The Great Wall of China, Facts & Ming Dynasty

Top Attraction in Beijing Province, Where to See the Great Wall

Aug 4, 2009

Bristling with battlements, beacons, towers and gates, the Great Wall of China was declared a World Heritage site in 1987 and attracts millions of visitors every year.

It took four dynasties and 2000 years to build the Great Wall of China. The Qin erected the first major structure around 214BC and this was continued by the Han, the Jin and finally the Ming who ruled until the mid-17th century. The purpose of the wall was to protect the Middle Kingdom from northern invaders.

The wall has suffered from erosion and wilful destruction in modern times, in the name of revolution and modernisation, but in the last 20 years or so, restoration efforts have turned this unique structure into a profitable Chinese icon.

The Great Wall of China stretches roughly 6400 km along the southern border of Inner Mongolia, though this increases to over 8800 km if counting all its offshoots. Sections long buried by sandstorms were discovered in 2009, adding a further 290km. It’s the world’s largest military structure but with no clear photographic record, whether it is visible from space remains highly controversial. Even the first Chinese astronaut in 2003 failed to identify the wall.

The Great Wall of China crosses a variety of terrains from coast to mountains and desert and was mostly built of adobe or rammed earth. The highest point is at Heita Mountain, 1534 metres, the lowest is sea level at Laolongtou. The largest tower is the Zhenbeitai in the Shaanxi province.

Much of the wall visible today dates from the Ming dynasty, 1367-1644. Having pushed the Yuan back into Mongolia, the Ming from southern China moved their capital from Nanjng to Beijing, a more appropriate place to defend the kingdom and its valuable trade routes.

They built the Forbidden City and strengthened and extended the wall with stone foundations and bricks on the top, easy to carry and shape but difficult to scale. The wall kept invaders at bay but resentment grew among conscripted labourers and farmers whose rice was confiscated for food and mortar. Corruption set in, resources dwindled and when peasants rebelled in 1644, the Manchus from the north seized their chance. They breached the wall and set up the Qing dynasty in the Forbidden City.

The Beijing province claims 827 fortifications dotted over 630 km. This stretch of wall is discontinuous and only partly accessible but includes some of the most impressive structures from the Ming period. Incorporating cliffs, valleys, ravines and man made traps, it follows the mountain range north of the capital.

The most visited area is Badaling which guards a four-gated valley. Here the wall is 8 metres high and wide enough for 5 mounted horses abreast. It comes complete with cable car, museum and stalls and an exclusive hotel offering the chance to savour the views when the crowds have gone. Mutianyu, 70 km from Beijing, is slightly quieter and boasts an unusual three tower structure.

Less visited but rewarding spots include Huanghuacheng, now being restored, Simatai where paragliders rise above the dragon’s back, the Juyong Pass with its Buddhist carvings and Jinshanling with its storehouse and watchtower.

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