Great Wall of China

China's 'Wonder of the World', the Great Wall of China is not just China's but one of the world's top most visited attractions.

The Great Wall of China doesn't really need much of an introduction. Though the entire length of the great wall is not easy to discern, the beginning of it's construction dates back to 5th - 8th century BCE. Most of the wall that stands today, and is widely regarded as the 'great wall', was built during the reign of the Qing dynasty to defend the region against Mongol insurgents. The wall in it's entirety is 21196 km long. The Qing wall in itself stands at 8850 km, of which 6259 kilometres is actual wall and the rest is trenches and natural defences. This entire length is also complete with more than 25000 watch towers. Though a substantial part of the wall is today in ruins, around 30% of it, parts of the wall around Beijing are kept in top condition today, mainly because they are a huge tourist attraction. Areas near Beijing which see the most tourists are Jinshanling, a famous hiking track and Mutianyu, the best kept section of the Wall. There are various tours of the great wall, and many sections you can visit depending on your preferences. And if you went to China and didn't see the Great Wall, did you really ever go to China?