Some of these facts about the Great Wall of China will surprise you. Myths have been perpetuated for decades about the great structure.
The Great Wall is undoubtedly one of the greatest feats of engineering of all time. It is the longest man-made object on earth, one of the top UNESCO World Heritage sites in Asia, and a must for any visit to mainland China. But unless you’re blessed with better vision than an eagle that can rival modern optics, astronauts will confirm: the Great Wall of China isn’t actually visible from space!
Is the Great Wall of China visible from orbit?
In perfect condition, perhaps, but it is doubtful. Despite the ancient myth that the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from space, astronauts disagree. Interestingly, they are asked a lot about the Great Wall. Astronauts have mistaken other features for the wall in the past, but until now they couldn’t see the structure without the help of technology.
While in low orbit, an astronaut managed to take a photo of the Great Wall. When he got closer, the Great Wall of China was really visible. But pointing a powerful camera sensor at the frame and being lucky doesn’t technically mean it was seen with the naked eye.
Although waterways and many man-made objects, including some roads, are visible from low orbit, NASA says entire continents blend together when viewed with the naked eye from space. Adding to the problem is the natural camouflage of the wall. The Great Wall was built with local materials similar in color to the surrounding terrain, making it indistinguishable.
Why did people think that the Great Wall was visible from space?
In 1754, long before space travel was possible, an English clergyman wrote that the wall is so long that it must be visible from the moon. Sir Henry Norman, an English journalist, decided to make the same claim in 1895. They were both impressed by the wall, but neither knew much about the space.
During the following decades, the idea that the Great Wall of China should be visible from space was propagated by writers. Eventually the notion became a common belief and found its way into textbooks.
Is the Great Wall a continuous structure?
Absolutely not. The Great Wall is actually a discontinuous network of walls and segments with spurs and branches. The sections were built over centuries; some were only connected by simple berms and earthworks. Sometimes geological features were used to eliminate the insurmountable task of constructing such a landmark. In some places, all that remains are battlements and small towers; the bricks in the wall were carried and reused a long time ago.
Note that the Great Wall is not completely linear in shape; It has branches, trenches, shards, and sometimes even redundancy.
The Ming part of the Great Wall can be roughly drawn, however historians disagree on which of the other segments should count as part of the original structure. All defensive walls are grouped under the same name. The Good: Calling the structure “The Many Wall Segments of China” just wouldn’t have the same sound.
How long is the Great Wall of China?
Because the Great Wall is made up of many segments, many of which have been eroded or destroyed, it is difficult to obtain an accurate measurement. GPS, ground penetrating radar technology and satellite imagery have been used to determine the actual length of the wall. An additional 180 miles of wall covered by sandstorms were not discovered until 2009!
A survey put all the pieces of the wall combined for a total of more than 13,170 miles (21,196 kilometers) long. An estimate for the “Ming Wall”, the most continuous part of the Great Wall of China, is about 5,500 miles (8,851 kilometers) long.
An estimated 22 percent of the Ming Wall has disappeared.
Is the Great Wall one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World?
Despite its age and size, the Great Wall of China never made the original seven wonders list. Maybe that’s a good thing – the only ancient wonder that hasn’t been destroyed is the Great Pyramid of Giza!
The Great Wall of China was later added to the so-called “New Seven Wonders of the World” by winning a survey conducted online and by phone in 2007.
Did the Great Wall protect China?
Unfortunately, the hard work and monumental effort did not pay off in terms of national defense. The Great Wall never managed to keep invaders from the north away. It just slowed them down a bit. In fact, Manchurian nomads regularly raided the wall for years. They eventually controlled parts of China for 250 years.
Although it ultimately failed strategically, the wall served as a highway system to move troops and goods through difficult terrain, and the signal towers provided an important communication network. Before dial-up and internet access, the wall was the closest thing to a communication network that existed on earth. Although the raiders were able to circumvent the wall, it provided numerous observation posts. This functioned as an early warning system to alert others that trouble was coming on horseback.
The Great Wall of China was a minor nuisance to invaders throughout China’s history, but it provided jobs and redistribution of wealth. It was often used as a means of exiling prisoners to go to work in labor camps.
How old is the Great Wall of China?
Construction of the earliest parts of the wall began over 2,000 years ago, however what we consider to be the Great Wall of China was built during the Ming dynasty in the 14th century to avoid Mongol raiders.
Did China’s enemies destroy the Great Wall?
No. The greatest damage to sections of the Great Wall came from farmers removing fertile soil for planting (much of the wall started out as rammed earth). The shaped bricks and stones were valuable. Many were rescued from sections of the wall and used to build roads!
Villagers were encouraged to take materials from the wall during the Chinese Cultural Revolution between 1966 and 1976.
Is it possible to walk on the Great Wall?
Yes. Some adventurous travelers have even walked or cycled the entire length of the wall. Much of the Great Wall is in ruins, yet tour companies offer opportunities to camp on remote stretches of the wall.
Many sections of the wall are permanently closed for restoration work or archaeological studies. The Chinese government has come under fire for preventing access to segments of the Great Wall, not out of concern about the landmark, but for funneling tourists to the most popular sections of the wall, such as Badaling, where tacky souvenir stalls compete. through space. Without some restrictions, uncontrolled tourism can destroy ancient landmarks. Sections of the wall have been defaced with carvings.
Is the Great Wall occupied?
Make no mistake, some parts of the wall are packed with visitors. If you visit any stretch of the Great Wall at a surprising distance from Beijing, particularly Badaling, you will be in the company of hundreds of thousands of visitors, Chinese and foreigners. You will be asked to pose for group photos, so you can also learn how to say hello in Chinese! Alternatively, you can politely decline.
The wall is incredibly busy during the big holidays in China like National Day and Chinese New Year.
The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is also a popular place to view the impressive structure.
Other interesting facts about the Great Wall of China
- Mao Zedong is once quoted as saying, “He who has not climbed the Great Wall is not a real man.”
- Dried wolf dung was burned by sentries along the wall to send smoke signals about enemy movements which were then relayed to the leaders. The flags were also used to mark other towers in sight.
- Sections of the Great Wall are intended to contain the remains of workers who perished on the project. Despite the great loss of life during the construction of the wall, archaeologists have not discovered many human remains.
- Parts of the wall contain bullet holes from the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).
- The wheelbarrow is among the many Chinese inventions gifted to the world over the centuries. It was used to move materials while the Great Wall was being built.
- President Nixon’s historic 1972 visit to China included a tour of the Great Wall at Badaling, a popular part of the wall about 50 miles north of Beijing.
- The Badaling stretch of the Great Wall was used as the end of the cycling course for the 2008 Summer Olympics.
- More than 25,000 watchtowers were built along the wall throughout history.
- Being sent to work on the wall was an extremely feared sentence and was often the punishment for corrupt officials and upper-class criminals who fell out of favor in court.
