The Great Wall of China
Brief Introduction of The Great Wall
The Great Wall of China was an ancient gigantic defensive project. It's one of the biggest construction tasks ever finished. Great Wall of China is one of the wonders in the world. It winds its way westward above the vast territory of China from the bank of the Yalu River and ends at the foot of snow-covered Qilianshan and Tianshan mountains. It's seldom that we see this kind of a gigantic undertaking in China or elsewhere around the world. The Chinese people call it the Wall of 10,000 li. Its length is far better witnessed on a map or from an aerial photograph. Due to astronauts who looked back from the moon, of all projects created by guy, the Great Wall of China may be the most conspicuous witnessed in space.
Military value of the Great Wall
Judging from the standpoint of present day warfare, the Great Wall can't be mentioned to become a defense network of any fantastic military value. Nevertheless when man's chief military weapons had been the sword, arrows, bows, ge (hook weapon) and mao (spear), the predicament was fairly different. The Great Wall provides superb defense since it had been created in strategic places. It played an important role then. Several have been instance in ancient when it took an incredibly prolonged time to consider a city or mountain pass. There were even circumstances when people who launched the assault had to retreat with no battle, whenever they saw the strong defense work of the city. Within the Central Plain of China this kind of firm and large defense perform proved to be extremely beneficial to foil the attacks of mobile cavalry, which roamed from one place to another.
Being an outcome of steady construction and making improvement through the Ming Dynasty the Great Wall became an ideal defense network, whereby the central Chinese authority could, by way of a variety of administrative and military amounts of organization, attain the essential or grass root military unit, down to each soldier guarding the Great Wall. The Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan, acquiring ruling power throughout the nation. The authentic rulers, even so, only retreated to their former positions. They were not destroyed. This made it possible for them to make a come-back. Under these conditions, the Great Wall grew to become a significant protection issue for that Ming Dynasty.
The Five Hot Questions about The Great Wall Asked by the People
Where is the Great Wall of China?
The Great Wall starts from the shanghai pass at the seaside in the Hebei province to the Jiayu pass in Gansu province. The sites of the Great Wall stretch across 15 provinces of China, Tianjin, Qinghai, Shandong and Inner Mongolia, etc.
How was the Great Wall build?
The construction of the Great Wall was mainly depended on human labor. The large stones, earth, wood and bricks were carried on human’s back or lifted by the bar. Simple machines were also used to create the Wall, such as varied handcarts, crowbars and wheels. Animals were also used to transport the materials, just because some sections of the Great Wall were built on the crests, it was hard for a man to carry the heavy materials to these places.
How long is the Great Wall of China?
According to the State Administration of Cultural Heritage and National Bureau of Surveying and Mapping Agency in 2009, the latest data of the length of the Great Wall is 8851.8 km, which is 2000km longer than the past data.
Who built the Great Wall of China?
According to records, Emperor Qin shi huang ordered millions of the people to construct the Great Wall, including the workers, famous, soldiers and slaves.
Why the Great Wall is built?
As early as 7th century BC, Chu dynasty firstly built the Great Wall to stop the invasion from other countries and it opened the curtain of constructing the Great Wall in the history of China. During the Warring States Period, Qi, Wei, Zhao, Qin, Yan and Zhongshan had also built the Great Wall. The Great Wall was the greatest military defense project in the history, and it was also the guarantee of the peace and stability of ancient society and agriculture.
Can the Great Wall be seen from the outer space?
The Great Wall is great, but you can’t see it from the space. The average width of the Great Wall is no more than 10 meters, and it can be easily hidden by the surroundings. It is difficult to see it from 20km high by naked eye, not to say 400km from the
spacecraft.
Hot Scenic spots of The Excellent Wall
Badaling
Badaling is the most crowded site to the Great Wall, largely because it is the easiest to access. Dozens of buses, both tour and public, drop off passengers by the hundreds each day. Visitors who go in the afternoon should solve problems less crowded. Badaling has handicapped access towards the Wall, and quite a few restaurants and souvenir stands. It is home to the Fantastic Wall Museum which facts the history of the wall in displays and a theater presentation; the museum is closed on Mondays.
Ticket for the scene spot of Badaling area on the Great Wall: Price is 45 Yuan. Young children pay 25 Yuan. The ticket can be used as postcard. In the ticket is already a printed stamp. Also incorporated is actually a tourist commemoration of the Great Wall: 4 stamps with paintings on the Wall.
Shanhaiguan
Shanhaiguan could be the eastern terminus of the Great Wall. The final tower in the Wall juts out to the Bohai Sea. Due to the fact that it's a seaside town, this area is extremely crowded in the summer, but winter visitors may locate themselves alone on the Wall. Shanhaiguan, acknowledged as "Laolongtou" or "old dragon head," features a smaller sized Excellent Wall Museum. The town is about a five-hour train trip north of Beijing, and can make a wonderful overnight tour for individuals who desire to escape the hustle and bustle of the Chinese capital for a couple of hours.
Tips for visiting the Great Wall
Tip One: Choose the best time to visit Great Wall of China
In Beijing, all the sections of the Wall are open to travelers all 12 months round. The ideal months for the Fantastic Wall hike fall on spring, early summer, autumn- later March, April, May, June, September, October and early November. If you take place to go to the Wall in summer season- later on June, July and August, be ready for heat stroke prevention -sunglasses, sun cream, sun block, hat, water. Winter Wonderful Wall Hike is really a bit difficult as the result of frozen climate in later December, January and early February annually in Beijing. You are recommended to dress warmly- winter hat with ear flap, ear warmers, gloves, scarf, warm jackets and the winter accessories. The Fantastic Wall hike is unattainable only because the street entry to sections is blocked due to the hefty snow. If you strategy to do the hike in winter, we do advise you check the weather report.
Tip Two: Steer clear of weekends or public holidays
It's better to hike the Wall through the weekdays as an alternative to weekends. Strongly advise you not to pay a visit to the Wall in the course of China public holidays. On these unique days you are going to waste a lot of the valuable time on the way you're your hotel towards the Wall. To the Wall, you have to consider group photos considering that you will find a great amount of individuals around the Wall.
Tip Three: Choose the right bit of the Wall (Great Wall Guide)
You will find approximate eight bits of the Wall around Beijing. Five of the eight bits of the Wall are legally open to tourists home and abroad. “Legally open” signifies these sections of the Wall are tamed, repaired and managed by a neighborhood Excellent Wall administration bureau. Within its administration, the entrance expenses are collected, a police station is set up and protection guides are dotted along Wall. These “legal” sections of the Wall are Juyongguan, Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Simatai. Jiankou and Gubeikou usually are not open to tourists due to their wildness and treacherousness. It is said that Huanghuacheng Great Wall will probably be open towards the public sooner or later. Below will be the tips for picking the right bit of the Wall you most like:
One) In case you have considerably time, you should choose Juyongguan Great Wall to visit. Beacause there are fewer people there.
Two) If you want to see one of the most stunning area of the Wall in Beijing, visit Badaling Great Wall.
Three) If you want to see the Wall with green scenery and atmosphere, visit Mutianyu Great Wall.
Four) If you want to hike the wild and unique bits of the Wall, pay a visit to either Jinshanling Great Wall or Simtai Great, or put them together.
Five) Huanghuacheng Fantastic Wall not nevertheless opened
Six) Jiankou and Gubeikou sections of the Wall are forbidden to hike in accordance with the official rule and regulations concerned.