The Great Wall
In c. 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance.
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/438
The Great Wall is a masterpiece of construction of ancient China that has also high symbolic value. The stone and earthen fortifications in northern China were built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions by various nomadic groups. The wall stretches for 8,800km and spans 17 Chinese provinces.
Several walls have been built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the Great Wall, which has been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century BC through the 16th century. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220-206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall was built during the Ming Dynasty.
Unesco stated that it is "virtually impossible" to guarantee the perfect preservation of the whole length of the wall. The conservation is focused on the following parts:
- Badaling section, a 7 km popular stretch
- Jiayuguan Pass, the starting point of the western section of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty
- Shanhaiguan, 26km of the northern wall until it meets the sea
http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/greatwall.html
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