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The Great Wall,the Wall of 10,000 Li, is considered to be one of the most
impressive structures in the world. It winds across deserts, valleys and
mountains like a chain. It is said to be the only man- made structure
visible from the moon.
Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C. The vassal
states under the Zhou Dynasty in the northern parts of the country each
built their own walls for defence purpose. After the state of Qin unified
China in 221 B.C., it joined the walls to hold off the invaders from the
Xiongnu tribes in the north and extended them to more than 10,000 li or
5,000 kilometres.This is the origin of the name of the "10,000-li
Great Wall".
The Great
Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty. A major renovation
started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368,and took 200 years
to complete. The wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this
efforts. With a total length of over 6,000 kilometres, it entends to the
Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu
River in Liaoning Province in the east.
The Great
Wall varies in height and breadth due to the specific conditions of the
terrain. On Badaling mountain, it is about 7-8m high and 6-7m wide. The
Wall is so wide that five horsemen or ten men can march along it abreast.
There are gateways built at intervals along it inside from which the walk
on top of the wall, paved with a triple layer of bricks, can be reached.
The wall
was not only valuable as a defence system, it was also a significant theronghfare.
Great masses of people could cover long distances through rough areas
comparatively fast and comfortable, whereas otherwise transportation would
have caused considerable problems.
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