Top 10 Facts Regarding The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is commonly seen as an essential historical monument and a top tourist destination for visitors to China.

Spanning millennia, this ancient barrier meanders across China’s diverse terrain, traversing steep mountain ranges, expansive deserts, verdant plains, and picturesque coastlines.

Visitors are often intrigued by its extensive history, staggering size, and enigmatic construction methods, leading to numerous inquiries. We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 surprising and entertaining facts about the Great Wall of China that you might find interesting. Discover them in the details provided below!

1. How long was the construction period of the Great Wall?

Over 2000 Years, across various dynasties and under the rule of numerous kings

The Great Wall of China has been constructed and expanded.The initial segments of the wall are believed to have been constructed as early as 771 B.C.E., during the Spring and Autumn period (8th to 5th centuries BC).

In 221 BC, following the unification of China by Qin Shihuang, the first emperor in Chinese history, and the establishment of the Qin Dynasty, he commanded the dismantling of several city wall sections and the construction of new walls to link the existing fortifications along the empire’s northern border, thereby creating a defensive barrier against invasions from the north.

Subsequent dynasties carried on this legacy by restoring, reconstructing, or extending parts of the Great Wall. It was notably revitalized during the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), when a 5,500-mile section was built to keep nomadic tribes from encroaching on the empire’s territory. In fact, the sections of the Great Wall that are most visited today, near Beijing, were primarily constructed during the Ming era.

The Sunset View of Great Wall

2. Is the Great Wall a Continuous, Unbroken Structure?

No, the Great Wall is not an uninterrupted long structure; it is more accurately described as a collection of walls. As previously mentioned, the Great Wall of China comprises different sections built by various dynasties along an east-to-west line across the northern frontier of ancient and imperial China.

3. Where Does the Great Wall Commence and Terminate?

The Great Wall starts at the eastern point of Shanhaiguan Pass (referred to as the “Old Dragon’s Head”) in Hebei Province, where it appears to emerge from the sea in certain vantage points.

Stretching westward from Shanhaiguan Pass, the Great Wall concludes at Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu Province, with the desert as its backdrop, offering a starkly different landscape.

However, the most popular and renowned sections of the Great Wall are located around Beijing, including:

  •  Mutianyu(慕田峪)Great Wall: Surrounded by verdant greenery and undulating hills, it provides scenic vistas. Equipped with a cable car for easy access, it is particularly suitable for children and the elderly.

 

The View of Mutianyu Great Wall

  •  Jinshanling(金山岭)Great Wall:Celebrated for its rugged and scenic landscape, it is less frequented by tourists and offers a more natural environment.

 

The View of Jinshanling Great Wall:

  •  Jiankou(箭扣)Great Wall: In its unrestored state, it provides a more genuine and adventurous experience for visitors. It is also an excellent choice for photography or hiking enthusiasts seeking to witness the Great Wall in its original condition.

 

The View of Jiankou Great Wall

4. What materials made of the Great Wall?

The majority of the Great Wall’s construction utilizes materials such as stone, brick, rammed earth, wood, and other ordinary substances.

However, an unexpected ingredient was discovered within the wall’s composition—glutinous rice flour! Known for its adhesive qualities, glutinous rice was employed to create mortar or a binding agent for bricks dating back to the Qin Dynasty.

5. What is the extent of the Great Wall’s length?

The Great Wall of China holds the title of the longest man-made structure in history. With both reconstructed and overlapping sections factored in, the total length of the Great Wall is estimated to be around 21,196 kilometers (13,171 miles), as per an archaeological study conducted by China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage.

The segment of the Great Wall that is most intact, built during the Ming Dynasty, spans approximately 8,850 kilometers (5,499 miles).

6. Is it among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World?

Many individuals are under the impression that the Great Wall of China is among the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, a list that also features the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Lighthouse of Alexandria.

However, the reality is that the Great Wall is actually considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World

7.Is it visible from the moon?
The popular misconception that the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon without the aid of a telescope is false.

Originating two centuries prior to space travel, this myth was first documented in “Family Memoirs” by English antiquary William Stukeley in 1754 and gained traction through subsequent publications. Despite being debunked on numerous occasions, it persists in public consciousness. Indeed, no moon-visiting astronaut has ever reported seeing the Great Wall from lunar vantage points.

While some astronauts have suggested they could discern the Great Wall from low Earth orbit—ranging in altitude from 160 to 2,000 kilometers—with the naked eye, these assertions are contested. According to NASA, the Great Wall is only barely perceptible under the most optimal conditions.

8. Why is it referred to as the longest cemetery?
The construction of the Wall exacted a tremendous toll on human lives. Some scholars have speculated that more than a million individuals perished while working on the Wall during the Qin Dynasty alone. Archaeological discoveries of human remains beneath sections of the Wall have led to its characterization as the world’s longest cemetery.

9.How many laborers were conscripted for its construction?
The assembly of the wall necessitated the labor of nearly a million individuals, encompassing soldiers, civilians, and prisoners alike.

It is believed that around 400,000 laborers perished during the construction of the Qin dynasty’s wall. The hazardous nature of the work made it a typical sentence for convicts dating back to the Qin era.

10.Has the Great Wall ever been penetrated?

Indeed, on numerous occasions. Despite its defensive purpose, the Great Wall has historically been breached by certain adversaries. Legend has it that between 1501 and 1529, the Mongolian forces overcame the wall’s defenses a total of 14 times.

Tailor-Made Journey to the Great Wall

Are you eager to witness the Great Wall of China for yourself after discovering these surprising trivia? Feel free to reach out to us with any inquiries or questions about organizing a visit to the Great Wall as part of your China tour.

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