The Great Wall of China

The Ancient Great Wall of China was built to resist the invasion of northern nomads and as a large-scale military project to keep the people at work and to keep the military in shape. The Great Wall stretches thousands of miles east and west. The main sites of the existing Great Wall were built in the 14th century as part of the Ming Great Wall. The total length of the Great Wall is more than 7,300 kilometers and is an average of 6-7 meters high and 4-5 meters wide. It is one of only two man made objects that can be identified from space.

History of the Great Wall

The Great Wall of China started construction in the Spring more than 2,000 years ago. The Qin, and Han dynasty were responsible for the most growth of the wall. During the Tang dynasty, as China defeated many enemies and faced no major threats the Great Wall did not receive any repair work. During the Song Dynasty, Yan-yun lost 16 of his states to invaders so it made no sense for him to repair the Great Wal. During the Mongolian Yuan dynasty only parts of the wall would get repairs. The Yuan Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty did not repair the Great Wall either. Modern repair on the Great Wall was begun for the maintenance and protection of the monument, and also to some extent for the development of tourism. The walls military need is no longer a concern.