The Great Wall of China is the world’s longest man-made structure which has successfully been on the list of the world’s seven wonders. It is estimated to be 2,700 years old. Interesting Facts About China’s Great Wall You never Know.
With so much history behind each brick, there are a lot of untold stories about this great wall. Here are the top ten interesting facts about China’s great wall you never know:
1. The Wall is more than 2,700 years old
Interesting Facts About China’s Great Wall You never Know , It was built in the 7th Century BC which means it is more than 2,700 years old. The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang ordered to build it. However, there are some records that have proved that some walls were even earlier when China was not even unified as a county.
It is even said that the wall was divided into several smaller states while each state had a defensive wall to protect territories. It was continuously built for over 1,800 years.
2. Several Dynasties built the Wall
In 221 BCE, the Emperor of China Qin Shi Haung took over neighboring territories that’s why he came up with a plan to construct the Great Wall of China to protect his newfound territory. Though the wall was built to protect the citizens, it was just a common featured wall.
Several dynasties continued to build the wall in order to fortify their territories. Major credit is given to Ming Dynasty because it created popular segments between the 14th and 17th centuries.
3. Chinese Prisoners were also hired to build the Wall
When the Qin Dynasty reigned, the construction of the Great Wall was done by Chinese prisoners. Some of them were even convicted criminals. Among those prisoners, some were a part of the maintenance team while the others were on surveillance teams.
The Prisoners who constructed the wall were the ones who were found guilty of homicide or tax evasion. It was dangerous work to do as more than 400,00 lost their lives while building it.
4. The Wall is made up of Several Walls
The Great Wall of China is not just a single wall, it is made up of several walls. The wall is stretched from the northern border of Ancient and Imperial Chinese territories. As the wall is a total length of 21,196.18 km, it is impossible to build it as a single wall.
We have already mentioned earlier that several sections of the walls were constructed t by different dynasties. It seems like a single wall but it is made up of walls that are seamless in different sections.
5. Sticky Rice was used for its construction
Many people might get amazed that sticky rice was used as a mortar on stones and earth. The builder might have used it due to its adhesive property. Some of the studies even say that sticky rice has a great property of waterproofing capability and strength of the wall.
Sticky rice is even used to fix bricks and it has enough capacity to resist earthquakes and modern bulldozers while keeping the building intact.
6. Over a thousand people died during its construction
Construction of the Great Wall of China is not a joke, it is a huge and difficult task to do. As earlier mentioned thousands of people lost their lives during its construction. It is said that many of them were buried within the wall itself.
After losing many lives, grieving families were sacred that the spirits of their loved ones would be trapped at the wall forever. They had a belief that their families’ souls would be free if they crossed the wall with a rooster in hand. They believed that a rooster would help the trapped souls away.
7. Camping can be done in several sections of the Wall
It is possible to camp on some sections of the Great Wall of China. There are several sections in the wall where visitors can pitch their tents and watch the sunrise from one of the world’s seven wonders.
Nowadays there are many travel agencies that offer various overnight camping and trekking trips to the Great Wall.
8. The Most Photogenic Section on the Wall is Jiankou
Some resources have reported that there are ten sections with a total length of more than 10 km on the Great Wall of China. They are Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Jiank, Simatai, Huanghuacheng, Gubeikou, Juyongguan, Huangyaguan, Shanhaiguan, and Badaling.
Among these sections, Jiankou is known as the most photogenic section of the Great Wall. Though this section is famous for its broken wildness and perilous steepness, it is also regarded as the most dangerous section.
9. Foreigners Visit this Place than the Local People
The Great Wall of China is a place that every person has dreamed to visit for. The landmark of this is so unique that it has drawn the attention of millions of international visitors. Every person got interested to see this wall after the 19th century when China got engaged in trade with other several countries.
The most crowded and visited section of this wall is Badaling near Beijing. It is said that around 63,000,000 visitors visit this place every year.
10. 1/3 of the Walls have disappeared
Many walls of the Great Wall are disappearing years by year. According to the data, one-third of the Great Wall has already disappeared. A huge chunk of the structure is in ruins or has disappeared completely because of erosion and poor maintenance.
It is even said that sections of Gansu and Ningxia provinces will disappear in the next 20 years due to natural and human activities. The main reason for its disappearance is that people used the bricks from the wall to build their homes and farms during the Cultural Revolution.
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