ItisinthenorthofChina,andifyouareinBeijingyoucangotoBadalingHilltoseeonepartofthegreatbuilding.Itisitheborthofbeijing,about18kilometersawayfromthecitycenter.

　　AChinesesayinggoeslikethat,"youarenotarealherountilyouhaveclimbedtheGreatWall".TheGreatWall,oneofthegreatestwondersoftheworld,wasenlistedintheWorldHeritagein1987.Justlikeagiganticdragon,itwindsupanddownacrossdeserts,grasslands,mountainsandplateausstretchingapproximately6,700kilometersfromeasttowestofChina.Withahistoryofmorethan2000years,somesectionsarenowinruinsorevenentirelydisappeared.However,itisstilloneofthemostappealingattractionsallaroundtheworldowingtoitsarchitecturalgrandeurandhistoricalsignificance.

　　ThewallwasoriginallybuiltintheSpring/AutumnPeriod,andWarringStatesPeriodasadefensivefortification.Itwentthroughconstantextensionsandrepairsinlaterdynasties.Infact,itbeganasindependentwallsfordifferentstateswhenitwasfirstbuilt,anddidnotbecomethe"Great"walluntiltheQinDynasty.TheFirstEmperorsucceededinhisefforttohavethewallsjoinedtogethertofendofftheinvasionsfromtheHunsinthenorthaftertheunificationofChina.Sincethen,thewallhasservedasamonumentoftheChinesenationthroughouthistory.However,thewallweseetoday,startingfromShanhaiguanPassintheeasttoJiayuguanPassinthewest,wasmostlybuiltduringtheMingDynasty.

　　Thewalliscomplementedbydefensivefightingstations,towhichwalldefendersmayretreatifoverwhelmed.Eachtowerhasuniqueandrestrictedstairwaysandentriestoconfuseattackers.Barracksandadministrativecentersarelocatedatlargerintervals.Inadditiontotheusualmilitaryweaponsoftheperiod,specializedwalldefenseweaponswereused.

　　Theconstructionofthewall,drewheavilyonthelocalresourcesforconstructionmaterials,wascarriedoutinlinewiththelocalconditionsunderthemanagementofcontractandresponsibilitysystem.Agreatarmyofmanpower,composedofsoldiers,prisoners,andlocalpeople,builtthewall.TheconstructionresultdemonstratesthemanifestationofthewisdomandtenacityoftheChinesepeople.

　　ThewallhaslongbeenincorporatedintoChinesemythologyandpopularsymbolism.ThemostbeautifulofseverallegendsisaboutthecollapseofasectionofthewallcausedbyMengJiangnu,whocriedbitterlyoverthedeathofherhusbandintheconstructionofthewall.Thislegendhasbeenspreadwidelythroughtextbooks,folksongsandtraditionaloperas.

　　参考资料：copiedfromtheinternetpagespartly