Video - The Great Wall Unveiled

The Great Wall isn't just one continuous wall but a series of walls and fortifications built by various Chinese dynasties over 2,000 years. From the Qin Dynasty's early walls to the Ming Dynasty's grand fortifications, the Wall's construction spanned many centuries. The Great Wall is a single, uninterrupted structure. In reality, it’s more like a patchwork quilt. Different sections were built using different materials, from tamped earth to bricks, depending on the local resources. The Wall was impenetrable. While it did serve as a formidable defense against invasions, it was not invincible. Many sections were breached by determined enemies, and some areas were even abandoned when the threat subsided. Great Wall’s construction was a massive, labor-intensive effort. It involved millions of workers, including soldiers, peasants, and prisoners. They used local materials and advanced techniques for the time, such as the rammed earth construction that held the wall together.