VI
EN
After watching historical Chinese films and dramas, do you dream of one day visiting the Great Wall to see its historical sites? This might be difficult during the COVID-19 pandemic when many countries are closing their borders and restricting trade. However, thanks to Google's technology, you can now take a free virtual tour of the Great Wall from your phone or computer.
Google Arts & Cultures takes you to the Great Wall of China.
As "humanity's largest, longest, and greatest architectural achievement, the Great Wall of China has gone down in history as a wonder built by human hands. More than 10 million people visit it annually," quoted Pierre Caessa, Google Arts & Cultures project manager. "Today, in collaboration with Great Wall expert Dong Yaohui and conservationists from Gubei Water Town, we're taking you on a virtual tour of it."
The landscape at Simatai, a well-preserved section of the Great Wall, is off-limits to tourists due to its rugged terrain.
Google Arts & Cultures' Walk the Great Wall project not only lets you view images along the Great Wall, but also includes 360-degree views of the best-preserved sections of the wall.
After looking beyond the city walls, you can zoom in on the walls themselves. The zooms are so deep that you can see the carvings on the fired bricks used to build the walls.
In addition, the project provides 370 high-quality images of this magnificent structure, accompanied by 35 stories about the construction of the Great Wall. The aim is to help viewers better understand the history of this architectural masterpiece, as well as the methods used to preserve it.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
You can access Google Arts & Cultures to begin your walking tour along the Great Wall of China here:
artsandculture.google.com/project/great-wall-of-china
5 surprising things about the Great Wall of China.
1. The total length of this architectural complex is over 20,000 km, stretching from the Bohai Sea to the Gobi Desert. It begins at Shanhaiguan in the east. Originally a fortress built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the name Shanhaiguan refers to the magnificent scenery viewed from this fortress.
These earthen mounds were once part of the city walls commissioned by Qin Shi Huang.
The westernmost point is Jiayuguan Pass, located in the Gobi Desert. Of the hundreds of passes along the Great Wall, Jiayuguan Pass is one of the most well-preserved. To this day, it remains almost entirely intact as it was when it was first completed.
To the east, Shanhaiguan, from the Bohai Sea.
2. It took China over 2000 years to build the Great Wall. Emperor Qin Shi Huang, around 220 BC, desired to build a defensive wall to protect his territory against attacks from the Xiongnu, Turkic, and Mongol peoples. However, the wall built by Qin Shi Huang at that time was relatively rudimentary, and today only earthen mounds remain. The Great Wall we know today, however, was actually built by the Ming Dynasty and is more durable thanks to the use of stronger materials.
3. Today, the length of the Great Wall of China has been somewhat shortened. Part of the wall has been damaged by natural erosion. Other parts have been destroyed by human activity. In many areas, stones and bricks have been removed to build roads and houses. It is estimated that about 2,000 km of the wall have been damaged. Of course, the Chinese government is still making efforts to restore and maintain the Great Wall.
4. Along the wall are hundreds of passes, including 15 important checkpoints. The Great Wall of China was not only a defensive barrier protecting ancient Chinese territory. It also played a crucial role in trade along the Silk Road, connecting China with the Middle East and extending all the way to Europe.
Bricks inscribed with ancient texts as a measure for managing the quality of construction projects.
5. Because it was built over many centuries and reigns, each phase of the Great Wall used different materials. Most were fired bricks and cut stone blocks, patched with lime mortar. However, when these materials were scarce, the wall could be patched up with clay, wood, stone blocks, etc. Today, we can learn quite a lot about the construction and repair phases of the Great Wall by observing the records on the materials themselves. For example, during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), fired bricks were recorded with information to help control product quality, such as the name of the brick kiln and the supervising official.
