THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications made of rock, stone, brick, tampered earth, wood and other materials. The Great Wall of China has been built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from the Mongols. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China , were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty. The first part built in the 1st century BC (the Han Dynasty), second part built in 1138 - 1198 (the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period), and the third part built in 1368-1620 (from Hongwu Emperor until Wanli Emperor of the Ming Dynasty).

 

The Great Wall was first used as a defensive fort. There were already many smaller unconnected walls protecting other states but when the Qin Dynasty began they became connected. The Great Wall was also used for trade on the Silk Road. The Silk Road is a historical international trade route between China and the Mediterranean. It was called the Silk Road because China traded large amounts of silk. Today, the Great Wall of China is a tourist attraction, about four million people visit the wall each year. This makes the wall 'The Greatest Tourist Attraction in the World'. A marathon is also held on the wall. People running the marathon can be seen below.