THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

 "Nobody can be a true hero unless he has been on the Great Wall" 

goes the popular Chinese saying, one that clearly demonstrates the importance placed upon this unique ancient monument.

The magnificent Great Wall of China, also known as the 'Long Wall' in Chinese, runs more than 6,000 kilometres from the fortifications of Shanhaiguan in the east to Jiayuguan in the west, passing through Hebei, Tientsin, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu.

The wall, which averages six to eight meters in height but may reach 16 meters in sections and is broad enough for five horses or ten soldiers to pass through, has multiple battlements and watchtowers. Some of the wall's earliest fortifications date back to the 7th century BC, with the best-known sections being added around 210 BC when the various sections were brought together.

The most popular stretch of the wall today is around Badaling Pass, northwest of Beijing, and is easily accessible by public transportation or guided tours. The reconstructed sections near Gubeikou, 130 kilometres from Beijing, and Mutianyu, 70 kilometres northeast of Beijing, are both worth visiting.