Beijing China: GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Day 2 in Beijing: The Great Wall of China

(Destination 3 of 4)

An obvious UNESCO World Heritage Site "In c. 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance."

From the Jade Factory, we had our lunch in a local restaurant, after which we then proceeded to the reason we traveled to Beijing: the GREAT WALL!  The ride going there was more than an hour and since it was raining, our driver had to take more caution some parts of the way.  We were really hoping the rain would stop when we arrive at the wall but it didn't.  But that didn't dampen our spirits.  We traveled miles from the Philippines just to see this world wonder, a shower in autumn will not stop us, though it did slow us a bit. 

We went to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, where tourists are lesser and therefore, not so congested. We went up the wall through a cable car and still up some stairs. The view at the top was rewarding and so breathtaking! I could not believe we have reached the great wall...it was some kind of feat!

With the intermittent rain showers, we spent the afternoon strolling, taking cover under our umbrellas, and if the wind blows stronger-running for cover in the towers, going out again when the rain showers stop, resume taking photos, breathing in the fresh air, enjoying the moment...it was as if being transported back in a different time zone and era. It was a beautiful "in the clouds" feeling. On our way down, we were supposed to take the slider down the mountain, as in really slide down the mountain! I mentally prepared for this for two months (!) because I have a fear of heights, but because of the rain, the slider was closed.  My son was very disappointed and unbelievably, so was I.  We took the cable car again going down...

The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. (Wikipedia)

The Wall is a product of "stitching" many walls into one piece.  Centuries ago, states within China built walls to protect themselves from invading states. During the dynasty rule, when China was already united, the walls were "stitched" together to form one continuous wall to protect China from foreign invaders like the Mongols.  

One can see the grandeur of this man-made structure but one can only imagine the enormous effort, ambition and will of the ancient Chinese to protect their land, culture and identity. It is no wonder why China is a superpower country, coming from these ancestors. 

Visibility from space: myth or fact?
I was floored to learn that this idea of the Wall being visible from outer space has been disproved by lunar astronauts.  Who would have thought that a careless reference of this idea in the 1700s could mislead a lot of authors to mislead a lot of readers who do not do supplemental research.  Myth or fact, I would still like to imagine it as I have always done!  You should too, our imagination is limitless and priceless!

Here are some interesting anecdotal reports from Wikipedia: 
1 Astronaut William Pogue thought he had seen it from Skylab but discovered he was actually looking at the Grand Canal of China near Beijing. He spotted the Great Wall with binoculars, but said that "it wasn't visible to the unaided eye." 

2 U.S. Senator Jake Garn claimed to be able to see the Great Wall with the naked eye from a space shuttle orbit in the early 1980s, but his claim has been disputed by several U.S. astronauts. 

3 Veteran U.S. astronaut Gene Cernan has stated: "At Earth orbit of 100 miles (160 km) to 200 miles (320 km) high, the Great Wall of China is, indeed, visible to the naked eye." 

4 In 2001, Neil Armstrong stated about the view from Apollo 11: "I do not believe that, at least with my eyes, there would be any man-made object that I could see. I have not yet found somebody who has told me they've seen the Wall of China from Earth orbit. ..." 

5 In October 2003, Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei stated that he had not been able to see the Great Wall of China.

How about you? What do you think?