The Great Wall

                 The Great Wall is one of the largest building construction projects ever completed. It is one of the greatest wonders of the world. It was listed as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1987.It stretches across the mountains of northern China, winding north and northwest of Beijing. It is constructed of masonry, rocks and packed-earth. It was over 5,000 km long. Its thickness ranged from about 4.5 to 9 meters (15 to 30 feet) and was up to 7.5 meters (25 feet) tall. In modern days, some of the sections are in ruins or have disappeared. However, it is still one of the most appealing attractions all around the world. The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern border of the country. It was built for great military defence project of successive Chinese Empires.

                The Great Wall begins at Shanhaiguan in Hebei province in the east and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu province to the west. Its main body consists of walls, horse tracks, watch towers, and shelters on the wall, and includes fortresses and passes along the Wall.

                The main purpose of The Great Wall was to protect China from outside aggression, but also to preserve its culture from the customs of foreign barbarians. It is one of the essential references in Chinese literature.

           The Great Wall reflects collision and exchanges between agricultural civilizations and nomadic civilizations in ancient China. It provides significant physical evidence of the far-sighted political strategic thinking and mighty military and national defense forces of central empires in ancient China. It is an outstanding example of the superb military architecture, technology and art of ancient China. It is the national symbol for safeguarding the security of the country and its people.