The Great Wall at Si Ma Tai
Without a doubt, the Great Wall is one of the most amazingstructures ever built. Seen from a distance, the Wall is an awesomespectacle, snaking across the hills of northern China seeminglywithout end. It stretches from Shan Hai Guan Pass on the east coastof China to the Jia Yu Guan Pass in the Gobi Desert, far to thewest. Originally built 2,000 years ago in the Qing Dynasty (221-207BC), the Wall was designed to keep out foreign invaders--in whichcapacity it succeeded at times and failed dismally at others.Constructed with beacon towers, it also served as an enemy alertsystem by using smoke systems to warn of approaching enemies. Inpeacetime, the Wall has proved useful as a highway, transportingpeople and supplies over large distances. Most stretches of theWall close to Beijing were rebuilt or re-fortified during the Mingand Qing dynasties.
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