Great Wall of China
Gran Muralla China
Great Wall of China (various locations within northern China) – Chinese rulers, going as far back as the 7th century BC, built this defensive wall in various stages, to prevent the country from being invaded by nomadic marauders (particularly from nearby Mongolia). The Great Wall stretches across north China, passing over deserts, grasslands, mountain ridges, and ends at China’s east coast. Most of the current Great Wall was built in the Ming Dynasty, and is known as the Ming Great Wall. The Great Wall sections close to Beijing like the Badaling section and Mutianyu section were built during the Ming Dynasty. Considered one of the wonders of the world, the Wall’s length totals 21,196 km. (13,170 miles). This would be more than sufficient to cover the U.S.-Mexico border (3,000 km.) and the U.S.-Canada border (over 5,000 km.).
Admission to the Great Wall is typically RMB 40. However, due to the labor-intensive nature of visiting this site, many travelers opt to take part in a group tour. These are among the tour outfits that take visitors to the Great Wall: beijing-privatetour.com; www.gadventures.com; www.onthegotours.com; www.tour-beijing.com; www.tourtravelchina.com; and www.wendywutours.com.