Great Wall of China

1. 12 Fun Facts You May Not Know About the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is widely accepted as the most major tourist attraction in
China, having been built originally to defend the Chinese Empire from enemies to the
north. The Great Wall, however, offers more than just history: its length covers stunning
beaches, rugged mountains, and even a desert corridor.
Here are 12 surprising facts about the Great Wall of China.
1. The longest wall of the Great Wall is approximately 2,145 miles. Additionally,
about 1,770 miles branch from the sides, making it the longest man-made
structure in the world by far.
2. The length of all Chinese defense walls built over the last 2,000 years is
approximately 31,070 miles. To put this into perspective, it could circle the world
two times!
3. The mortar used to bind the stones was made out of rice flour.

2. 4. Though the Great Wall of China is not one of the Seven Wonders of the
Ancient World, it is one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World.
5. Parts of the wall were surrounded by moats, which allowed for additional
defense.
6. The Great Wall attracts around 50 million foreign visitors annually.
7. The earliest major walls were built between 260-210 B.C. by the Qin dynasty.
8. After the Qin dynasty were the Han, Sui, Jin, and Ming dynasties. Most of
what we see today is from the Ming dynasty.

3. A view of the Great Wall in 1907.
9. The most visited section of the wall is in Badaling, which is close to Beijing and was built during
the Ming dynasty. In 1957, it was the first section to open to tourists.
10. The height of the Great Wall varies anywhere from just above ground level to 30 feet high.
11. Who built the Great Wall? Most of the wall was built by guards, peasants, unemployed citizens,
disgraced noblemen, and prisoners. Being forced to work on the wall used to even be a punishment for
convicted criminals.
12. Several temples were built along the wall for Guandi, the war god.