Ready, Set...China Take 3

長城/ 萬里長城, known in the English language as The Great Wall of China.



When one approaches the Great Wall there is a sense of history, as if each brick can tell its own story. It was a very surreal moment as I climb the stairs to step back in time to a place that many others have only dreamed about. We were blessed the day that we visited the wall, we actually had clear skies. It was a beautifully clear, chilly autumn day; perfect for our adventure. Our guide, Richard, told us the history of the wall, the many wars and battles that had been fought, and about the spirit that keeps the wall alive. It was an incredible moment in my life when I took that first step on the wall and look around at the vista before me. I felt the wind on my face, the sun on my shoulders and an overwhelming since of the vastness of China and the world in general. I was reminded of lyrics to a song: “If walls could talk…” I imagined the stories this wall could tell. The lives that were lost just building the wall alone is amazing. The Great Wall is not just a wall, but a symbol of the bravery and wisdom of the Chinese people. I will be ever grateful for the opportunity to have…WALKED THE WALL.

The Great Wall of China

• While the Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it is typically included in the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World
• In 1987 the Great Wall was placed on the list of the world’s great national and historical sites’
• During its construction, the Great Wall was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than one million people..d
• The Great Wall of China is also known as the wanli changcheng or Long Wall of 10,000 Li (a li is a measure of distance, approximately 1/3 of a mile). The main wall is around 2,145 miles (3,460 km) long with an extra 1,770 miles (2,860 km) of branches.
• The earliest extensive walls were built by Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty, who first unified China and is most famous for the standing terra cotta army left to guard his tomb. It is from the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty which the modern word “China” is derived. Little of those earliest walls remain.
• Because the Great Wall was discontinuous, Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan (“universal ruler”) had no problem going around the wall and they subsequently conquered most of northern China between A.D. 1211 and 1223. They ruled all of China until 1368 when the Ming defeated the Mongols. What survives today is the stone and brick walls predominately from the Ming dynasty, (1368-1644).
• The Chinese invented the wheelbarrow and used it extensively in building the Great Wall.
• The Great Wall’s western section, with a long chain of watchtowers, provided defense for those traveling the Silk Road.