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Why the Great Wall
of China is special
It is by far mankind's most extensive construction endeavor. In its heyday in the 16th and 17th centuries, it snaked 6400 kilometers
or 4000 miles across northern China (see map).
 It zig-zags up and
down steep ridges and is punctuated with imposing watchtowers, making the Great Wall of China one of the most photogenic man-made
structures on earth.
Today, it is the travel icon of China - and one of the leading vacation travel
destinations in the world.
Why the Great Wall
of China was built
Among the many reasons:
 To serve as lookout
posts - The ancient Chinese had rational fears about being invaded by nomadic armies from the north.
To provide the army with a swift early warning
system - Fire signals (nighttime) and smoke signals (daytime) were relayed from one
watchtower to another. Messages could be rapidly sent over great distances.
To create an elevated military roadway through the rugged
terrain - This helped speed the deployment of soldiers from one area to another along the Great
Wall of China.
To impede
invaders - This worked against
feeble armies. However, the wall would serve more as a psychological than a physical barrier against a determined, well-manned military
force. A formidable invader could easily breach a lightly guarded part of the wall. Or, it could muscle its way through one of the gaps between the individual wall sections.
Great Wall of China –
how it came to be
No one ever said, "Let's build the Great Wall of China". There was never a master plan. Initially, powerful
regional kingdoms built sections solely for their own
defensive military needs.
The earliest known sections were constructed
in the 7th century BC.
Building activity by the regional kingdoms flourished in the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.
It was only after the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) unified
China did the wall become a collective entity. The Qin dynasty repaired, renovated and linked old sections and built
new ones. Note: The modern word "China" derives from the Qin (pronounced "Chin") Dynasty.
Over the next 1700 years, the Great Wall
of China was enlarged and
enhanced. Most of what tourists see today is the fruit of the work done in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The Great Wall
of China today
Although much of it is in disrepair or
deteriorated, some wall sections are in fairly good
condition, thanks to repairs, renovations and protection programs by the Chinese government.
There are currently slightly over 100 known sections ranging in states from deteriorated ruins to skilled restorations. One section was
discovered just a few years ago. Archaeologists believe that some sections still lie buried
and are waiting to be discovered.
Debunking a
Great Wall myth
It is popularly written that the wall is
so long that you could see it with the unaided eye from an orbiting spacecraft (and some say from the moon) That would be impossible.
Despite the Great Wall's extraordinary length, it's too narrow to be seen from an orbiting spacecraft without a telescope or
super binoculars. Spotting the Great Wall from that height is analogous to being able to see a stretched-out mile-long thread on the ground while
standing on top of a ten-story building.
Great Wall of
China insights
Over the centuries more than a million people (peasants,
soldiers and prisoners) helped build the wall. Thousands died in the process.
 In ancient times the Great Wall
of China was called the Ten
Thousand Li Wall. This name referred to the wall's length (a li is a unit of measurement equaling roughly a
half kilometer or one-third mile).
While the sections in eastern China were
mainly made with bricks and chiseled stones, those in western China were made with less durable materials
(often with clay or pounded earth reinforced with tree branches).
The path
stretches from a seaport on China's east coast to Xinjiang in China's north west. In between, it passes through a variety of
terrains, including mountains, plateaus and deserts.
The width and height of some sections are
impressive. The average dimensions are roughly 6 meters (18 feet) wide and 8 meters (25 feet) high. The
watchtowers normally add about 4 meters (13 feet) to the height.
The
Great Wall of China watchtowers are fairly close
to each other along many stretches of the Great Wall. Some are a stone's throw apart.
Most watchtowers were not garrisoned at any given time.
Troops were regularly redeployed between one and another watchtower. The military goal was to keep the
invading enemy guessing how many defending soldiers might be occupying a given watchtower.
Weathering through the centuries caused the lion's share of the
damage to the wall. Other culprits were local residents seeking free building materials, souvenir-hungry
travelers, and uncaring hikers.
The 4 most popular
Great Wall of China sites
Below are the four most visited Great Wall locations. All are near and north of
Beijing:
Badaling - This is by far the most popular Great Wall of China site for
travelers, mainly because it is close to Beijing (less than two hours away) and
is much easier to climb than the other Great Wall sections. The Badaling section
was built around 500 years ago - and was extensively renovated by the present
Chinese government over the last several decades. Be mindful that Badaling
swarms with tour groups, individual tourists and hawkers - and has become
somewhat tacky. This could taint your photographs and memories of an otherwise
visually striking Great Wall of China site.
Mutianya - It is an hour further away from Beijing than Badaling. This is
a blessing - the extra travel time means that fewer vacation tour groups will
travel to it. This Great Wall of China site is remarkable. The incline of the
wall at Mutianya is noticeably steeper than Badaling's. However, like Badaling,
Mutianya has a cable car for tourists who choose not to walk up the wall.
Simatai - You must travel yet another hour to reach the Simatai site from
Beijing and, therefore, you will encounter even fewer vacationers than at
Mutianya. Some of the wall dramatically clings to precipitous mountain ridges.
Because the incline is especially steep and there is no cable car, I do not
recommend the Great Wall of China site at Simatai for those not in good physical
condition.
Shixiaguan -
This is the closest section to Beijing. The Shixiaguan section is currently
being reconstructed but is open to the public. You can view it from your vehicle
as you drive to the Badaling section (see above). Or, you can stop and climb it.
However, be aware that the
Shixiaguan wall ascends a
long, very steep slope.
Best times for visiting
the Great Wall of China
The best hours
Go in the early morning or late afternoon when sightseeing
buses are relatively scarce. And, the low-angled sun rays help make great photographs. Crowds can be thick
from mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
The two best months
May - Usually
sunny (though you could encounter occasional rains). Wild flowers are abloom. Vacation travel season has begun, but modestly so.
October - Usually
sunny (and even less chance of rain than in May). Moderate tourist
count. Fall temperatures are brisk, but refreshing and
comfortable, making it a pleasant time to travel to the Great Wall of China.
The next best months
June to September - Although summer is the rainy, humid season and the vacation tour season is in full
swing, it's better to visit the Great Wall of China then than during the winter (see next item) or not at all.
The least desirable months
November to April - You'll share the Great Wall of China with few tourists. And, it's
the dry season. However, the weather can be bitterly cold and biting, especially in January and February.
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