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Do you know the Great Wall of China is not a single wall? It is a series of walls and fortifications! The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest man made wonders in the world. It is an architectural marvel that dates back 2000 years. In the year 1987, the Great Wall of China was listed as one of the World Heritage sites. Are you interested in finding out some fascinating fact about Great wall of China? You have come to the right page! This blog covers the top 10 things about the Great Wall of China that you have never even heard about.
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10 Fascinating Facts About the Great Wall of China
These are some of the top ten interesting fact about Great wall of China. Read this list and let us know which fact surprised you the most.
1. The Great Wall is 21196.18 km in Length!
The Great Wall of China is truly great. It is stretches across 13,171 miles(21196.18 km)! This means the Great Wall was built by crossing deserts, mountains and even grasslands. The wall stretches across 15 provinces and autonomous regions. For example, Gansu, Hebei, and Beijing. Its length showcases how it was seen as a defense system. Do you know that only 30% of the original wall is intact today? The rest of the wall was lost to human activities.
2. It took a Millennia to Constuct the Wall
One of the most important facts about Great Wall of China is that it took 2000 years to build the wall. The construction was started in the 7th Century BC! At the time of the Warring States period, kingdoms used to build separate walls for protection. Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, decided to unify these walls (221 BC). The following dynasties, like the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) expanded the wall and fortified it.
3. The Great Wall in a Network of Walls & Fortresses
One of things about the Great Wall of China is that it is not a single wall. In fact, it unifies walls, fortresses, and watchtowers. The wall was built as a military defense system. Therefore, the fortresses were used for troops, and towers for communication, and storage facilities for supplies. For example, in case of an enemy attack the signal fires (made of wolf dung) were used to alert of enemy attacks. Other parts of the wall were even used for immigration.
4. Diverse Construction Materials to Constuct the Wall
The obvious fact about the Great Wall of China is that several materials were used to construct it. The materials that were used were based on the location and the local availability. For example, in the plains, bricks and cut stone were used. On the contrary, in the mountainous regions granite and limestone were used. In the desert,s the tamped Earth and wood were used.
5. Shanhai Pass is Known as the First Pass Under Heaven
The Shanhai Pass, which is the Eastern end of the Great Wall is situated on the Bohai Bay’s shores. It is considered as an important military point. This is another fact about Great Wall of China. The Wall extends to the Laolongtou sea (also called the ld Dragon’s Head). Therefore, it creates a scenic view, and the Shanhai Pass came to be known as the First Pass Under Heaven. The section of the wall protected China from the coastal invasions.
6. Jiayu Pass, a Defense Point against Central Asian Invaders
Another interesting fact about the Great Wall of China is that Jiayu Pass was a defense point against the Central asian invaders. The western end of the wall is situated in the Gobi desert. As per the legends, the builders built the wall very precisely. For example, when the head engineer was asked the number of bricks needed to construct the wall, he gave the exact number. The number was so precise that only one brick was left after construction.
7. Tragic Story of Lady Meng Jiang
One of the lesser-known facts about the great wall of China was the tragic tale of Lady Meng Jiang. As per the legends, her husband was forced to work as a labourer. The conditions of the construction site were extreme. She went to get winter clothes for his, but when she came back she was informed that her husband had died. It is believed that her sorrowful cries led that part of the wall to collapse.
8. The Builders’ Marks Can Still Be Seen on the Wall!
The fact about the Great Wall of China is that- those who built the wall left their mark on the bricks! Labourers, particularly those from the Ming Dynasty, left inscriptions and marks. The inscriptions were used for quality control and to determine which group is responsible for the construction. In certain areas even hidden military orders and strategic notes were found to be written on the bricks.
9. It is a Symbol of China’s Cultural Identity
The Great Wall of China is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Wall remains as a symbol of history of culture. This is one of the fact about Great Wall of China. The Wall also comes under the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Therefore, it attracts at least a million visitors every year. However, as the popular belief the wall is not visible from space. The wall is a symbol of unity, determination and strength.
10. Preservation Efforts are Taking Place
Another one of the fact about the Great Wall of China is that preservation efforts are taking place. The wall is at risk due to tourism, erosion, and urbanization. In fact, several remote parts of the world have entirely collapsed. However, the other parts are overtaken by vegetation. Therefore, UNESCO and the Chinese government are taking action towards conservation. The main focus is to protect the areas near Beijing.
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FAQs
The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, decided to build the wall by connecting the fortifications built by the states of the time. However, the wall wasn’t solely constructed by the people of his time. Instead, over time, several dynasties and numerous labourers built the wall. The most famous section of the wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
Historians believe that the defensive walls were built around 770–476 BC (during the Spring and Autumn). It was also during the Warring States period (475–221 BC). These were the first sections of the wall. The wall is over 2,300 years old.
Yes. The Great Wall of China still exists today. The wall is over 20,000 kilometers long, and its elements were created during different historical periods. The wall includes walls, fortresses, beacon towers and passes. These have been preserved to the present day.
Yes. Braam Malherbe ran the length of the Great Wall of China. That is, around 4,218 km. That too, in the first attempt. He started his journey in the Gobi desert and took 98 days to complete the journey at the Bohai Sea.
This was all about the fact about Great Wall of China. If you find it fascinating and wish to read more such interesting facts, then stay tuned to the General Knowledge page of Leverage Edu.
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