What Are Some Facts About the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China is longer than any other man-made structure in the world. It extends about 5500 miles or 8851 kilometres from Shanhaiguan to Lop Nur. On its way, it passes over mountains, deserts, and plateaus.

Here are some basic facts about the Great Wall of China:

• One fact that will surprise most people about the Great Wall of China is that it is not continuous. It is actually a collection of short walls that often pass over the top of hills. 
• It was originally built during the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) to keep out the Moguls. 
• More modern walls were built during the Ming Dynasty (1388-1644).  These new walls reached up to 26 feet, the base was between 15 and 30 feet, and the tops were between 9 and 12 feet.
• Sections of walls did not keep out the Moguls. They did, however, help the Ming Army keep out the Manchus for a time. 
• When the Manchus finally invaded, they took over and the Qing Dynasty began. 
• Since this invasion changed the border of China, there was no longer a need for further constructions or repairs to the wall. 
• A fact discovered recently about the Great Wall of China is that part of it was hidden. A 290 km, or 180 mi, long section was discovered in 2009 that was built during the Ming Dynasty. It is located from the Hushan Mountains to Jiayuguan. The reason it was hidden is that it had been covered with sand during the many sandstorms in that arid region.

Myths About the Great Wall

There is one thing that most people think is a fact pertaining to the Great Wall of China that is actually not true. 

Some people believe that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon. Unfortunately, as soon as anyone gets a few thousand miles out into space, no man-made structures can be seen. It and many things can be seen from an orbit around Earth, but it can barely be seen from the Space Shuttle, and it is totally impossible to be seen from the moon.

Construction of the Great Wall

Here are some facts concerning the construction of the Great Wall of China:

• Initially the wall was built using dirt, stones, and wood.
• Since such a large amount of material was needed, the builders had to use whatever raw materials were available. 
• If they were in a mountainous area, then stones could be used. 
• If they were in the plains, then dirt could be pounded into bricks and if they were in a desert region, they could use juniper tamarisks and sanded reeds. 
• Later on, during the Ming Dynasty, better materials were used like stones, lime, and tiles. 
• Stones were used at the base because they could hold weight better and this made construction go faster.

Final Facts About the Great Wall

Here are some final facts about the Great Wall of China:

• The Great Wall of China wasn’t built just to keep people out. 
• It also served as a place for lookout posts so the armies could be warned if someone was approaching. 
• It also was an elevated road that the armies could use that made it much easier and faster to travel through all kinds or terrain. 
• It also protected trade routes, like the Silk Road, and facilitated travel and the spread of information.    
• The Great Wall of China was once called “the longest cemetery on earth.” That was because so many people died while it was being built.  It has been estimated that more than one million people died while it was being constructed.
• One legend tells of a dragon who helped show the placement for the wall and the builders followed his tracks. 

The Great Wall of China is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, put the Great Wall on its list of national and historical sites in 1987.