Description:

The Great Wall of China is a monumental landmark in China and the longest structure ever built by humans. Construction on it started more than two thousand years ago and continued, off and on, for almost a thousand years until 1644. Did you know the Great Wall cannot actually be seen from the moon? However, if you were in a low enough orbit and new exactly where and how to look, you might be able to see it.​ 

만리장성은 중국의 기념비적인 랜드마크이고 인간에 의해 세워진 가장 긴 구조물입니다. 만리장성의 건설은 2천년 이상 전에 시작되었고, 1644년까지 거의 천년 동안 계속되었습니다. 여러분은 만리장성이 달에서 실제로 볼 수 없다는 것을 알고 있었나요? 하지만, 만약 여러분이 충분한 궤도에 있고 정확히 어디에서 어떻게 볼 것인지 새로운 것이라면, 여러분은 그것을 볼 수 있을지도 모릅니다.​

Transcription:

One of the most recognizable symbols of China, the Great Wall of China has a long and complicated history.

It is not just one wall, but many different walls and fortifications that were built over the course of thousands of years.

The walls built at different times were often built with different materials, everything from packed dirt or wood to stone and brick.

These walls were meant to protect China from invasion.

The earliest walls were built more than two thousand years ago when individual states built walls of packed earth and gravel between boards to protect their territories from attackers with swords and spears.

History

Hundreds of years later in 221 BC the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, ordered that walls that divided his empire should be destroyed and a new wall connecting the remaining pieces

should be built, creating fortifications that protected the empire from northern attackers.

No one knows exactly how long that wall was or where it was built, as most of it has worn down or been destroyed.

Over the next thousand years, different ruling dynasties repaired, rebuilt, or expanded sections of the wall.

The leaders of the Ming dynasty, which began in 1368, constructed the most famous version of the Great Wall.

They began by building watchtowers and garrisons, later adding walls of stone and earth.

Facts

New construction on the wall ended in 1644.

At its height the Great Wall stretched more than 13,000 miles or about 22,000 kilometers in total length, making it the longest structure ever built by humans.

In some places the walls were 30 feet or 9 meters thick, and 25 feet or 7.5 meters tall, and it was studded with as many as 25,000 watchtowers.

You may have heard that the Great Wall is so big that it can be seen from space, but that is only partially true.

It cannot be seen at all from the moon, but from a much closer orbit it could be seen by someone who knew exactly where to look and what it would look like.

Conclusion

Today the Great Wall of China is a World Heritage site, protected and maintained for all of humanity to enjoy.

Only some pieces of the wall are taken care of, however, as it is simply too big and too damaged by time and old battles to repair and take care of it all.

In fact, nearly 1/3 of the wall has completely disappeared, fallen down and even the stones taken away by local people to use in building.

Still, the Great Wall is the most popular place for tourists to visit in China, attracting millions of people each year.

I hope you enjoyed learning about the Great Wall of China today.

중국의 가장 눈에 띄는 상징 중 하나인 만리장성은 길고 복잡한 역사를 가지고 있습니다.

오늘 중국의 만리장성에 대해 재미있게 배웠길 바랍니다. 

Questions:

1. What is the Great Wall of China made of?

2. What was the purpose of building the walls?

3. Who ordered the construction of a new wall connecting the existing ones?​