The Great Wall of China

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The Great Wall of China is the largest defense fortification and the greatest building enterprise ever undertaken by man. About 1500 miles long, this unique wall stretches from the Gulf of Cicily of the Yellow Sea along the northern frontier of China to Kansu Province in the west. The width of this wall varies from 15 to 40 feet at the base, and from 12 to 35 feet at the summit. Its height ranges from 20 feet to 50 feet.

It is the only structure on earth that can be identified from the moon.

Walled frontiers between the kingdoms in China date from at least the 4^th century B.C. In the 3^rd century B.C. the first emperor of “Ch’in”, after uniting China, linked up the existing walls and built new sections to create the Great Wall as a continuous unit. His purpose was to defend China from the Huns on the north. Watch towers and garrison stations were set at regular intervals in order to send signals and guard bulwark. The wall was so constructed in such a way that troops summoned by beacon fire could be quickly transported along its top.

The wall was built mostly of rubble, although the western sections are of tamped earth and important passes are of brick or masonry. The wall was frequently modified in later centuries. Some of its sections were built in the 15^th and 16^th centuries with new facilities of high towers. Before that, extensive repairs and extensions were made at various periods, notably during the Ming dynasty.