The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring and Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin. It is built to protect the Chinese Empire or its prototypical states against intrusions by various nomadic groups or military incursions by various warlike peoples or forces. It also allows border controls, allowing the imposition of duties on goods transported along the Silk Road, regulation or encouragement of trade and the control of immigration and emigration. Several walls were being built as early as the 7th century BC, later joined together and made bigger and stronger, are now collectively referred to as the Great Wall.
The Great Wall carries a considerable part of Chinese culture. It has long been incorporated into Chinese mythology and symbolism. Sad to say, the wall is becoming shorter and shorter day by day due to the natural erosion and human activity.
The size of the Great Wall is 21,196 km. It passes through 156 counties in ten cities or provinces including Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai.
-Zhi Yan
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