The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13,000 miles in length, located in northern China. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty. Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it came to function as a powerful symbol of Chinese civilization’s enduring strength.
Let's Explore some interesting facts about the Great Wall of China
1. The Great Wall of China became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1987.
2. The wall is the longest man-made structure in the world, with a total length of about 13170.7 mi or 21196.18 km.
3. Over one million people died building the Great Wall of China. Archaeologists have found human remains and as a result, it has been described as the longest cemetery on Earth. Many involved in the construction were Chinese convicts where labor was used as punishment.
4. Sticky rice flour was used to help fix the bricks in place when building the wall. This bound the bricks together so tightly that weeds cannot grow in many parts.
5. Many believe that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon using the naked eye, however, this is untrue. Aid is required and even still the wall is barely visible due to how narrow it is.
6. The wall is actually not a continuous line. It has spurs going in different directions and breaks where mountains or lakes offer protection.
7. During the Cultural Revolution in China (1966-1976) bricks from the wall were used to build homes, farms, reservoirs, and other buildings.
8. The most visited section is known as Badaling and is near Beijing. This portion had almost 63,000,000 visitors one year and can reach a visitor flow of 70,000 people per day during peak season.
9. Apart from minor restoration, no work has been done on the wall since 1644.
10. The most well-known and popular legend of The Great Wall of China is the story of “Men Jiangnu’s Bitter Weeping,” which tells of a woman whose husband was killed building the wall. Her tears were so bitter that the section of the wall collapsed to reveal her husband’s bones so she could bury him.
I hope you enjoyed knowing these awesome facts about The Great Wall of China.
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