Interesting facts to know about the Great Wall of China

New Delhi: The Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure visible from the International Space Station that orbits the Earth.The 6000 kilometre long Great Wall of China was originally built over 2000 years ago, around 221 BC.This is the longest man made structure on this earth. It was ordered by Emperor Qin . The wall was constructed by labourers comprising soldiers, common people and criminals. It is believed the original Great Wall was built over a period of approximately 20 years and up to 1 million people died while constructing the Great Wall. The wall has been the major tourist attraction since 19th century, here are ten interesting facts to know about this longest man made structure. 1. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) placed the Great Wall on its list of the world's great national and historical sites in 1987. 2. It was not built at once infacts the wall is a discontinuous network of wall segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern boundary. 3. It is called the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. 4. The most visited section of the Great Wall is in Badaling, close to Beijing, which was built during the Ming Dynasty. It was the first section of the wall to open to tourists in 1957. It was the finish site of a cycling course in the 2008 Summer Olympics. 5. It is actually a myth that the Great Wall can be seen from the moon. However, it can be seen from space, and images have been returned from low-level space vehicles including the space shuttle. The photo on the left is from NASA, and clearly shows parts of the wall. 6. Historian Arthur Walden established that the popular concept of one Great Wall, and even the name itself, entered Chinese consciousness not directly from the Chinese tradition, but rather through European sources who idealized the Wall. 7. During the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-78), the Great Wall was seen as sign of despotism, and people were encouraged to take bricks from it to use in their farms or homes. 8. During the Ming dynasty, nearly one million soldiers were said to defend the Great Wall from “barbarians” and non-Chinese. 9. Before the Ming dynasty, the wall was built with rammed earth, adobe, and stone. About 70% is made from rammed earth and adobe. Bricks were used after the Ming dynasty. 10. In 2004, there were over 41.8 million foreign visitors to the Great Wall of China.