The Great Wall, symbolizing 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 by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified 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 kilometers) Long Wall” .Now, nature has taken over most of the Great Wall.
The Great Wall, which we are going to visit, was rebuilt 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 kilometers.
Chinese and foreign tourists are very familiar with the Badaling section of the Great wall, but not the Mutianyu segment of the wall in Huairou District, 79km/48miles away from Downtown. The Mutianyu Valley in Huairou District on the outskirts of the capital city was such a strategic point that it was contested again and again through China’s history.
The first wall in this area was built some 1,400years ago. Construction of the present wall began in the early years of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was not completed until the 15th century. The mountains around the valley are heavily forested. There are many natural springs and thick, beautiful foliage. In the past, these were important military considerations. Today, they make this section of the wall a very pleasant place to visit. The watchtowers at Mutianyu are said to have been designed by Qijuguang (famous general in the Ming dynasty).
In 1988, Mr. Albrecht Woeste, Chairman of the Henkel Shareholders’ Committee of Germany donated 300,000 deutsche marks (US $187,500) and chemical products worth 200,000 marks(US $125,000) to help Beijing to restore the 747-meter Mutianyu section of the Greatwall. It took 5 years and was completed on June 14th, 1993. The Beijing Municipal Government gave the Germans an ancient brick of the Great wall and built a stone-tablet at Mutianyu to commemorate their assistance.