The Great Wall

The Great Wall (Chinese 万里长城 / 万里长城, Wànlǐ Chángchéng "10,000 Li-long wall", also Chinese: 中国 长城 / 中国 长城, Zhōngguó Chángchéng "Long Wall of China") is a historical border fortifications, which the Chinese Empire before riding nomadic peoples should be protected from the north. It is 8851.8 kilometers length (main wall 2400 kilometers) and also in volume and mass of the largest building in the world. In the wall consists of a system of several partially unconnected sections of different ages and different design.

The Chinese name Li 10,000 long wall containing a length indication. Li corresponds to a some € 575.5 m, 10,000 Li are therefore approximately 5755 kilometers. The number 10,000 is in Chinese but for eternity or) an innumerable multitude (see myriad why the term as unimaginably long wall.

The wall is now government-funded permanently restored. The most famous restored section of wall extends at Badaling, 70 km northwest of Beijing.

History
In the following paragraph missing gap prison following important information:

* Expansion during the Liao Dynasty
* Expansion during the Jin Dynasty (1125-1234)
Wall * state at the time of Marco Polo
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Emerged First mural border fortifications probably in the second half of the 5th Century BC during the Warring States period as protection against the feuding among themselves Chinese. These separate sections of wall were made of clay, was to improve the durability of straw and brushwood mixed layers.

214 BC, the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang had built defenses that would protect the Chinese Empire, after the expansion of the Yellow River, against the peoples from the north, especially the Xiongnu. In contrast to existing ancient ruins, the wall was not in the valleys, but below the crest of the mountains built on the northern slopes. It was because of the lack of mud on each other most of layered natural stone.

Since the wall was always off and rebuilt. Thus, for example, sometimes in the Jin Dynasty (1125-1234) made punitive expeditions into Mongolia and strengthened from 1192, the Great Wall. Today's well-known form (see picture) she received in the period of the Ming Dynasty, the last major expansion phase. 1493 began the reign of Emperor Hongzhi, the construction of the Ming wall, which should serve to protect against the Mongols and the better control of trade, and to their defense in nine of the Ming garrisons around 300,000 soldiers were stationed. Its course followed the ridges, a particularly complex and expensive construction. It was largely built of baked bricks and partly from natural stone. The mortar used was made from lime and glutinous rice. The inside of the walls were filled with clay and sand), gravel (cyclopean.

The dimensions of the wall are quite different, in the area of Beijing 4 to 8 meters wide at the crown and 10 m at the base and a height of 6 to 9 meters are common. At a distance of several hundred meters, about 12 m high towers were erected, which served as an arsenal and signal towers. In addition, they offered protection in case of attacks on the defenders. It is estimated that up to 25,000 of these towers built in the wall and that 15,000 additional signal towers should ensure communication with the capital. Remains of Signaltürmen were still found in Kashgar, the ancient trading city in China's extreme west.

The watchtowers were alerted after a simple principle, whether opponents were in sight. By a fire on the tower, where a sighting took place, neighboring towers could be informed. This was made possible by viewing distance of the towers, which could then pass on the warning signs of fire.

On the map of China famous Flemish cartographer Abraham Ortelius, which appeared in the 1584's Atlas Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, is also depicted the Great Wall. This west-facing card is the first printed map of Europe from China. The length of the Great Wall of China was greatly underestimated by the cartographer. The Latin text next to the wall reads: Murus quadringentarum leucarum inter montium crepidines a Rege China contra Tartarorum from hac parte extructus eruptions. In German: A four hundred miles long wall was Taren between the ridges of the King of China against the invasions of the Tc (r) created in this area.