The Great Wall of China is one of the world’s most famous historical landmarks. It was built and expanded over several centuries during different periods of Chinese history.
Its main purpose was to protect China’s northern regions from attacks and raids by various nomadic groups. Chinese rulers used walls and defensive fortifications to protect cities, villages and trade routes.
Some sections of the wall existed before China was unified. However, during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century BC, several existing defensive walls were linked to form a much larger system.
During the Ming dynasty, from the 14th to the 17th centuries, important sections of the wall were rebuilt and strengthened. Many of the parts visited by tourists today date from this period.
The Great Wall of China is not a single continuous structure. It is a network of walls, watchtowers, fortifications and other defensive barriers. According to official Chinese surveys, the combined length of its various sections is estimated at about 21,196 kilometres.
The historic structure was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1987.
