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Liaoning, Jilin, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan, Qinghai provinces, municipalities and autonomous Regions of China

The Great Wall of China is a series of stone fortifications in China that was built, rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties. Several parts of the walls were built between 220-200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, but little of it still remains. The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. It starts from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Gansu.

The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 miles from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.

The construction of the Great Wall drew heavily on the local resources for construction materials. A great army of manpower composed mainly of soldiers, prisoners and local people was needed to construct the wall. The construction result demonstrates the manifestation of the wisdom and tenacity of the Chinese people. During the Ming Dynasty, bricks were used heavily in many areas of the wall, as were materials like tiles, lime and stone. They preferred bricks due to its size and weight which made the work easier and faster. Besides bricks could bear more weight and endure better than rammed earth. Stone can hold under its own weight better than brick but is more difficult to use. As a result, the stones were cut into rectangular shapes and were used for the foundation, inner and outer brims and the gateways of the wall. Battlements line the uppermost portion of the vast majority of the wall, with defensive gaps a little over 30 cm tall, and about 23 cm wide.

In many locations, the Great Wall is in disrepair and in some areas like in the north of Beijing and near tourist centers, the wall have been preserved and reconstructed. Sections of the Wall are prone to graffiti and vandalism and some parts have been destroyed to give way to constructions. There is no comprehensive survey of the Wall so it is not possible to tell how much of it survives and how much remains intact or repaired. More than 60 kilometers of the wall in Gansu province may disappear in the next 20 years due to erosion from sandstorms. In places, the height of the wall has been reduced from more than five meters to less than two meters. The square lookout towers that characterize the most famous images of the wall have disappeared completely. Many western sections of the wall are constructed from mud rather than brick and stone and thus are more susceptible to erosion. Communication between the army units along the length of the Great Wall, including the ability to call reinforcements and warn garrisons of enemy movements, was of high importance. Signal towers were built upon hill tops or other high points along the wall for their visibility.

Some of the notable areas of the Great Wall are:

• North Pass of Juyongguan pass known as the Badaling. When used by the Chinese to protect their land, this section of the wall has had many guards to defend China’s capital Beijing. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters high and 5 meters wide.
• West pass of Jiayuguan pass. This fort is near the western edges of the Great Wall.
• Pass of Shanhaiguan which is located at the eastern edges of the Wall.
• One of the most striking sections of the Ming Great Wall is where it climbs extremely steep slopes. It runs 11 kilometers long, ranges from 5 to 8 meters in height, and 6 meters across the bottom, narrowing up to 5 meters across the top. Wangjinglou is one of Jinshanling’s 67 watchtowers, 980 meters above sea level.
• The Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged mountains from the southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25 kilometers. It is connected with Juyongguan Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east.
• 25 km west of the Liao Tian Ling stands of part of Great wall which is only 2~3 stories high. According to the records of Lin Tian, the wall was not only extremely short compared to others, but it appears to be silver. Archeologists explain that the wall appears to be silver because the stone they used were from Shan Xi, where many mines are found. The stone contains extremely high metal in it causing it to appear silver. However, due to years of decay of the Great Wall, it is hard to see the silver part of the wall today.
• Another notable portion of the Wall is where the first pass of the Wall was built, the first mountain the Great Wall climbs. Shanhaiguan Great Wall is called the “Museum of the Construction of the Great Wall”, because of the Meng Jiang-Nu Temple, built during the Song Dynasty.