Contrary to popular urban myths, the great wall of China cannot actually be seen from space, but nevertheless should be a must-see place on any intrepid explorers wish list.
Although many people claim that the wall can be seen from outer space, this is not strictly true as the Great Wall is a maximum 9.1m wide and is about the same colour as the soil surrounding it, therefore, (and here’s the science bit) seeing it from space is the same as being able to view a human hair from 2 miles away. Not surprisingly, no lunar astronaut has ever claimed seeing the Great Wall from the moon.
The wall was organically built, rebuilt and maintained between the 6th century to protect the Northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of successive dynasties.
The Great Wall itself twists and turns over approximately 6,700 km (4,160 miles) of china, from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men.
The wall we see now is not exactly the same as the original ones which were made from rammed earth. The wall which stands now is made from bricks and stone in order to make it stronger and successful withhold enemies; as Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls.
If you do visit the wall, there are three main areas which you must see, firstly, the "North Pass" of Juyongguan pass, which is known as the Badaling. This section has had many guards to defend China’s capital [Beijing]. Made of stone and bricks from the hills, this portion of the Great Wall is 7.8 meters (25.6 ft) high and 5 meters (16.4 ft) wide.
If you're looking for jaw-dropping scenery though, then head to where the wall climbs extremely steep slopes and offers fantastic views. This is particularly apparent in the Ming section of the wall, which runs for 11 kilometers (7 mi), and ranges from 5 to 8 metres ( in height. Wangjinglou is one of 67 watchtowers and stands at 980 meters (3,215 ft) above sea level.
South East of Jinshanling, is the Mutianyu Great Wall which winds along lofty, cragged mountains from the southeast to the northwest for approximately 2.25 kilometers (about 1.3 miles). It is connected with Juyongguan Pass to the west and Gubeikou to the east.
25 km west of the Liao Tian Ling stands of part of Great wall which is only two stories high and according to the records of Lin Tian, the wall was not only extremely short compared to others, but it appears silver.
Archaeologists explain that the wall appears to be made silver because the stone they used were from Shan Xi, where many mines are found therefore the stone contains extremely high metal in it causing it to appear silver in colour.
It has to be noted however, that whilst some portions North of Beijing and near tourist centres have been preserved and even reconstructed in order to attract eager eyes like you and me, in many locations the Wall is in disrepair.
Sadly, in those areas, this natural beauty is often used as a village playground or a source of stones to rebuild houses and roads, whilst, even more shockingly, sections of the Wall are prone to graffiti and vandalism as well as destroyed when the wall gets in the way of construction.
So before we lose all this unbelievable beauty to the construction workers and graffiti artists, make sure you head over to China and explore this unbelievable sight.
Tomorrow: Wonders of the Medieval World - The Porcelain Tower of Nanjing
Female First - Ruth Harrison