The Great Wall in China

As one of the most magnificent ancient defense works, the truly great Wall was placed on the world cultural heritage list later. From Shanhaiguan, northeast of Qinhuangdao City, Hebei Province within the east coast, the truly  Wall rises and falls using the contours from the mountains westward, crossing nine provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions for six,700 kilometers, to finish at Jiayuguan, southwest of Jiayuguan City in Gansu Province. The making of the wall began throughout the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) and Warring States period (475-221 BC) throughout the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Ducal states in those days built walls to protect their own territories. Following the First Emperor from the Qin Dynasty crushed all rival states, he founded the very first centralized and unified dynasty in Chinese history. To consolidate the nation and defend against invasion by ethnic minority tribes within the north, he'd the walls linked and extended, giving rise towards the 5,000-kilometer-long Qin Great Wall. Later dynasties from Han (206 BC - AD 220) to Ming (1368-1644) kept building and increasing the wall, extending it a lot more than 1,000 kilometers to today's scale. The truly great Wall we have seen today mostly goes back to the Ming Dynasty. The best-preserved and many imposing section reaches Badaling in Beijing. The section, located away from Juyongguan Pass, consists of large blue bricks and it has an average height of seven.8 meters. Four to five horses could be ridden abreast along it. At regular intervals it comes with an arched door resulting in the top of the wall. The walls are engrossed in many lookout holes, window embrasures and castellated crenels. Beacon towers were also built at fixed intervals for creating military information. Each one of these indicate the key role from the Great Wall in military defense. Badaling Great Wall Address: Yanqing County, 70 km from Beijing's city proper; Entry ticket: 45 yuan; Traffic: Tourist Bus No.s 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5; or Bus No. 919 from Deshengmen Bus Station; or drive across the Badaling Expressway via Madian Overpass; Tel: 86-10-69121235, 86-10-69121338. Juyongguan Great Wall Address: North of Changping, government seat of Changping District; Entry Ticket: 45 yuan; Traffic: Bus No. 919 from Deshengmen; or Tourist Bus No.s 1-5; or drive across the Badaling Expressway; Tel: 86-10-69771665. Simatai Great Wall Address: Gubeikou Town, Miyun County; Entry ticket: 40 yuan; Traffic: Tourist Bus No. 12 from Xuanwumen and Dongsi Shitiao; or take bus from Dongzhimen to Miyun after which change to a nearby bus or employ a taxi; Tel: 86-10-69031051, 86-10-69035025. Jinshanling Great Wall Address: Around the border between Beijing's Miyun County and Hebei's Luanping County. Entry ticket: 30 yuan; Traffic: Have a bus from Dongzhimen to Miyun after which change to a nearby bus or employ a taxi. Mutianyu Great Wall Address: Huairou District; Entry ticket: 35 yuan; Traffic: Tourist Bus No. 6 from Xuanwumen, Qianmen and Dongsi Shitiao; or take Bus No. 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou, after which change to a nearby bus or employ a taxi (17 km); Tel: 86-10-61626873, 86-10-61626022. Jiankou Great Wall The Jiankou Great Wall (Arrow Lock) is found in Huairou County, 73 kilometres north from Beijing City. It connects with Mutianyu Great Wall ten kilometres towards the east, with Huanghuacheng Great Wall towards the west. This was built-in 1368 during the period of the Ming Dynasty. The Jiankou Great Wall is made of large white hill rocks that makes it very noticeable from the distance. The main section of this excellent Wall is made along a mountain ridge with large cliffs on both sides, and because of the lack of repairs, it's now one of the most dangerous parts of the entire Great Wall. Address: nortwest to Zhenzhuquan Village, Bohai Town, Huairou District; Traffic:Tourist Bus No. 6 from Xuanwumen, Qianmen and Dongsi Shitiao; or take Bus No. 916 from Dongzhimen to Huairou, after which change to a nearby bus or employ a taxi; Ticket: 10 yuan; Warning: Some tourists got lost there. Getting a guide is really a wise choice and also the danger can there be, be careful.