Great Wall at jinshanling

The Great Wall, symlolizing China’s ancient civilization, is one of the world’s most renowned projects. A well-know popular saying goes: “He who hadn’t been to the Great Wall is not a true man ”/ “You are not a pluck hero till you climb the Great Wall.” Therefore, everyone tried to make it.
  Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 BC-21 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic points bu different kingdoms to protect their northern territoried. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynastyunified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.
   Historical records show that about one million people, one-fifth of China’s population at the time. were involved in the project, which took more than ten years.When it was finished we call it “Wan Li Chang Cheng”which means “Ten Thousand Li(5,000 kilometres) Long Wall” .Now, nature has taken over most of the Great Wall.
   The Great Wall, which we are going to visit, was rebuit during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhai(mountain and sea). Pass ,a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay, to Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province. Its total length is more than 6,700 kilometres.
This section stretches from Miyun County of Beijing to Luanping County of Hebei Province,133 kilometres (82.5 miles)from downtown Beijing. The Great Wall at Jinshanling is 13 kilometers (8 miles) long with a total of 90 watch towers. There is a watch tower every 100 metres (328 feet) or so, and in some places the interval is only 50-60 meters (164-197 feet). Such a density is really rare on the whole length of the Great Wall.The tight fortiffication of this area is a special feature of the Great Wall at Jinshanling. Its defence was especially strong. Many beacon towers were built on every vantage point north of the Great Wall and the mountain slope outside the Great Wall was reduced and laid by rocks.
       Another feature is the "Barrier Wall", which is 2.5 meters (8ft2in) high and runs on the top of the Great Wall perpendicular to the battlements. It has peepholes and arrow holes. The Barrier Wall would serve as the second block of defence if the enemy should have climbed up the Great Wall.