The Great Wall Through the Ages

The Great Wall Through the Ages

The Great Wall Through the Ages is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Over the more than two thousand years from the Warring States period to the Ming and Qing dynasties, successive dynasties built over 7,000 li of the Great Wall in Shanxi. Today, more than 3,000 li of remnants are still identifiable. The Great Wall within Shanxi consists of both earthen and brick structures. Some sections remain well-preserved to this day and have unique features. For instance, while most parts of the Great Wall in other regions generally wind along mountain ridges, giving an impression of endless continuity, the section from Pianguan’s Laoniuwan to Hequ’s Louziying stands atop cliffs along the banks of the Yellow River. Among these, the roughly 30-kilometer stretch around Hualinbao in Pianguan County remains well-preserved, entirely faced with bricks, towering above the riverbanks and presenting a spectacular sight. Much of the Great Wall within Hequ County lies in the Yellow River valley, where construction conditions were harsh and various auxiliary works were required. Some segments still resemble a yellow dragon meandering along the riverbanks. Within Dai County, the section near Baicaokou west of Yanmen Pass is relatively well-preserved, with several watchtowers largely intact and the scenery quite majestic. The part near Hongmenkou at the junction of the Inner and Outer Walls in Pianguan County is also fairly complete, with castles, beacon towers, and watchtowers still standing much as they were.