How Long Is The Great Wall Of China (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 21,196 km (Approximately)

The longest wall of the world is the great wall of china. The great wall of china is one of the seven wonders of the world. It was built over centuries by China’s emperors to protect their territory. The Great Wall of China is the longest structure ever built.

The Great Wall of China was built around 2600 years ago. It was built during different dynasties and in different phases. The construction of the great wall of china is known to begin around 770 BC. More than seven dynasties and 2000 plus years were involved in the completion of its construction. It is the only manmade structure visible from space.

How Long Is The Great Wall Of China?

The great wall of china is about 21,196 km long which is around 13,171 miles. The great wall of china is located in northern China. It stretches in northern China from east to west. It extends from the shanghai pass at the seaside in the Hebei province in the east to the Jiayu Pass in Gansu province in the west.

The construction of the great wall of china began during spring and autumn which is from 771 to 476 BC and warring state periods from 475 to 221 BC. Then it was continued by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, the founder of the Qin dynasty.

After the Qin dynasty, the great wall of china was rebuilt by various dynasties for different purposes. The Han (202 BC- 220 AD), the Northern Qi (550-574), the Jurchen ( 1115-1234), and the Ming (1369-1644) dynasties are among those who rebuilt, remanned, and expanded the great wall of china.

The great wall of china includes all the fortified walls that were built by different dynasties and kingdoms. All these walls together were completed around the period of 22 centuries. The first completion of the great wall of china was done by in Qin dynasty and the last was in the Ming dynasty.

Why Is The Great Wall Of China So Long?

The great wall of china covers much of the parts of the northern border of China. The great wall of china was built for security reasons. It was built to help to keep out the northern invaders like the Mongols. The wall was built so long and a single giant wall by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang to keep the northern border safe.

The wall was built with whatever material was available. Initially, it was built with compacted dirt surrounded by stones however later in the Ming dynasty bricks were used for its construction. It was not just a wall but a blockhouse to the soldiers, the walls has watchtowers and beacon towers to send signals.

Over the centuries the great wall of china has been built and rebuilt for three main reasons. The first is for kingdom border defenses, the second is to defend China’s northern border, and the third is for tourism. To the east of the wall is the sea and to its west is desert.

The great wall of china was expanded to protect the silk route. The wall was not rebuilt for around 300 years. The Qing dynasty did not rebuild the great wall. It was because of their ideology that the construction of the great wall cost lots of money and manpower. Also, he believed that the only way to protect China is to gain international support instead of making long and giant borders.

Conclusion

The great wall of China was declared as one of the seven wonders of the world in 2007. It is the largest manmade structure on earth. However, the number of laborers involved in the construction of the great wall of china is not possible to calculate. Over the years it has continued to attract tourists from all over the world.

Undoubtedly it is a wonder and a great wall. However, unfortunately, with time many of the sections of the wall have almost disappeared.
William Edgar Giel, an American traveler is the first person who has ever walked the entire Great wall of china.

References

1. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R6JyA6xoHOQC&oi=fnd&pg=PT24&dq=how+long+is+the+great+wall+of+china&ots=gqLl_t0Cql&sig=ETkdHO7JNL8POTzhYG7FxMCY9Kk
2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/209853