Fun Fact 2 The Great Wall of China wasn't built within one time period, it was completed over a matter of centuries. It generally agreed that the earliest constructions began during the 7th Century BC.
Fun Fact 3: The Great Wall of China was constructed as a huge arc covering different types of terrain including desert land, grassland, mountains and other areas of highland.
Fun Fact 4: The Great Wall of China passed through various provinces of China including Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai to Jiayuguan Pass in the west.
Fun Fact 5: The Great Wall of China was built using various types of material including brick, stone, gravel, tiles, lime, earth and wood. Bricks were more heavily used during the Ming Dynasty.
Fun Fact 6: The exact length of the Great Wall of China, including all its branches, remains unknown as there are no historical records remaining in existence. Its structure has been destroyed, naturally eroded or has been changed over the centuries, making it difficult to judge accurately where the original wall was situated.
Fun Fact 7: The Great Wall of China stretches across approximately 8,852 kms (5,500 miles) of land, although we must bear in mind that its construction is not continuous. The structure is broken in places for example rivers and trenches.
Fun Fact 8: The Great Wall of China was built in sections and many were eventually joined together making the overall construction larger and more protective.
Fun Fact 9: The Great Wall of China wasn't just a brick wall; it also featured many barracks and watchtowers along its stretch where soldiers could protect their country. It was difficult to transport the heavy materials used to construct The Great Wall of China, therefore building materials were often sourced close to the location of the wall; typically local mountains.
Fun Fact 10: The Great Wall of China is such a gigantic manmade structure that it is clearly visible from space!
Fun Fact 11: The first ruler of the Qin Dynasty 'Quin Shi Huang' ordered part of the wall to be destroyed and some of the remaining walls to be extended. This particular part of the wall is very famous and it was built between 220-206 BC.
Fun Fact 12: Most of what remains of the Great Wall of China, which many tourists visit today, was built during 1368 to 1644, during the Ming Era. After long on-going conflict between the Ming army and Mongolian and Manchurian tribes, the wall was built as a defence.
Fun Fact 13: The stretch of wall built during the Ming Dynasty was wider and taller than the original structure. This new construction made the wall stronger and more protective. Some areas of the wall were built up to 9 meters wide and 7.6 meters tall.
Fun Fact 14: During the year 2000, The Great Wall of China became elected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Fun Fact 15: The Great Wall of China is a popular tourist attraction as it is a manmade marvel which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
