If you're wondering as why was the Great Wall of China built,
then you need to know that the Great Wall of China was originally built
to protect the country by keeping off invasions by nomadic groups and
by Mongolia.
In the year 1987, the Great Wall managed to find a place in the list
of 'world’s great national and historical sites' which was formulated
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO).
One of the most well known myths is that the Great Wall of China is
visible from the moon. This is not true, as no man made structure is
visible from the moon. The origin of this rumor is unconfirmed but this
rumor is not true, nonetheless.
One of the sad Great Wall of China facts is that the region of the
Wall that is present in the Gansu province is eroding at a fast pace; so
much so, that it may not be in existence twenty years from now.
According to the history and timeline of the Great Wall of China,
although the Great Wall was initially built more than 2000 years ago,
which is, around the year 221 BC., most of the current Great Wall of
China that is widely visited, was built during the Ming dynasty, that
is, between the years 1368 and 1644.
One of the facts about The Great Wall of China
is that when this Wall was being constructed, it had become notorious
and reportedly got the name 'the longest cemetery on earth' because it
is said that more than one million workers died while trying to build
this wall.
Initially, when the construction of the Great Wall had just started,
mostly rammed earth and stones and some wood was used to build it. It
was during the Ming dynasty that more firm materials, like bricks,
tiles, lime, etc. were used to build the wall.
It is difficult to give a definitive answer to the question 'how long is The Great Wall of China',
because the Wall is broken, built and rebuilt in many different parts
along its length. However, it is said that the Great Wall is around
5,500 miles long.
Many American Presidents have visited the Great Wall of China,
including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George Bush and
Barack Obama.
One of the interesting Great Wall of China facts is that legend has
it, that a holy and helpful dragon was responsible for demarcating the
course that the Great Wall would take and the builders followed the
dragon to establish the path of the Great Wall.
It was the Chinese that invented the wheelbarrow and made use this
while building this magnificent structure, which is mistakenly said to
be one of the Seven Wonders Of The World.
The Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient
World, although it figures in the list of Seven Wonders of the Medieval
World.
When the Great Wall was used to protect the country from invasion,
there were watchtowers that were made at regular intervals along the
length of the wall. These were used for keeping an eye out and would
house troops and supplies required by them.
These were some the Great Wall of China facts that must have surely
left you awestruck. Many pains have been taken to make this structure
that stands tall and defiant and symbolizes the grit and efforts taken
by the Chinese to make this marvel for mankind. Thankfully, since it has
become a huge tourist spot, efforts are being made to preserve this
structure so that future generations can also admire the beauty that is
the Great Wall of China.
