Great Wall of China - One of the wonders of the world

The Great Wall of China, one of the greatest wonders of the world, and it was enlisted in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987. The Great Wall of China was built over 2,000 years ago, by Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China during the Qin (Ch'in) Dynasty (221 B.C - 206 B.C.). The Great Wall winds up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateaus, stretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles) from east to west of China. Some of the sections of the great wall are now in ruins or even entirely disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world owing to its architectural grandeur and historical significance.

Story of its construction: The mystery of the construction of the wall is very interesting. The construction of the Great Wall, drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials, was carried out in line with the local conditions under the management of contract and responsibility system. A great army of manpower composed of soldiers, prisoners, and local people, built the wall. Here is it's location in China.

History: The Great Wall was first built in the 7th century B.C. when China was still divided into many small states. After the unification of China in 221 B.C., the first emperor of Qin Dynasty linked the walls of the three states in the north and formed the first "Wan Li Chang Cheng". Since then, the Great Wall was rebuilt, modified or extended throughout Chinese history for over 2,000 years, mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the Mongolians and other invaders. Most of the Great Wall we see today was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In some areas, two walls built in two different dynasties can be seen running side by side.

Major Walls: There are four major walls.

• 208 BC (the Qin Dynasty)
• 1st century BC (the Han Dynasty)
• 1138 - 1198 (the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period)
• 1368-1620 (from Hongwu Emperor until Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty)

Major attractions:

• The "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China¹s capital [Beijing]. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
• One of the most striking sections of the Ming Great Wall is where it climbs extremely steep slopes. It runs 11 kilometers (7 mi) long, ranges from 5 to 8 meters (16­26 ft) in height, and 6 meters (19.7 ft) across the bottom, narrowing up to 5 meters (16.4 ft) across the top. Wangjinglou is one of Jinshanling's 67 watchtowers, 980 meters (3,215 ft) above sea level.
• South East of Jinshanling, is the Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged mountains from the southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25 kilometers (about 1.3 miles).It is connected with Juyongguan Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east.
• Another notable section lies near the eastern extremity of the wall, where the first pass of the Great Wall was built on the Shanhaiguan (known as the "Number one pass under heaven"), and the first mountain the Great Wall climbs. Jia Shan is also here, as is the Jiumenkou, which is the only portion of the wall that was built as a bridge.

Culture: The Great Wall has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and popular symbolism. The most beautiful of several legends is about the collapse of a section of the Great Wall caused by Meng Jiangnu, who cried bitterly over the death of her husband in the construction of the Great Wall. This legend has been spread widely through textbooks, folk songs and traditional operas. It is well-known in China. The majestic Great Wall was built with wisdom, dedication, blood, sweat and tears. Many legends and myths exist regarding the building of this wall.

The Great Wall offers a timeless charm to tourists, but scenery varies with seasons. Visit it at different times of the year and you will get a quite different scene each time. In spring, everything looks so fresh. It is a good time to avoid the crowd tourists in summer and autumn. When fall comes, the mountains are blanketed by colors, creating an amazing view and the weather during this time is pleasant. This season could be the best season to visit. The mountains and the wall itself are covered with snow in winter, offering an awesome snowy scene. Also, they say you can see the Great Wall of China from space, now that's something!

(Sources: cap.nsw.edu.au, enchantedlearning.com, travelchinaguide.com, crystalinks.com, chinahighlights.com)