China's Great Wall is one of the world's great feats of engineering and an enduring monument to the strength of an ancient civilization. -- National Geographic
The Great Wall is well-known because of its magnificent majestic appearance. Now, in the call of "Loving our China, repairing our Great Wall", many places of The Great Wall have been restored, which makes it more boundless. The Great Wall has become the head key point of interest in China. more and more foreign people is attracted by it. The people who visited are all acclaim as the peak of perfection. According to UNESCO, "the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. "
The Great Wall convolves on the ridges of mountains and desert. It's made up of city gates, circumvallation, enemy towers, signal beacon towers and so on, it was the martial recovery engineering system of the different place and nations in China Long time ago. It was built through several thousands of years by the Chinese people, it's the embodiment of the Great power and strong purpose of Chinese people. It has become the irradiant treasure of our Chinese archaic civilization.
B.C. Eleven Century, Xi-Zhou, Our country had the recordation that is "The city wall set down in the north".
From B.C. Seven Century to B.C. third Century that is called the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, The princes of many little states began to fight and swallow up each other. They all built the long city wall for self-defense, for instance, Chu state built its wall in the Nanyang district firstly, Qi state built its wall in the Shandong province, Zhongshan state, Wei state, Han state, Yan state, Zhao state, Qin state and so on all began to build their city wall. The total of the city wall's length was more than five thousand kilometre, but they were distracted from each other.
B.C. 221 Year, QinShiHuang consolidated all six states, He pulled down the wall between the states one side, the other side he built the new city wall in the north to protect from the Hun. He command MengTian general and thousands upon thousands people to build the new city wall, it stretch more than five thousand kilometer in an unbroken chain, which is the oldest Great Wall.
During the West Han state period, The Hun in the north became more and more stronger, So the Han state had to build new city wall, and strengthen the old Qin Great Wall. From the eastern parts of Liaoning province to the YuMen gate, The Great Wall is longer then ten thousand kilometer. Its scale had beyond the Qin Great Wall's by far. During the East Han state period, people built new wall inside of the West Han Great Wall to defense the Serbi and the Qiang nationality, The length of it is more then five kilometers also. The Great Wall which was built in the two Han period, is the biggest project in our history.
After this, the nations in the north began to come into the north of China, city gate and backland. They built the new North Dynasty kaiserdom, stand face to the North Dynasty kaiserdom. The West Wei state, East Wei state, West Qi state, West Zhou state in the North Dynasty kaiserdom, all built the multiple Great Wall in the northern parts of Yellow River. The Shui Dynasty unified the whole nation, then built the new city wall from the middle-head reaches of the Yellow River to the western parts of Ganshu province, its length is three kilometers, and it forms a new system with the eastern Great Wall.
During the Tang Dynasty, the power of country is so strong that the all nation in the north have to submit to the authority of Tang, So the archon haven't built any new Great Wall, only built three city to accept surrenders. Here, the eastern Gaoli built more the one thousand kilometers Great wall from the northeast of China to the Datong River estuary to defense Tang.
In the period of Zhu, Liao and Jin Dynasties, the north parts of Chian was occupied by the Khitan, the west parts of the Yellow River was occupied by West Xia, The North Song Dynasty only repaired the Yan Gate. Since this, Liao and Jin state became more and more stronger, and occupied the whole parts in the north of the Yellow River, so the South Song has no ability to build any new Great Wall. But the Liao-Jin kaiserdom built the new Great Wall in the northeastern parts of Neimenggu province to fight against the other nations in the northern parts. People often call it as "Genghis khan City Wall".
After the Ming Dynasty was founded, the archons began to build new Great Wall in the northern parts of China to defense the Yuan state come back and Dadan, Waci, Nuzhen etc.And they also built many Great Wall in southeast of China near to the sea to oppugn the foreign enemy. The count of the Ming Great Wall is the best large in our history. The main part of it begins from the the Yalu River to the JiaYu Gate, its length is more than seven thousand kilomitres. Thereunto, the part which from ShanHai Gate to the JiaYu Gate is kept most well.
At the beginning of Qing Dynasty, in the Liaoning, Jilin Province people built the ShengJing city wall, it extends 2600 kilometers. And the people also repaired the ShanHai, JuYong, YanMen, JiaYu Gate etc. But from the metaphase of Qing Dynasty, the Great have not been repaired more.
Now, Under the years run out and the man-made destroy, Many parts of The Great Wall have become very slipshod, even includes the Ming Great Wall. But The Great Wall whose length is more than a hundred thousand kilometers is the huge Chinese dragon, is the best greatness and grandest work in the history of the whole human being. It also materializes the architectural skill. Now the people who bide inside and outside of The Great Wall, through the long time traffics, have unified one big family. The Great Wall is the symbol of China and is China's greatest pride. It will also contribute to promotion the friendship between people who come from the different countries.
The previous estimate was about 8,850 km. The project in 2012, a joint effort between China’s State Administration of Cultural Heritage and the State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping, found the Great Wall stretches through 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. The Great Wall is twice longer!