The Great Wall of China continues to fascinate the world, thousands of years after construction on the massive bulwark first began. This architectural wonder is a historic reminder of what humanity can build and what years of erosion and the elements can take away. Here's what you need to know before embarking on your visit.

What is the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China stretches across an astonishing 13,170 miles, spanning 15 provinces. It is actually a series of walls made of stone, wood, bricks and earth built during different eras to protect against invasions and raids, running from Shanghai Pass westward to Jiayuguan. Now, it serves as an "architectural record" of the "ebb and flow" of conflict between the Chinese and "fierce nomadic tribes beyond the wall," like the Huns

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