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"The Great Wall"

The most magnificent man-made project on earth, the Great Wall of China was built 2,500 years ago and stretches more than 6,000 km.

It is one of the most spectacular architectures and fortifications of ancient China. It was also one of two structures that astronauts could see from the moon.  An ancient Chinese saying: "You cannot be called a hero if you have never been to the Great Wall. You can only truly experience the vastness of China and the essence of the Chinese spirit when you stand on the Great Wall".

Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C. The vassal states that under the Chou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country, each built their own walls for defensive purposes. After the state of Qin unified China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended the wall by another 5,000 kilometers.

The Great Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty. A major renovation started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and took 200 years to complete. The wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this effort. With a total length of over 6,000 kilometers, it extends to the Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east.

The architectural style of the Great wall is a marvel in the history of construction in the world. Since the weaponry only consisted of swords and spears, lances and halberds, and bows and arrows in the ancient times, walls with passes, watchtowers, signal towers, together with moats became an important strategy. To ensure the safety of the dynasties, the feudal rulers strove to improve the construction of the Great Wall after it took shape in the Qin dynasty. In particular, the Ming dynasty saw the creation of a sophisticated defense system along the wall embracing garrison towns, garrison posts, passes, blockhouses, additional wall structures, watchtowers and beacon towers, each given a different status and designed mission. The system enabled the imperial court to stay in touch with military and administrative agencies at various levels, including those at the grassroots, and provided the frontier troops with facilities to carry out effective defense.

The Great wall we see today is mostly from the Ming dynasty. With an average height of 10 meters and a width of 5 meters, the wall runs up and down along the mountain ridges and valleys from east to west. It stands as a witness of the Chinese history, culture and development.