Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a fortification system of ramparts, watchtowers and garrisons stretched along the country's northern frontier over more than two millennia. Earthen walls first rose in the seventh century BCE under the Warring States, and Qin Shi Huang linked them into a continuous line from 220 BCE onward. The brick and stone sections most tourists visit today are Ming-era (1368 to 1644), built to shield the new capital Beijing from Mongol raids. Surveys in the 2010s put the total length of all sections ever built at roughly 21,000 kilometres. The Wall has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. From Beijing, Badaling offers the classic view, Mutianyu a cable car and toboggan run, while Jinshanling and Jiankou reward hikers with crumbling towers and ridge walks free of crowds.