10 Facts about the Great Wall of China

10 Facts on the Great Wall of China

Who built the wall? How long is the Great Wall of China?

• 1The Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure found anywhere in the world.
• 2The Great Wall of China is over 5,500 miles long. Its runs from the eastern end in Shanhaiguan, to Lop Nur in the west.
• 3How tall is The Great Wall of China? The Great Wall ranges in hight from just a few feet to over 30 feet tall. Since some of the Wall is built on mountain peaks and high ridges, it looks even taller.
• 4The main purpose of the Great Wall was to protect China from Mongols and other invaders from the North. The Wall also kept Chinese citizens from leaving China.
• 5The Great Wall of China was built in several stages, not in one continuous effort. Beginning is the 5th century BC and ending in the 16th century AD.
• 6The Great Wall was first built using compacted earth and stone found in the local area. The last stages of the Great Wall were built using brick.
• 7The Great Wall of China was originally many very long walls. These wall were then joined by several smaller sections.
• 8Emperor Qin Shihuang began the work on the Great Wall of China. Many walls had been built in various areas in Northern China by various states. Emperor Qin unified these states and began the task of combining all of the sections into one Great Wall.
• 9The Great Wall of China was built by peasants, prisoners and soldiers.
• 10The Great Wall is made up of three components: Passes, watchtowers and walls.

10 more facts about the Great Wall of China

• 1The Great Wall of China can not be seen from the moon with the naked eye. Don't believe me? Visit NASAA to find out if you can see the Great Wall of China from the Moon.
• 2The Great Wall of China is not considered one of the Wonders of the Ancient World.
• 3The sections of the Great Wall that we mostly associate with The Great Wall of China were built by the Ming Dynasty. This was the last part of the wall that was built and has been made with brick and features many tall watch-towers.
• 4The Great Wall of China has been called the longest cemetery on Earth. Over a million people died building the Wall and archaeologists have found human remains buried under parts of the wall.
• 5The Great Wall of China is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• 6The Great Wall of China is threatened with erosion. Some parts of the wall are deteriorating so quickly that it is believed that these sections may disappear within 20 years. Read more about erosion and the Great Wall of China
• 7Over 10 million people visit the Great Wall of China every year.
• 8The Great Wall has been compared to a dragon which winds its way over and around the mountains.
• 9The Great Wall is wide enough in some places to drive a car over it.
• 10The most well known of all of the legends of The Great Wall of China is the story of Men Jiangnu's Bitter Weeping"