Beijing China
About the Great Wall Facts and Fiction…The Great Wall of China is constructed from a series of stone and earth made fortifications in northern China, they built it originally to create protection for the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups.
Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the Great Wall, which has in fact been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century BC right throughout the 16th century.
One of the most famous is the wall that was built between 220–206 BC by Qin Shi Huang the first Emperor of China, very little of that wall remains and the majority what stands today was built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly outlines the southern edge of Inner Mongolia.
Just recently in a technologically advanced and comprehensive archaeological survey, recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km or 5,500.3 miles, which is made up of 6,259.6 km or 3,889.5 mile sections of actual wall, 359.7 km or 223.5 miles of trenches and 2,232.5 km or 1,387.2 miles of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.
How to see the Great Wall
There are many ways and a number of different times that can be taken to see this wonder of the world – you can walk parts of it, hike or trek, there are also lots of other things to see on the way and during your great wall experience…
Other must see sights are the Forbidden City and Hall of Supreme Harmony, Temple of Heaven, the Li River in Guilin, Badaling, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, Summer Place, Kunming Lake and the Lama Temple.
There are ways to see the wall to suit every budget and it’s open most days of the year.
The Great Wall is one of the greatest wonders of the world and will no doubt be a great holiday experience.
