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The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China was started during the reign of Emperor Qin (Ch'in) Shi Huangdi, who ruled from 221-207 B.C. The emperor wanted a barrier to keep out invading Mongols from the north.

Construction on the Great Wall continued for over seventeen hundred years and the wall grew to over four thousand miles in length. Emperors from different dynasties continued the project, with segments of the Great Wall built in different areas. The longest continuous segment of the Great Wall was completed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This segment included watchtowers and cannons for protection against enemies.

Remnants of the Great Wall can still be seen. Fifteen hundred miles of the Great Wall exists today. The Great Wall is a UNESCO Heritage Site, is a popular tourist destination for visitors to China. Since opening to the public in 1952, over one hundred and fifty million visitors have visited it.

In this mini unit, you can learn about Emperor Huangdi, explore how the Great Wall, works, read a fictional story about a worker on the Great Wall, learn about a debunked myth about the Wall, see a map and photos of different sections of the Great Wall and take an interactive online tour of the Great Wall.

Reading

Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi

How the Great Wall of China works

Meng Jiangnu Weeps, Chinese story about a worker on the Great Wall (PDF)

China ends Great Wall space myth

Map & Timeline

Great Wall map

Multimedia

Slideshow of Great Wall pictures

Fun

Take an interactive tour of the Great Wall of China

Build the Great Wall of China Quiz

Recommended Resource

The Great Wall: From Beginning to End

It is arguably the greatest feat of civil engineering in history, and indisputably earth’s largest single cultural relic: begun during the Qin Dynasty (around 208 BC) and completed nearly 1,800 years later during the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall of China spans more than 4,000 miles. At the dawn of the Beijing Olympics, the eyes of all the world are upon it.

Two men who navigated every inch of the Wall have collaborated on a lavishly-illustrated tribute to this amazing structure. Michael Yamashita, an award-winning National Geographic photographer, spent a year shooting the Wall, its environs, and the people who live in its shadow, for the magazine. One hundred and sixty of his magnificent photos grace this volume, which features text by William Lindesay, who not only conducts tours of the Wall and spearheads the movement to preserve it, but has actually run its entire length.

Broken into three sections, The Great Wall provides an overview that debunks myths and dishes up rare facts and figures, a comprehensive history that proceeds dynasty by dynasty through its construction, and an account of Lindesay’s personal experiences of the Wall.

Author: Kris Bordessa
Click here to purchase at Amazon,
Price: 19.77