From the Bohai Sea in the East to Dunhuang's desert plains in the West, the Great Wall snakes its way across precipitous, rocky ridges, sometimes even stretching across iron beams to bridge windy chasms.

Famed for its sheer size the Great Wall spans over about 4,500 miles (7,300 km) from east to west throughout northern China. From the Shanhaiguan Pass to Jiayuguan Pass, the Wall snakes across ridges and deserts via Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and finally ends in Gansu. The mighty presence of the Great Wall stands as a witness of the country's enthralling history.

The Great Wall is considered one of the greatest wonders of the world. Although some of its sections are now in ruins or have disappeared completely, it is still one of the most sought-after attractions in the world thanks to its magnificence and great significance. In 1987, the Great Wall was enlisted as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

 History

No one can tell precisely when the Great Wall's construction began, but it is believed that it originated as a military fortification against invading tribes along the borders during the early Zhou Dynasty. Late in the Spring and Autumn Period (770- 476BC), the ducal states extended their defense work and built "great" structures to prevent attacks from other states. It was not until the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) that the separate walls, constructed by the states of Qin, Yan and Zhao kingdoms, were connected to form a defensive system along the northern border by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (also called Qin Shi Huangdi by westerners or the "First Emperor"). After the emperor unified the country in 214BC, he ordered the construction of the wall. It took about 10 years to finish the wall, which stretched from Linzhao (eastern part of Gansu Province) in the west to Liaodong (Jilin Province) in the east. The wall not only served as a defense structure in the north but also symbolized the emperor's power.

From the Qin Dynasty onwards, Xiongnu, an ancient tribe that lived in North China, frequently harassed the country's northern border. During the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu (Han Wu Di) sent three expeditions to fight the Xiongnu in 127BC, 121BC and 119BC. The Xiongnu were driven into the far north of the Gobi. To maintain the safety of the Hexi Corridor (Gansu Province), the emperor ordered the extension of the Great Wall westward to the the Hexi Corridor and Xinjiang region. The ruins of the beacon towers and debris of the Han Wall are still discernible in Dunhuang, Yumen and Yangguan. A recent report shows that the Han Wall ruins have been discovered near Lopnur in China's Xinjiang region.

Further construction and extensions were made in the successive Northern Wei, Northern Qi (386-581) and Sui (581-618) dynasties.

The present Great Wall in Beijing mainly consists of remains from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, brick and granite were used when the workers laid the foundation of the wall, and sophisticated designs and passes were built in places of strategic importance. To strengthen military control of the northern frontiers, Ming authorities divided the Great Wall into nine zones, placing each one under the control of a Zhen (garrison headquarters). The Ming Wall starts from Yalujiang River (in today's Heilongjiang Province), via today's Liaoning, Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia provinces, to Guansu. It's total length reaches 12,700 li (over 5,000 km). The Shanhaiguan Pass and Jiayuguan Pass are two well-preserved sites located at either end of the Wall.

Today, the Wall has become a must-see for every visitor to China. Standing on top of a beacon tower and looking down at this giant spiraling dragon and accompanying majestic views, one can't help but be awestricken.

 Sections

The Great Wall, an extensive bulwark erected in ancient China, is one of the largest construction projects ever carried out. The Wall's length totals about 4,500 miles (7,300 km) from east to west from the Shanhaiguan Pass near Bohai (Gulf of Bohai) to Jiayuguan Pass (in modern Gansu province), traversing Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Gansu. Without its branches and other secondary sections, the wall extends for some 4,160 miles (6,700 km), often tracing the crest lines of hills and mountains as it snakes through the Chinese countryside.

The section of the Wall at Badaling is most famous due to its proximity to Beijing City and extended restorations. The imposing Badaling Great Wall climbs up and down and twists and turns along the high mountain ridges to fully display the lofty efforts of ancient Chinese laborers.

More than 1,000 meters above sea level, the Badaling Great Wall occupies a commanding and strategic position. It is a defensive outpost of the Great Wall called "Bada" since it stretches in all directions.

The Badaling Great Wall, built in 1505, has a total length of 3,741 meters and a tourist area of 19,000 square meters. The wall, built with high stone slabs on the outside, is 7.8 meters high on average but reaches 8.4 meters in some places. The wall base was built with more than 2,000 large, rectangular slabs of granite stones. It is about 6.5 meters wide on average at its base and 5.7 meters wide on average on the ramparts. The wall is wide enough for five horses to gallop through side-by-side or 10 people to advance shoulder-to-shoulder. The outside of the wall is called rampart wall. The rampart wall was built with bricks 1.7 meters high. Erected for defense purposes, there are holes on the tips of the wall called "watch-holes" and peepholes under the wall called "embrasures." Inside the wall are low, one-meter-high walls called "parapets" that can be used as railings. There is a scroll door not far from the inside wall and a stone ladder.

The wall is narrow on the top and broad on the bottom, forming an adder-shaped structure. This type of construction helped the wall stands firmly on the rise and fall ridges. The wall was built with 10-14 rectangular slabs of stones around its exterior, filled with soil and stones in the middle, and paved with square bricks and limestone on top. This particular structure makes the wall tidy, beautiful and firm. There are also gutters with gargoyles to drain rainwater from the parapet wall.

The landscape of the Badaling Great Wall changes every season, offering numerous sceneries to enjoy. The valley is covered with greens during a sunlit and enchanting spring scene. When rain falls from the mountain, the vista appears vast and hazy. The sky in the autumn is high with an unsoiled stratosphere, and the maple forest shimmers in golden hue. White snow covers the whole landscape in the winter.

In 1961, the State Council decided that Badaling was a national, key, protected, culture relic unit.

 Culture

The Great Wall has long been a part of Chinese mythology and popular symbolism, and in the 20th century it came to be regarded as a national symbol. Many great, soul-stirring campaigns and historical events were inseparable from the ancient walls. It is said that a considerable part of Chinese history unfolded around the Great Wall.

Many celebrities, including numerous strategists and statesmen, sprang up in famous battles at the Great Wall, which greatly enriched the cultural content of the building. Great legends revolve around the construction of the Great Wall -- the most notable being the story of the collapse of a section of the Great Wall caused by Meng Jiangnu's tears, which became widespread in folk songs and traditional operas. Near the Shanhaiguan Pass stands Meng Jiangnu Temple with her sculptured image that is highly worshiped by devout men and women.

It is said that 2,000 years ago, during the Wall's construction, a young man called Fan Xiliang was forced to work on the massive project -- even on his wedding day. Before Fan went away, his bride, a girl named Meng Jiangnu, broke her white jade hairpin in two, giving her husband half as a token of her love. Meng waited for her husband for five years without a word from him. One night, Meng had a bad dream: she dreamed that her husband was yelling, "Cold, cold!" Remembering that Fan went away wearing very thin clothes, Meng made some padded clothing and set off alone to look for him. After crossing many mountains and rivers on foot, Meng finally reached the construction site of the Great Wall where she was told her husband had died and was buried under the Great Wall. Hearing this, Meng sat at the foot of the Great Wall and started crying. She cried day and night and her wailing finally made the wall come down, revealing her husband's bones. This made Qin Shihuang very angry, and he ordered Meng to be punished. But when he saw the young lady he was struck by her beauty and asked her to marry him. Having no choice in the matter, Meng agreed under the condition that her Fan could get a proper burial. After the funeral, when Meng and the emperor went on a trip on the Bohai Sea, Meng realized that she simply could not marry the tyrant who had killed her beloved husband. Unseen by the guards Meng jumped into the sea. Today on the shores of the Bohai Sea, beyond the Shanhaiguan Pass, are two black, rocky reefs. According to legend, the round reef is Meng's tomb and the square one is the tablet. Not far from her tomb, a temple was erected on a small hill to commemorate the lady of chastity. Visitors to Shanhaiguan Pass should not miss the chance to see her "tomb" and temple.