The Great Wall of China, also known as the Long Wall, is an ancient Chinese military defense structure, a tall, solid, and continuous long wall, built to prevent enemy attacks. It is not a simple isolated wall, but a defense system that combines walls with numerous cities, barriers, pavilions, and markers. The Great Wall culture is an important force in promoting the excellent traditional culture of China.
The history of the Great Wall construction dates back to the Western Zhou period, with the famous story ‘Beacon Fire Play’ originating from the capital Haojing (today’s Xi’an, Shaanxi). To defend against the attacks of the northern nomadic tribes, the Zhou dynasty built a series of fortresses ‘Lieting’ for defense. By the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the various states built the Great Wall along their borders for dominance and mutual defense, marking the first climax of the Great Wall construction, although the lengths were relatively short.
The Great Wall of China spans over 8,000 kilometers, with the Qin, Han, and early walls totaling more than 10,000 kilometers, and the overall length exceeding 21,000 kilometers.
The existing Great Wall cultural relics include: wall bodies, moats, boundary ditches, single buildings, pass forts, and related facilities, totaling more than 43,000 sites (sections/forts). In December 1987, the Great Wall was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site. On November 26, 2020, the National Cultural Heritage Administration released the first batch of national-level important sections of the Great Wall. II. Famous Scenic Spots of the Great Wall 1. Shanhaiguan (Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province) Known as the ‘First Under Heaven,’ Shanhaiguan is located 15 kilometers northeast of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province, marking the point where the Great Wall meets the sea, with a total length of 26 kilometers. It mainly includes sections such as Laolongtou Great Wall, Nanyi Great Wall, Guancheng Great Wall, Beiyi Great Wall, Jiaoshan Great Wall, Sandao Guan Great Wall, and Jiu Men Kou Great Wall. Laolongtou Great Wall is the end section where the Great Wall meets the sea. Shanhaiguan is a product of the Ming Dynasty’s creation of the ‘Wei Suo Bing Zhi’ system, and the Ming Dynasty’s ‘Tun Tian Zhi’ system and reform policies played an important role in the consolidation and development of Shanhaiguan. 2. Jiayuguan (Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province) Jiayuguan Great Wall is located in the southwest corner of Jiayuguan City, Gansu Province, named after its construction at the foot of Jiayu Mountain, marking the western starting point of the Ming Great Wall, built in the fifth year of the Hongwu era (1372). It is the most complete pass fort along the Ming Great Wall, the first pass in Hexi, and an important stop on the Silk Road. The pass fort consists of an inner city, an outer city, and a moat, forming a complete defense system, made of rammed yellow earth, wrapped with city bricks, strong and majestic. The pass fort is trapezoidal in plan, covering an area of more than 33,500 square meters, with a total wall length of 733 meters and a height of 11.7 meters. 3. Badaling (Yanqing District, Beijing) Badaling Great Wall is located in Yanqing District, Beijing, and is the most representative section of the Ming Great Wall, the outpost of Juyongguan, with an elevation of 1015 meters, an important military pass of the Ming Dynasty, and an important barrier for Beijing. In 1961, the State Council announced Badaling Pass City and city walls as national key cultural relics protection units. In 1987, the United Nations accepted the Great Wall as a ‘World Cultural Heritage.’ In August 1991, Badaling Great Wall received the Certificate of Cultural Heritage of Mankind awarded by UNESCO at the Beijing Palace Museum. 4. Mutianyu (Huairou District, Beijing) Mutianyu Great Wall is located in Huairou District, Beijing, and is one of the new sixteen scenes of Beijing, connecting Juyongguan Great Wall in the west and Gubeikou in the east. In 1992, it was rated as the best in Beijing tourism in the world. In 2002, it was rated as a 4A-level scenic spot. Mutianyu, due to its very important geographical location, has always been a military stronghold to protect Beijing and is known as the ‘Dangerous Ridge and Mighty Pass’.5. Simatai (Miyun District, Beijing). The Simatai Great Wall is located within the territory of Gubeikou Town in the northeast of Miyun District, Beijing. It is 120 kilometers away from downtown Beijing. Starting from Wangjilou in the east and ending at Houchuankou in the west, it is 5.4 kilometers long and has 35 enemy towers. The entire section of the Great Wall is exquisitely conceived and has a unique design.
Professor Luo Zhewen, an expert on the Great Wall, once commented: ‘The Great Wall of China is the best in the world, and the Simatai Great Wall can be regarded as the best among the Great Walls of China.’ The Simatai Great Wall is the only ancient architectural site in China that retains its original appearance from the Ming Dynasty. 6. Jiankou (Huairou District, Beijing). The Jiankou Great Wall is located within the territory of Badahao Township in the northwest of Huairou District, Beijing. It is about 30 kilometers away from Huairou District. The mountain terrain is rich in changes. It is named because the entire section of the Great Wall winds in a W shape, like a fully drawn bow and an arrow. The Jiankou Great Wall is the most precipitous and majestic section of the Great Wall in Beijing. It is severely weathered naturally and has no artificial modifications. It stretches for more than 20 kilometers from Niujiaojiao, Nanlou, Guimenguan, Jiankouliang, Dongxishuobotou Tower, Dongxiyoulouding, General Guarding the Pass, Tianti (Heavenly Ladder), Yingfeidaoyang, Jiuyanlou, Beijing Knot to Wangjilou. 7. Juyongguan (Changping District, Beijing). Juyongguan is located within the territory of Changping District, Beijing. It is located in the Guancou Valley 48 kilometers northwest of Beijing. It is one of the passes on the Great Wall with the longest history and is the most famous. The valley where the pass city is located belongs to the Jundu Mountain Range, a remnant of the Taihang Mountains. It is known for its perilous terrain. Many literati and poets of past dynasties have left many praise poems here. Emperor Qianlong also personally inscribed the four characters ‘Juyong Diecui (Green Layers at Juyongguan)’ here, making it the first of the famous ‘Eight Views of Yanshan Mountains’.
