The “Great Wall” refers to a series of defensive barriers erected between the 5th century B.C. and the mid-17th century to deter invaders from the north. The Ming Dynasty wall, built in stages between 1369 and 1644, was the last, longest, and grandest of them all. The major phase of construction occurred during the reign of the Wanli Emperor, who governed from 1572 to 1620. (...)
The “Great Wall” refers to a series of defensive barriers erected between the 5th century B.C. and the mid-17th century to deter invaders from the north. The Ming Dynasty wall, built in stages between 1369 and 1644, was the last, longest, and grandest of them all. The major phase of construction occurred during the reign of the Wanli Emperor, who governed from 1572 to 1620. By the time of its completion, the Great Wall stretched some 6,300 kilometers across.
These military structures, collectively referred to as a single wall, originally designed to keep out intruders, now attracts millions of international visitors annually. Tourists have been particularly drawn to the section at Badaling, 70 kilometers from Beijing, where the wall sinks and rises dramatically in the jagged, rugged terrain. For years, stones for the Great Wall were quarried from the mountains in this area where, in addition to the picturesque wall, remnants of ancient workers’ villages still pepper the surroundings. These historic structures were all in danger of being lost or damaged due to the development pressures caused by tourism.
