Guest Author - Taisha Turner

The Great Wall of China is six thousand miles long and more than two-thousand and six-hundred-year-old. The wall was built by Emperor Qin Shi Huang after the unification of China. It was built to protect his people from invaders.

Today, this famous Southeast Asia structure is a wonder to the people of the world. The wall is known by people everywhere. The wall can be viewed from space, so if there are living creatures in space, the wall is known to them.

The Great Wall of China is a must-see for the visitor. The Badaling section of the wall is only one hour northwest of the city. It is the most visited, thus the most touristy section. Overlook the different stalls hawking wares. Head for the steps and begin the ascent to the wall.

The wall follows the sides and ridges of mountains, thus the twists and turns. At times the walk is downhill at others it is uphill. Along the walkway, watch towers are encountered. This is where the diligent soldiers scanned the horizon for approaching enemy tribes. Stop and view the vista. See the distant land and mountains. What an awesome job these brave men had!

Continue down the walkway. Take a close look at the bricks. They are almost uniform in size. Most of the current walls were built during the Chinese Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). The bricks were made of stone and granite.

This is a must-see for any person in the Beijing area. Go view the wall and the distant vistas. Of course, take a picture of yourself on the wall. It is a time to treasure forever.

In director Zhang Yimou’s 2004 film Hero, the subject is China before unification. Jet Li is the film’s star. Readers interested in the film's quasi history of China and/or martial arts should watch the film. Read the Southeast Asia Film Review.
Southeast Asia Films Review, Hero

The Lonely Planet Guide is good resource for the traveler. I have used it on my travels in the Southeast Asia area. Not only does it list lodging and restaurants, but so much more which are of interest to the armchair traveler.



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More than 1 billion people speak Mandarin Chinese, making it the most widely spoken language in the world.