Just the Facts
Completion requirements
Unit 5
Passport to Adventure
"Consider the Great Wall of China, if you will; one stone at a time, man. That's all. One stone at a time." ~ Stephen King
One of the greatest monuments to national security in the world, the Great Wall of China stretches for over 8850 kilometres from Eastern China to the Gobi Desert in the west. Work began on the Great Wall of China more than 2000 years ago with Emperor Qin Shi Huang under the Qin dynasty. The Wall was built to keep out the invading Huns, who would travel down from Mongolia to plunder the Chinese villages. During the Middle Ages, the Wall was not as effective as a defensive fortification but it did serve as an important highway between Eastern China and the Silk Road which was an important factor in trading. Construction of the current wall was continued through the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a defensive measure to keep the Manchu armies from invading and taking over China.
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Where in the World
The Great Wall of China stretches across north China for over 8 000 kilometers. The eastern edge starts at Shanghai pass, goes along the seaside of Hebei province, and continues to Jiaju pass, Gansu province in the west. The Great Wall stretches across 15 provinces of China.
Click here to take a Virtual Trip to
The Great Wall of China
Using Google Earth
Tech Help: Moodle works best using Chrome. So does Google Earth.
At the time of publication, Chrome was the only browser to support Google Earth.
What to See
The Cloud Platform - Nan Pass
Tourists wanting to experience The Wall closer to Beijing but without all the tourist traffic should see the southern section of the Nan Pass, Juyongguan which is almost 50 miles from the city. Dating back to around 200 BC, the most notable feature of the Nan Pass is the Cloud Platform, a watchtower built during the Yuan Dynasty. This beautiful tower is a construction of white marble and it includes both statues of Gods and Buddhist writings inscribed on either side of the doorways.
Badaling Section
This is the most visited section of The Wall because of its scenic location, a mountainous pass at more than 900 metres in altitude. The majestic backdrop needs to be tempered by the hordes of souvenir vendors and weekend crowds.
Huangua Section
The Huangua section of The Great Wall features wide ramparts, intact parapets, and beacon towers while The Wall climbs over lush hills with lakes and mountains in the backgrounds.
Simatai Section
This is a rugged section of The Wall that lies in Miyun County and features a mountaintop structure called the fairy tower, which must be accessed by a series of steep stone steps called the Stairway to Heaven.
What to Do
Walking / Hiking
Walking and hiking on and around The Great Wall is by far the most popular activity. Many companies offer guided hiking trips ranging from a few hours to overnight excursions into the countryside. Alternatively, tourists are free to walk The Wall at their own pace or venture into the numerous trails, orchards or centuries old, terraced rice paddy farms that surround The Wall.
Paragliding
Thrill seekers might be interested in paragliding at Simatai. Tourists get the chance to leap off the edge of the Simatai wall section and glide almost 300 metres into the valley below.
Tunnels / Cable Car Ride - Mutianyu
The Mutianyu section of The Great Wall is 45 minutes northeast of Beijing. Although older, the Mutianyu section remains almost exactly as it did centuries ago. The defining feature of the Mutianyu section is the dense placement of 20 watchtowers along the 2.4 kilometre section of The Wall. Three of these towers are connected by a tunnel that runs along the inside of The Wall which is a rare feature of The Great Wall.
This Mutianyu section gives tourists not interested in the tunnels the opportunity to ride the overhead cable car. It is certainly more scenic and is open to visitors all year round.
Great Wall Marathon
For tourists up to the physical challenge, the Tianjin section of The Wall is home to the annual Great Wall Marathon held in May. This popular 42 kilometre race attracts hundreds of participants a year. There are shorter distance races (half-marathon, 10k and 5k) held at the same time as the marathon. The race is especially difficult because of the steep ascents with more than 5000 steps along the route.
