The Great Wall of China: fact and fiction
Only this week did we finally get round to watching a Channel Four television programme recorded three months ago concerning the Great Wall of China.
It turns out that there was not one wall but 16 walls originally built some 2,200 years ago. The total length of these walls adds up to 21,000 kms which is three times what was long thought to be the length.
What we today call the Great Wall dates from the Ming Dynasty which came into power in the late 14th century. This wall took around 100 years to construct and runs for 8,800 kms. Tradition held that the large bricks were held together with a special mortar including the crushed bones of the builders, but in fact the mystery ingredient that makes the mortar so effective is now revealed to be sticky rice.
The wall had 1200 watchtowers and was manned by some three quarters of a million troops. In the end, this was to no avail since the gates to the wall were opened to the Manchu invaders rather than surrender the country to internal rebels,
One other bit of fiction: an astronaut cannot see the wall from space.
I have been fortunate to visit the Great Wall of China twice, viewing two different sections north of Beijing; first at Mutianyu and later at Badaling. You can read a short account of my first visit here.