Interesting Facts You Need To Know About Great Wall Of China

Who doesn't know about the 7 Wonders of the World?...these became famous because of their unique identity from others. Because of some special features, they were listed on the top. In 2007, more than 100 million people voted to declare the New Seven Wonders of the World and the Great Wall of China is one of them. The Great Wall of China is the longest wall compared with anything in the world. Its winding path and steep mountains make it great scenery that looks very eye catchy. Built between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century, the Great Wall of China is created to protect the borders of the Chinese Empire Mongols from invading.

What do you know about the Great Wall of China? The oldest civilization in the world holds fascinating secrets. The Great Wall is one of the most impressive and hand made architectural works in the world, but most of us do not know much about it.

Here are Few Facts about the Great Wall of China which you must know for sure:

1.It Was Visited by 8 Million Tourists in 1 Day Only

Every year it is visited by millions of tourists. On 1st October 2014, during a national holiday, the monument was visited an incredible way by8 million people. Just in one day!

2. The Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space by the human eye without aid

It's True. We all know that it is the world's longest wall and The official length is 21,196.18 km (13,170.7 mi), yet it cannot be visible when seen from space. The average height is 7.88 meters between the Great Wall at Badaling and Juyong Pass, and the highest place is 14 meters high. The highest point of the wall is in the Heita mountain, at about 1500 meters above sea level.

3. The Great Wall is not a continuous line

There are side walls, circular walls, parallel walls, and sections with no wall and have high mountains or rivers form a barrier instead. In the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BC), glutinous rice flour was used to bind the Great Wall bricks.

4.It Took More Than 2,000 Years to Complete

The construction of the Chinese wall took more than 2,000 years. It began to be built in the 8th century BC. EC, and officially ended in 1644. Since 1644, when the Ming Dynasty was overthrown, no further work has been done on the Great Wall (for military purposes and some has been restored for tourism). Great Wall reconstruction and protection began with Badaling in 1957.

5.It Was the Construction that Employed the Most Workers in History

The Great Wall labor force included soldiers, forcibly-recruited peasants, convicts, and POWs. It is estimated that in total approximately 800,000 people worked in the construction of the entire Wall.

6. The First Emperor of Qin did not build the Great Wall

He linked the northern walls of the states he conquered.

7.The most famous section of the Great Wall is Badaling

It has been visited by over 300 heads of state and VIPs from around the world. The first of which was Soviet statesman Klim Voroshilov in 1957.

8.There most popular Great Wall legend is about Meng Jiangnv

Her husband died building the Wall. She wept so bitterly that a section of the Wall collapsed which revealed her husband's bones. So hence there was a saying that the Great Wall of China Built With Human Bones? This is probably one of the most widespread myths about the construction of the wall. It is definitely false. The materials used were the stones, granites, and bricks available, depending on each season.

9. The Gubeikou is one of the sections of the Great Wall that has bullet holes in it

This shows the evidence of the battle fought at the Great Wall. The construction of the Great Wall was the scene of a great number of wars between Chinese civilization and other States. The last battle disputed in the wall was in 1938, during the second Sino-Japanese war.

10. Great Wall reconstruction

Protection began with Badaling in 1957.

11. During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976)

In the 70s the Wall was seen as a symbol of the despotism of the millenarian Chinese dynasties. The communist government encouraged people to use bricks from the most crumbling sections of the wall to build their own houses. The north-western Great Wall sections are likely to disappear in 20 years, due to desertification and mainly human land use. Nearly 1/3 of the Great Wall has disappeared without a trace.

12.The Jiankou Section of the Great Wall

It is known for being steep and winding, enjoys the most appearances on Great Wall picture books and postcards. The Great Wall was named in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in December 1987.

Summing Up:

The Great Wall of China was one of the unique structure which is made by manpower. It is completely different and found its special place in the wonders of the world. The Great Wall was just not a wall. It was an integrated military defensive system with watchtowers for surveillance, fortresses for command posts and logistics, beacon towers for communications, etc...

These are a few facts to figure out, which we might not have known. But considering all its conditions we can find out that this is one of the best creation that remains unique of its kind.