Who built the Great Wall of China?
The Great Wall was built over about 2,000 years by many Chinese dynasties. Qin Shi Huang linked earlier walls around 220 BC, and most of the wall seen today was built by the Ming dynasty.
Several Chinese states built walls to defend their borders as early as the 7th century BC. After Qin Shi Huang unified China in 221 BC, he ordered sections to be connected to protect against northern nomadic groups. Huge numbers of soldiers, peasants and prisoners did the work, and many died.
Later dynasties, especially the Han, extended and rebuilt the walls. The Ming dynasty, ruling from 1368 to 1644, built the famous brick and stone sections with watchtowers near Beijing, such as Badaling and Mutianyu.
How long is it?
A Chinese survey completed in 2012 measured all sections built by different dynasties at about 21,196 kilometers. The Great Wall became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
Did You Know?
The Great Wall is not visible to the naked eye from the Moon. Even from low Earth orbit, astronauts say it is very hard to spot.