The Great Wall Of China
The Great Wall of China is one among Seven Wonder of the World. It is an ancient series of walls and fortifications located in northern China, built around 500 years ago. Estimates of its length vary from 1,500 to 5,000 miles, but an archaeological survey carried out in 2012 by China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage suggested the wall is more than double than that length: some 13,000 miles – or 21,000km – long.
The Great Wall of China was built over centuries by China’s emperors to protect their territory. Today, it stretches for thousands of miles along China’s historic northern border.
Great Wall has included border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade, and the control of immigration and emigration. Furthermore, the defensive characteristics of the Great Wall were enhanced by the construction of watchtowers, troop barracks, garrison stations, signaling capabilities through the means of smoke or fire, and the fact that the path of the Great Wall also served as a transportation corridor.
Where is the Great Wall of China?
The Great Wall of China’s location is mainly in northern China, and there are a few sections in southern China called the southern Great Wall. The historical Great Wall maps chart where the Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) all the way back to state walls of the Chu Kingdom (c. 650 BC).
The Great Wall of China in the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) started from Jiayuguan at Ming China’s northwest frontier and ended in Hushan on its Manchu/Korean border, crossing nine provinces and municipalities. The Ming Great Wall was over 8,500 km (5,200 mi) long.
Where is the Great Wall of China on the Map?
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Best time to visit the Great Wall of China
If the weather is your primary concern, the best time to visit the Great Wall of China is from April to early June and from September to early November when the weather is warm and pleasant but the tourist crowds are not overwhelming. Summer is hot, deep winter January and February is cold, but that also means cheaper hotel rates. Spring and Fall is just the right time to visit the Great Wall. The cheapest time is from December to the end of February.
Great Wall of China in Spring
In spring, trees and plants are turning green. Ample vegetation around the Great wall makes very thing here looks very fresh and beautiful. Since it is high time in summer and autumn, spring could be a better choice to avoid the tourist crowds. The temperature in spring is from 10ºC to 25ºC (50ºF-77ºF).
Great Wall of China in Summer
In summer, blooming flowers and trees of colorful leaves dot the whole mountains around the Great Wall. The summers are hot owing to warm and humid monsoon winds from the southeast bringing Beijing most of its annual precipitation.
Great Wall of China in Monsoon
In autumn, flowers have faded, but the mountains are blanketed by colorful leaves of the trees, red, yellow, golden, brown, etc. the sky is rather blue, the cloud is rather white. All of these compose a beautiful and heat-stunning picture.
Great Wall of China in Winters
Entering the winter, the mountains and the Great Wall are blanketed with snow, composing magnificent snowy scenery. The weather here in winter will be freezing and tourists should pack and wearing heavy clothing to avoid the cold.
Why Great Wall of China is Special?
Stretching thousands of miles, the Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world, but that isn’t its only significance.
The wall is made up of various materials, from compacted earth and wood to stone and brick dependent on what the current technology was at the time of construction.
More recent sections of the wall were rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 14th century and are some of the best-preserved as they are built out of stone and brick.
Although it is one of the largest structures in the world it is only 9 meters at its widest point and 8 meters tall at its highest, which makes rumors that it is visible from the Moon sadly untrue.
How to reach the Great Wall of China?
Tour buses may not take you where you want to go, and you are guaranteed a “Chinese tour experience” of being herded from place to place.
We recommend taking a private tour. If you come all the way to China to see the Great Wall, why settle for a second-rate experience.
The most visited and easiest to reach a section of the Great Wall sits at Badaling. Due to a direct bus line from the central area of Beijing, this part of the wall can be reached via public transportation quite easily, and thus draws in a large crowd. This section of the wall is also well restored and offers many conveniences to distract you from the wall itself.
Here you will find food vendors, restaurants, hotels, a cinema displaying a historical overview, a large museum, various roller coaster rides, and cable cars, and the list goes on. Expect crowds, especially from Chinese tourists.
Great Wall of China Tickets
To visit the Great of China, one can join a group tour organized by travel agencies or arrange a self-guided tour. The common one-day Great Wall of China tour cost ranges from CNY500 – 1,000 (USD75-150) by agencies. One day tour cost for independent travelers is various due to different transportation means and consumption levels; for them, the lowest Great Wall day tour cost can be as less as CNY200 (USD30), but one may also spend CNY500 – 800 (USD75-120) for much more demands.
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Interesting facts about the Great Wall of China
- Building the wall took more than 1800 Years
- The Great Wall of China became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 1987
- Thousands of miles of the original great wall have disappeared
- The wall is actually not a continuous line. It has spurs going in different directions and breaks where mountains or lakes offer protection
- A popular myth is that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space with the naked eye. Unfortunately, a high-tech lens is required to see the wall from the moon
- Wall construction was a common punishment for Chinese convicts
- The great wall goes by many names around the world
- It is called the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it
- The most visited section of the Great Wall is in Badaling, close to Beijing, which was built during the Ming Dynasty. It was the first section of the wall to open to tourists in 1957. It was the finished site of a cycling course in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- During the Ming dynasty, nearly one million soldiers were said to defend the Great Wall from “barbarians” and non-Chinese
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