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The Great Wall of China is a vast network of defensive barriers that encircle China. These walls were constructed to shield ancient China from foreign invaders who frequently attacked at the slightest opportunity. The construction process spanned several centuries, with new sections continually added until the walls were ultimately unified into a single, continuous structure.
There are numerous surprising facts surrounding the Great Wall. For example, there was a time when the Chinese government considered transforming the wall into a highway. Additionally, some believed it could be seen from space long before humans ventured into space.
10. The Chinese Government Once Pondered Turning The Wall Into A Highway
The Chinese government once considered transforming the Great Wall into a highway. This revelation came from the February 1931 issue of the Modern Mechanix science magazine. The article disclosed that the government explored this idea due to China's lack of proper roads at that time.
This posed a significant issue as the government struggled to deliver food to the interior regions, where widespread poverty and food shortages were leading to famines. Reports suggested that the government also envisioned the road as a means to move military forces into the sparsely guarded hinterlands, where bandits held dominance.
9. The Rumor That The Great Wall Of China Is Visible From The Moon Predated Space Travel
It has been claimed that the Great Wall of China is visible from space, even from the Moon. However, this is not true. Interestingly, this myth circulated for over two hundred years before Neil Armstrong and his Apollo 11 crew made their journey to the Moon.
The notion first emerged in a 1754 letter written by William Stukeley. Although his remarks were directed at a different wall, he drew a comparison to the Great Wall of China, stating, 'This immense wall, stretching four score miles [130 kilometers (80 miles)] in length, is only surpassed by the Chinese Wall, which stands out prominently on the Earth's surface and may even be seen from the Moon.'
In 1895, Henry Norman revived the myth, asserting that the Great Wall was the only man-made structure visible from the Moon. However, Norman presented no evidence to back his claim, simply assuming that the wall would be visible from space, similar to how he could see the Moon's craters from Earth.
The tale was further spread in the 1930s by Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, which ran a cartoon promoting the wall as 'the greatest human achievement, the one visible from the Moon by the human eye.'
When Neil Armstrong made his historic journey to the Moon in 1969, he kept a lookout for the Great Wall, only to confirm that it was not visible from lunar orbit. Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean further stated that no earthly object, including the wall, could be seen from the Moon, describing the view as simply a white sphere with splashes of blue, yellow, and green.
Other astronauts have remarked that while the Great Wall might be seen from low Earth orbit, depending on the weather conditions, it remains difficult to spot. In fact, several other man-made structures are much more visible from space than the wall.
8. China Doubts The Wall’s Visibility From Space
China never accepted Neil Armstrong’s statement that the Great Wall was invisible from space. The country dismissed NASA's claim as a conspiracy, viewing it as an attempt to undermine Chinese achievements.
The Chinese government maintained this belief for years, with textbooks continuing to support the idea that the wall was visible from space long after it had been disproven. It wasn't until 2003, when China launched its first astronaut, Yang Liwei, into space, that the government began to acknowledge NASA's findings. Yang confirmed that he did not see the wall from orbit.
The wall is hard to detect because it’s not wide enough and blends with its surroundings. However, as previously noted, under the right weather conditions, it can be visible. This explains why NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao was able to capture an image of it from the International Space Station several years ago.
The image captured only a small section of the wall. Chiao was able to take the photograph because the area surrounding that section was bathed in sunlight and had recently experienced snowfall. However, to capture the image, he needed a camera equipped with a 180mm lens.
7. The Walls of Benin Outlength the Great Wall of China by Four Times
The Great Wall of China is frequently regarded as the longest wall ever built. However, this is not the case. The longest wall—or series of walls—was once thought to be four times longer and is not located in China or Asia, but in Benin, Nigeria.
Known as the Walls of Benin, they encircled the ancient city of Benin. These walls were constructed to protect the city from invaders, with some sections reinforced by ditches.
The structure was actually composed of several walls, much like the Great Wall of China. The innermost wall enclosed the capital where the king resided. Surrounding that was an outer wall that protected the village closest to the capital. Another wall encircled that village, continuing until a network of walls had enclosed 500 villages, stretching over 16,000 kilometers (9,900 miles).
Historians believe that the Walls of Benin took an astounding 150 million hours to build, making it the largest construction project ever undertaken. Sadly, due to continuous degradation and lack of maintenance, a significant portion of the structure has been destroyed over time.
6. The Great Wall of China Extends into Mongolia
When we think of the Great Wall of China, we immediately associate it with China. At least, that’s what the name suggests. However, the Wall actually extends beyond China’s borders and reaches into Mongolia.
The Mongolian section of the wall was considered lost until a team of explorers led by William Lindesay stumbled upon it a few years ago. Lindesay became aware of this section through a map he received from a friend in 1997.
The map detailed the route of several battles fought by the renowned Mongol leader Genghis Khan around parts of the Great Wall during the 12th century. Lindesay realized that some of the wall should be located in Mongolia, but upon searching, he found no trace of it. He concluded that it had been lost and began his quest to rediscover it.
The Mongolian locals were unaware that the wall ever extended into Mongolia. The few who did know believed it had been destroyed—until Lindesay’s team uncovered it in the Gobi Desert. The section they found was only about 100 kilometers (62 miles) long.
5. Plants on Both Sides of the Wall Have Evolved Differently
Biologists understand that living organisms begin to diverge when they are separated. This often happens when a natural barrier, such as a mountain or glacier, appears. However, even artificial barriers like the Great Wall of China can lead to divergence among organisms.
Today, plants on opposite sides of the Great Wall have developed distinct genetic traits. This discovery came from a study led by Hongya Gu, a researcher at Peking University in Beijing. The study focused on the section of the wall in the Juyongguan region, which was built just over six centuries ago.
The researchers examined three plant groups in the area. Two groups were divided by the wall, while the third group was separated by a mountain path. They found that the plants divided by the wall had a greater genetic divergence than those separated by the mountain path.
Interestingly, plants that relied on insects for pollination showed more genetic similarity to one another than plants that depended on wind. This was because insects could more easily cross over the Great Wall of China, whereas wind-blown seeds had a harder time crossing the barrier.
4. The Wall Was Actually Built Using Rice
Indeed, the Great Wall of China was constructed with rice—sticky rice, to be precise. However, this technique was only employed during the Ming dynasty, which reigned over China from 1368 to 1644.
The rice mortar was created by combining sticky rice with slaked lime. It was used as an alternative to traditional mortar, binding the bricks and other materials together in the wall. The strength of this rice mortar is evident today, as it still secures portions of the wall firmly.
The mortar's remarkable durability prevented weeds from growing between the bricks, unlike with other materials. In fact, other structures such as tombs, pagodas, and buildings constructed with this sticky rice mortar have stood strong against natural disasters, including earthquakes.
However, the use of rice in wall construction was a subject of controversy at the time. It wasn't due to doubts about its strength but rather because the Ming emperors frequently took rice from Chinese farmers, using it both for the sticky rice mortar and to feed workers constructing the wall.
3. Chairman Mao Tse–Tung Wanted To Destroy The Great Wall Of China
Chairman Mao Tse-tung had little regard for the Great Wall. During his fight against the Nationalist government of China, he often criticized the wall. He viewed it as a symbol of the feudal systems that had long ruled China and encouraged farmers to dismantle parts of the structure to use in building their homes.
The destruction of the wall worsened after Chairman Mao's victory over the Nationalists, when he took control of China. Farmers continued tearing down sections of the wall, with some even repurposing the materials on their farms.
The wall's ongoing destruction only ceased when Deng Xiaoping came to power. Xiaoping halted the demolition and began efforts to restore the wall. In an ironic twist, Chairman Mao had once said, “You’re not a real man if you haven’t climbed the Great Wall,” despite his disdain for it.
2. The Great Wall is Being Damaged by Tourists
Each year, over 10 million tourists visit the Great Wall. Unfortunately, this influx has caused significant damage to the historic monument.
Visitors have been known to carve graffiti and leave their signatures on the Wall. Additionally, some even use hammers to drive nails into the structure while setting up tents. The situation worsens as tourists discard empty cans and food packaging, especially during parties held at the site.
As a result, the Great Wall is severely vandalized, and it’s nearly impossible to find an intact section even after walking for kilometers. By 2013, only 550 kilometers (342 miles) of the Wall remained in pristine condition, including its towers and other features.
Unfortunately, the Chinese government struggles to maintain the Wall due to its immense length. It stretches across 11 provinces, covering more than 8,800 kilometers (5,500 miles).
1. The Wall's Failure
China has long been a prime target for its neighbors, who envied its wealth, food, and better living standards. However, these neighboring countries often had strong militaries, which they would mobilize to invade and plunder China.
To protect itself, China began constructing the Great Wall to ward off invaders. However, the Wall ultimately proved ineffective, as the invaders simply marched to its end and crossed into China beyond its defenses.
Some groups, like the Xiongnu, positioned their troops at a gate of the Wall until it collapsed. Others, such as the Mongols and various barbarian tribes, simply walked through sections of the Wall that had crumbled from lack of upkeep. This is how Genghis Khan and his Mongol forces invaded and overthrew the Chinese emperor.
The Ming dynasty eventually pushed the Mongols out, forcing them to flee beyond the city gates. However, the Ming dynasty itself eventually fell, and General Wu Sangui, who had been tasked with defending against the Manchu invasion, opened the gates, allowing the Manchus to enter.
