A symbol of ancient Chinese civilization, the Great Wall of China is one of the world’s oldest and most magnificent man-made scenes, which can even be seen from the space. It enjoys the same reputation with another two landmarks of China – Forbidden City and Terracotta Army. Given its outstanding architectural achievement and remarkable historical influence, the Great Wall was listed as a UNESCO World Natural and Cultural Heritage site in 1987, the first of its kind in China.
The Great Wall was originally built over 2500 years ago during the West Zhou Dynasty, and served as a functional military defense to prevent the invasion of the northern nomadic minorities. It had been playing a crucial role in wars in ancient Chinese history, therefore, the walls were continually to be extended in the next 2000+ years, till the end of Ming Dynasty. As a result, the Great Wall was expanded to 15provinces and municipalities in China, and formed in a beautiful shape of "Long" (Chinese style dragon). There are Northern Great Wall and Southern Great Wall, according to location. With its original thousands of miles length (Northern Great Wall), it was widely named “Wan Li Chang Cheng” (Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li). But actually the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty is 8851.8 km .
The present preserved Great Wall was mainly built in 14 century, hence called Ming Great Wall, which starts in the Hushan in Liaoning Province and end in Jiayuguan of the eastern point. Today, Beijing, Chengde in Hebei Province, Yulin in Shannxi Province and Jiayuguan in Gansu Province are the top destinations for Great Wall sightseeing or hiking. And the most famous sections of China Great Wall include Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Simatai, Jiayuguan Pass, Juyongguan Pass and Shanhaiguan Pass. Among them, Mutianyu section is most recommended to international travelers.
网友评论