Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China

Do you leave your footprints on the Great Wall of China, or does it leave its footprint on you?

As Mao Zedong famously said:

不到长城非好汉 (bù dào cháng chéng fēi hǎo hàn)

Which means: If you haven’t been to the Great Wall, you’re not a man.

Did you know that the Great Wall of China is not just one but a series of walls? Constructed over almost 2000 years, the Great Wall of China started as small sections built by many different kingdoms in the Spring and Autumn period from the 8th to 4th century BC.

The first emperor of a unified China, Qin Shi Huang, connected & expanded these existing walls to create the first wall to stretch across what was then China's northern border toward the end of the 3rd century BC, to protect against 'barbarian' invasions.

A second major wall was constructed in the 1st century BC during the Han Dynasty, and a third in the 12th century during the five dynasty and ten kingdom period of China's history. Smaller sections of the wall were built in the 4th to 7th century.

The earliest walls were often made of earth packed between wooden boards, and there are few remains of the walls of the Qin or Han Dynasties from two millenia ago, though there still exist significant portions of the sections built in succeeding Dynasties.

The imposing Great Wall of China as we know it today was completed during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th to 17th century, and though built of much sturdier materials in larger dimensions is not nearly as extensive as previously built stretches of the wall. (For a more detailed look, please see the History of The Great Wall of China or Great Wall of China Map)

The Great Wall of China: A Proper Introduction

The Great Wall of China, also known as 长城 (cháng chéng - The Great Wall) or 万里长城 (wàn lǐ cháng chéng - 10,000 Li / 5,000 km Great Wall or ‘Infinite’ Great Wall), is undeniably one of the great wonders of the world.

Though not one of the seven wonders of the ancient world (likely because the Greeks did not know of its existence), the Great Wall was included among many lists of the Seven Wonders of The Medieval World and was selected in 2007 to be one of the New 7 Wonders of the world. It is also a UNESCO world heritage sight.

You may want to check out some other parts of this comprehensive guide to the Great Wall of China:

All About The Great Wall of China

History of The Great Wall of China - A history of the Great Wall of China
Facts About The Great Wall of China - Frequently asked questions & other facts about the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China Map - Maps of the Great Wall of China
Pictures of The Great Wall of China - Assorted pictures of the Great Wall of China
Great Wall of China Resources - Strongly recommended articles about the Great Wall of China