- The Great Wall of China is a series of connected Walls made of rammed Earth or Mud, Brick and Stone, which run along China’s northern border in an east-west direction. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site.
- During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE) the Walls ran for a distance of 5,500 miles (8,800 km). Today the entire length is considered to be 13,171 miles (21,196 km).
History
- In 700 BCE the first walls were constructed but did not connect.
- In 220-206 BCE, the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, founder of the Qin Dynasty, ordered the Wall to be connected and reinforced along his entire northern frontier, at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives.
- This was to prevent intrusions by the Xiongnu to the north.
- The wall was reconstructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 CE).
- It ran from Lop Lake in the west to the Port of Shanhaiguan on the Yellow Sea, in the east.
- It ran for 5,500 miles (8,800 km) consisting partly of Wall and partly of natural features, such as Rivers, Mountains and Dykes.
The Three Passes
- The Great Wall runs through three Passes which are:
- Juyong Pass
- Located in the 11 miles (18km) long Guangou Valley.
- Jiayu Pass
- Located in the 4 mile (6km) long Hexi Corridor.
- This Pass was on the Silk Road.
- Shanhai Pass
- Located in the Liaoxi Corridor, a long narrow Plain along the Bohai Sea, it is the starting point of the eastern end of the Great Wall.
- Juyong Pass
Built as a Road
- The Wall was a built as a road. In places, two carts could pass side by side.
A Military Frontier
- The Wall was protected by soldiers manning a line of watchtowers.
- These were connected to Forts using a signaling system of smoke and fire signals.
- The Wall had Battlements and the towers had doors which closed the path below.
Silk Road
- The Great Wall and the Silk Road complement each other then join at the Jiajuguan Pass in Gansu and continue westwards together via Yumenguan and Yangguan.
Great Wall of China