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The Great Wall of China is undisputedly one of the most magnificent wonders of the world. It was built over 2,000 years ago beginning in the Qin Dynasty as a strategic defense by the First Emperor of China, 秦始皇 (qín shǐ huáng), to prevent the invasion of Mongol nomadic tribes, 匈奴 (xīong nú). Construction continued on through the Han and Ming Dynasties to fortify and add to the wall. Many thousands of local peasants during those times had to spend the majority of their lifespan in the harsh conditions and extensive toils of building the wall. Those who died on site were buried within the folds of the very structure itself. The Great Wall is known to locals as 万里长城 (wàn lǐ cháng chéng) which translates to the 'Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li' (10,000 Li is roughly equivalent to 3,000 miles or 5,000 kilometers). At one point in time, the overall length of the wall reached nearly 6,000 miles (10,000 kilometers). However, due to rock erosion and vandalistic acts over the years, the wall has since significantly reduced in length. Marked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, several reconstruction projects have been aimed at rebuilding sections of the Great Wall of China to its original form. To this day, hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world travel to Beijing just to see the stunning structural wonder and witness its sensational beauty.
© 2006-2008 China Unipath | info@chinaunipath.com | contact us |
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