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Great Wall of China

Fortifications and Military Architecture

The Great Wall of China is a system of fortifications built across the historical northern borders of the Chinese states and Imperial China, raised to defend against nomadic incursions from the Eurasian Steppe. The earliest sections date to the seventh century BC, when individual states built separate walls that the Qin dynasty later joined into one connected system. Successive dynasties extended and rebuilt the wall over the following two millennia, and the best known and best preserved sections date from the Ming dynasty, 1368 to 1644. Rather than one continuous structure, it is a network of walls, towers and passes running across mountains, deserts and grassland.

Facts
Building Type
Fortification System 1
Location
Northern China 1
Height (m)Sourced to the subject's own account
5 2
Classification
Standing Status
Standing 1
Building Type
Building Type (category)
Fort / Fortress 1
Connections

Has Building Type

Uses Element

Source Wikipedia: Great Wall of China
Source Wikipedia: Great Wall of China
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Source Wikipedia: Great Wall of China
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Great Wall of China
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, opening sentence describing it as a series of fortifications
    The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications in China.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence on the wall's location along the northern borders
    They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China.
  • Lead section
    The Great Wall of China is a series of fortifications in China. They were built across the historical northern borders of ancient Chinese states and Imperial China as protection against various nomadic groups from the Eurasian Steppe.
  • Uses Element: Stone, Wikipedia article
    Built to withstand the attack of small arms such as swords and spears, these walls were made mostly of stone or by stamping earth and gravel between board frames.
  • Uses Element: Brick, Wikipedia article
    Under general Qi Jiguang's supervision, 1,200 watchtowers from Shanhaiguan Pass to Changping were constructed between 1567 and 1570, and sections of the ram-earth wall were faced with bricks.
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2. Great Wall of China (Wikidata)
Wikimedia FoundationWikidata height (P2048) statement: 5.0
Quote, Wikidata height (P2048) statement: 5.0
Wikidata item Q12501, property P2048 (height): 5.0 m (converted to metres, preferred/normal rank, non-deprecated)
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