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 kilometres) 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 kilometres.
The Simatai Great Wall, 110 kilometres northeast of Beijing, has 135 watchtowers. The 19-kilometre wall is dangerous to climb but splendid to view as it meanders up and down the mountain ridges that seem to have been sliced on both sides by a huge axe. The Wangjinglou Watchtower on a steep cliff 986 metres above sea level is the summit of the Simatai Great Wall and also the most dangerous place to reach, because the visitor must walk over some unrepaired paths, including the scaling ladder" and "overline bridge" before reaching it. The "scaling ladder" is a slope at an angle of 60-70 degrees: the visitor must climb on all fours and be extremely careful. The "overline bridge" is a path about 100metres long and less than one metre wide which crosses abysses about 500 metres deep. With nothing to hold on to, the slightest wind will make the visitor tremble with fear. Because of the dangers involved in reaching Wangjinglou, only a few people have ever set foot on the tower in modern times.