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In about 220 B.C., under Qin Shin Huang, sections of
fortifications which had been built earlier were joined together to form a
united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued
up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the world's
largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched
only by its architectural value.
Known in China s the "10,000-li Great
Wall," the wall extends over 6,000 kilometers, stretching from the Jiayu
Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu River in
Liaoning Province in the east. This is more than the distance between Miami and
the North Pole.
The Great Wall's
height averages from 15 to 30 feet, it's width averages from 15 to 25 feet, with
about a 13-foot wide roadway on top, which allows soldiers to move from one
section of the wall to another quickly. The Great Wall wound up and down
mountains, from peak to peak, almost always taking the highest positions
available. Every hundred yards or so a watchtower was built on the Great Wall.
If enemy forces were detected approaching, smoke signals would be sent out,
relayed from one tower to next putting the defense forces nearby on alert.
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Great Wall at Mutianyu outside Beijing
Great Wall
Great Wall, watch-tower, part of the wall
in the Western region
Great Wall, at dusk
Great Wall, crawling up a peak
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