The Great Wall of China

Similar to learning about the existence of the Great Pyramids or dinosaurs, as school children (and adults) we love the story of the Great Wall of China. We grow up hearing fabulous tales that China’s first emperor built the wall for protection from Northern invaders, and that centuries later astronauts could see the structure from the moon. Now that our schooldays are long gone, perhaps we ought to look at the real history behind the Great Wall of China.

Our story begins with when the British traveled to China in the 1700s looking to negotiate trade relations between the countries. Western eyes thought the structure was one of the greatest achievements made by human hands. Myths soon began to perpetuate over how and when the Wall was construction and just how large it is. Perhaps the first myth that needs to be dispelled about the Wall is its structure. It is not one single wall, but several all built during different periods of time. One of the largest portions and most popular tourist destinations of the wall was constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 C.E.). In all, the series of joined walls stretch over 5,000 miles.

The second myth that ought to be examined is the claim that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon. Robert Ripley made the first claim in 1932, decades before space exploration. This claim was again made by Neil Armstrong, however it was later determined that he mistook a cloud formation for the Great Wall. Astronaut Alan Bean corroborated this by saying, “The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white [clouds], some blue [ocean], patches of yellow [deserts], and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."

Regardless of what we may have each been taught in elementary school, one thing is for sure: The Great Wall is still a magnificent sight. Twisting with the rise and fall of mountains and dynasties, it is a testament to the ingenuity of a civilization.

Books Used for Writing this Blog:

The Great Wall: China Against the World 1000 BC – AD 2000 by Julia Lovell
The History of China by David Curtis Wright
The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth by Arthur Waldron