on top, the view of the Wall undulating down wooded canyons and up mountain ridges are breathtaking.

 

Simatai Section: It is a dramatic testimony to Ming engineering skills with one section as steep as 85 degrees. Only partially restored, Simatai allows athletic visitors who climb past the first watchtowers to see the Wall in its wild, crumbling state.