Known by its pinyin name, WànlĐ Chángchéng (translated as "ten thousand li long wall"), the Great Wall of China is a network of fortifications that were constructed across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China to provide protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe. A number of walls date back to the 7th century BC, with Qin Shi Huang (220–206 BC), the country's first emperor, later joining certain sections. The Qin wall is mostly gone.Later, other border walls were constructed and maintained by numerous succeeding kingdoms. The wall's most well-known portions were constructed during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
The Great Wall's defensive qualities were further reinforced by the addition of watchtowers, troop barracks, garrison stations, the ability to signal using fire or smoke, and the fact that the wall's route functioned as a route for transportation.
There are several courses in the boundary walls constructed by several dynasties. Together, they form an arc that roughly defines the perimeter of the Mongolian steppe, extending 21,196.18 km (13,170.70 mi) from Liaodong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, and from the Sino-Russian border in the north to the Tao River (Taohe) in the south.The Great Wall's defense system is now regarded as one of the most amazing architectural achievements in history.
Although Sima Qian did not name the walls, his description of it in the Records gave rise to the lengthier Chinese moniker "Ten-Thousand Mile Long Wall" (t Ɛ里長城, s 万懌长城, WànlŐ Chángchéng). Although "the long wall of 10,000 miles" is more closely associated with the contemporary moniker, the frontier general Tan Daoji is quoted in the Book of Song in AD 493 as alluding to "that long wall." The traditional Chinese mile (里, lĐ) was a sometimes erratic measure that fluctuated according on the topography and was meant to depict the length of a typical town. It was typically standardized at lengths of around 540 meters, or one-third of an English mile. Nonetheless, "ten-thousand" (wàn) is used figuratively here, much like in Greek and English.
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