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We traveled by bus 61 kilometers to Badaling,
our entry point to the Great Wall. The massive building project
began in separate strategic sections between 403-221 B.C. During
the reign of China's first Qin emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, some 3,000
men were put to work connecting segments into one huge, snaking
fortification. Archeologists estimate that the wall once ran for
6,200 miles through an expanse that now covers 16 provinces.
Today, the wall is still impressive at 3,700 miles in length - from
the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert.
In addition to being a
barrier, it served as a elevated highway linking the defensive forces
along China's rugged northern frontier. The roadway atop the
wall provided a means of rapid communications and deployment of
troops, arms, and food.
Click on a picture to enlarge.
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