The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall was a gigantic defensive project used in ancient times as early as the 7th century B.C. For self-protection, subsequent dynasties continued to strengthen and extend the wall. Over a history of more than 2,000 years, the Great Wall presently extends 21,196.8 km from its origin, at the seaside in Shanhaiguan (the Old Dragon Head), a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay in the east, all the way to Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province.

Some of the Great Wall sections (Badaling, Mutianyu) have been restored and opened to tourists, while some are now still in ruins (Jiankou, Simatai), partially open to the public. There is a saying that He who has never been to the Great Wall is not a real man.

Great Wall of China Facts

• Location: North China
• Length: 21196.18km
• Distribution: Extends from Shanhaiguan, east of Qinhuangdao city, to Jiayuguan, west of Gansu Province
• History: Around 2000 years
• Main Sections: Mutianyu, Badaling, Jiankou, Huanghuacheng, Simatai, Gubeikou, Juyongguan

Great Wall of China Feature

The Great Wall was built over different dynasties. There are 7 sections of the Great Wall in Beijing, and most of the sections are well-preserved: Badaling Great Wall, Juyongguan Great Wall, Huanghuacheng Great Wall, Jiankou Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall, Gubeikou Great Wall, and Simatai Great Wall.

Mutianyu Great Wall

Located in Huairou County, 70km northwest of Beijing, Mutianyu Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Great Wall in the west and Gubeikou Great Wall in the east.

Mutianyu Great Wall was initially built in the Northern Qi Dynasty around 560 A.D. It was rebuilt and restored with solid granite during the Ming Dynasty, which makes the wall a stronghold to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

Mutianyu Great Wall Features

Mutianyu Great Wall is remarkably intact, which is built mainly with solid granite. It is 7-8 meters high, and the top is 4-5 meters wide. It snakes 2 kilometres through the hillside, which allows you time to explore the surrounding orchards, pines, trees, mountains, and the towers scattered along the route. Compared with other sections of the Great Wall, Mutianyu Great Wall possesses unique characteristics in its construction.

1. It has 22 watchtowers at 100-meter intervals, which signifies the importance of this stronghold in the past, as more towers are scattered here than at other sections of the Great Wall.

2. Both the outer and inner parapets are crenellated with merlons, so that shots could be fired at the enemy on both sides - a feature very rare on other parts of the Great Wall.

3. It has three connected watchtowers, with the central tower looming high over the structure. Each tower has its gate. The three watchtowers are connected inside and compose a rarely seen structure among all sections of the Great Wall.

4. Mutianyu is famous for the superb views as the area is surrounded by woodland and streams, and the views of the wall vary in four seasons.

Today, Mutianyu Great Wall is open to visitors. A cable car is available to help visitors. The slideway, which rushes down from the top of the mountain and goes through a slide of 1580 meters, allows you to experience exciting and breathtaking thrills while enjoying the beautiful views of the Great Wall.

Surrounding Villages

Settled beneath the mountain pass are the villages of Mutianyu, Beigou, Xinying, and Tianxianyu, which are so small. They are easily missed by passing tourists. The residents are largely direct descendants of the builders of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty, and little has changed in this rural part of China since then.

These are working villages, and the people farm the land. The main products from the area are pears, chestnuts, and apricots that you can see growing from the steep hills, and people live off the land and gather wild mushrooms and other plants for food.

Residents of Mutianyu, Beigou, Xinying, and Tianxianyu have become accustomed to visitors wandering around their villages and are happy to greet visitors with a smile, although don't expect much in the way of chit chat, unless you speak Chinese, of course.

In all fairness, the language barrier is slowly decreasing, as in 2007, the Mayor of the village signed an agreement with Shelburne Falls in Massachusetts. In 2010, talks began about the best way to get an exchange programme running between both places, so that students can experience firsthand the lifestyles, economy, and history of each village. This is a really exciting prospect for two very different places to experience a very different culture.

Locals are rightfully proud of their heritage and section of the Great Wall, and you may as well visit one or two of the villages when travelling to the wall from Beijing. This is a lovely part of the wall to visit for a stroll and some peace.

Mutianyu Great Wall Tour

Mutianyu Great Wall is 90km (56 miles) northwest, a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Mutianyu Great Wall is a less-crowded section with a superb view due to its forest area. A car is available if you need.

Jinshanling Great Wall

Jinshanling Great Wall is about 150 kilometers away from Beijing and lies in the mountainous area in Ruanping county of Hebei province - a key military stronghold. The structure was mainly built in 1570 during the Ming dynasty.

The 20-kilometer-long structure is a little smaller and narrower when compared to Badaling and Mutianyu but features complicated and well-preserved fortification systems and fantastic natural scenery.

Jinshanling Great Wall Construction

Jinshanling Great Wall looks a bit old and ruinous, but much more natural, 7.8 meters high, 5-6 meters thick at the bottom. On top, slab pavements were 4 meters wide with 2-meter-high parapets on each side. On the side facing the enemy stood 7-foot (2-metre) high crenels called duo-kou.

On the upper part of the duo-kou were large openings used to watch and shoot at attackers, and on the lower part were small openings or loopholes through which defenders could also shoot. Obstacle walls were also built perpendicular to the parapets. These walls-within-walls were used for continued defense against enemies who might have succeeded in scaling the wall.

Two-story watchtowers were built on the wall in some strategic places. The ground floor was used for living, storing food and weapons, and the top floor was used for defense. The watchtowers were in different shapes, some square, some oval, and others in strange shapes. Their roofs are flat, sloped, thatched, or even octagonal.

Pu-fang - simply structured huts were built to provide shelter for the guards during storms. Inside watchtowers, anfractuous walls and passages also reveal the wisdom and tenacity of ancient Chinese.

If you want to see the wall that maintains the features from the Ming Dynasty, but avoid the crowds of Badaling, this is the place to come, but be prepared for a walk from the car park up to the wall.

Jinshanling Great Wall Tours

Jinshanling Great Wall is 150km (93 miles) northeast, a 2.5-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Jinshanling features unusual circular towers, elaborate defensive walls, and complicated but fantastic scenery. It deserves a full day or more hiking along this original, deserted section.

Badaling Great Wall

Badaling, 11 km from the Juyongguan Great Wall, is located in Yanqing County, Beijing. It is one of the earliest parts of the Great Wall opened up to the public, and is currently the best preserved section.

The portion of the wall running through the site was built in 1505, during the Ming Dynasty, along with a military outpost reflecting the location's strategic importance. The wall is on average 7.5 meters high, 4 meters thick, 6.5 meters wide at the base, and 5.8 meters wide at the top.

Signal Fire Platforms

Along the wall, there are a lot of signal fire platforms stretching across the pass valley and following the peaks of the mountain tops. The signal fire platforms were an important part of the whole Great Wall, and were used to transmit military messages. The army in the Ming Dynasty used fire and smoke as the most efficient way of communication.

The amount of smoke and fire released conveyed specific military information about the enemy. One single shot of smoke with one single shot of fire implied about 100 enemies. Two shots of smoke and two shots of fire meant 500 enemies. Three shots of smoke and three shots of fire indicated more than 1000 enemies.

The Great Wall is a symbol of Chinese civilization. In 1987, the Badaling Great Wall was listed in the World Cultural Heritage Directory by UNESCO. It has drawn tens of millions of tourists both from home and abroad since it opened to the public.

History

The Badaling Great Wall played a significant role in the ancient history of China. It lies in a valley that forms a natural pass and was first built in the Qin Dynasty (221 BC- 206 BC), functioning as a fortification. At that time, Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, unified the whole nation and began to build the Great Wall to protect the nation from the intrusion of the northern nomadic tribes.

Most parts of the preserved Badaling Great Wall were built and reinforced during the Ming Dynasty to protect the capital from invasion by the Mongols.

Badaling Great Wall Tour

Badaling Great Wall is 60km (38 miles), 1 1-hour drive from downtown Beijing. It is the first section opened to the public. As the most popular Great Wall section, so far, about 80 million visitors from all over the world, including 300 heads of state and other celebrities from foreign countries, have visited there. A cable car is available if you need.

Simatai Great Wall

Located in Miyun County, the Simatai Great Wall is an exciting destination with 19 km of watchtowers, steep plunges, and climbing to the east and to the west. This part of the Great Wall was built during the reign of Emperor Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty and is by far an unforgettable and popular destination, not for the faint-hearted.

Simatai Great Wall Construction

The Simatai Great Wall is divided into eastern and western parts by a lake, named Mandarin Duck Lake. The western part appears gentle, with 20 well-preserved watchtowers dotting here and there. Compared with the western part, the eastern part is somewhat steep and has cliffs.

The east part has 15 watchtowers and is constructed on a steep mountain ridge, described by many as a winding dragon jumping out of the lake. Visitors take this route to marvel at the famous Stairway to Heaven, the Fairy Tower, the Heavenly Bridge, and the Wangjing Tower.

Stairway to Heaven

To reach the Stairway to Heaven involves climbing the mountainside at a steep 85-degree angle. At some points, the narrowest part of the path is only 30 centimeters wide, overlooking steep mountain ridges. The climb is dangerous, and yet the view is outstanding. It is from this point that you get a view of the Fairy Tower and the Wangjing Tower.

Fairy Tower

The Fairy Tower is thought to be the most beautiful of the towers because of its fancy-looking architecture and sculpture of twin lotus flowers above the entrance. Legend states that the tower was the resting place of an antelope that was reincarnated as an Angel who fell in love with a nearby shepherd.

Heavenly Bridge

What a view of the mountains from this point, and a look down will take your breath away or bring on vertigo if you are afraid of heights. Situated at the top of the Heavenly Stairway and difficult to climb, the Heavenly Bridge is about 100 meters in length and only 40 centimeters in width, a combination of fear and exhilaration, and worth every second.

Wangjing Tower

Keep heading up to an elevation of 986 meters, the Wangjinglou Tower is built on the highest part of the Simatai Great Wall. It is said that standing at the top of the Wangjing Tower, people can see the lights of Beijing at night, remarkable at 120 kilometres away.

Simatai Great Wall Construction

The walls and watchtowers of the Simatai section of the Great Wall are uniquely designed with various architectural styles, which you will see on your climb.

The area has a total of 35 watchtowers on the wall in a space of 5.4 kilometres in length. The nearest distance between two watchtowers is 43.8 meters, and the farthest distance between two watchtowers is 600 meters, with an average distance of 100 to 200 meters.

This is considered unusual as records dating back to the Ming Dynasty suggest that the interval between watchtowers should be around 500 meters.

The Simatai Great Wall is an exception, and it's the exceptions that make it all the more exciting. Some watchtowers only have one single window, while others have anything up to five windows.

Others are only one-story structures, and others are connected two or three-story watchtowers. They vary in appearance as they were originally constructed with the number of troops stationed and available at each section.

Some watchtowers' interiors are built with bricks, and others are brick and wooden structures or brick and stone structures, and have one or more chambers within. Their roofs are as different in design as the towers, with plain, hollow, and rectangular roofs.

Their gates and windows are also complexly designed to include side gates, central gates, brick arches, stone arches, and carved granite gates featuring superb craftsmanship. It is these very differences that make Simatai a rare section of the Great Wall and a massive attraction to tourists.

Huanghuacheng Great Wall

Located 29 km northwest of Huairou city, Huanghuacheng Great Wall, with a reservoir, is an unusual great wall in the Beijing boundary, which contains both water and mountains. When summer comes, all the villages and houses are deeply immersed in yellow flowers, hence the name Huanghuacheng (Yellow Flower Great Wall).

Huanghuacheng Great Wall Features

Outside the tour area, Huanghuacheng Great Wall, with coarse lines, broken body, as well as ubiquitous bramble, appears majestic and desolate. Winding its way above the lofty and precipitous peaks, and finally fading into the far distance, the wall abidingly attracts tired climbers to discover its mysterious veil. In mid-summer, visitors can view the yellow flowers, while in late autumn, visitors can fully enjoy the boundless yellow leaves.

Huanghuacheng Great Wall History

Early in the Yuan dynasty, here used to was dotted with prosperous villages, and in the Ming dynasty, it became a town of military importance, named "Benzhenguan Pass".

The construction began in the Ming dynasty, and, according to legend, under the supervision of General Cai Kai. Due to the false accusation of jerry-building by a treacherous official, General Cai was beheaded by the emperor.

Later, when an official sent by the emperor to the wall found the wall actually was solid and steep, instead of the output of jerry and slipshod work, the emperor realized that he had wronged General Cai.

Soon, the tomb of Cai was rebuilt, and a memorial stele was erected. Besides, the emperor also ordered people to carve two characters, "Jin Tang", on a huge rock under the wall, indicating the firmness and stoutness of the wall.

Huanghucheng Great Wall Tour

Huanghuacheng Great Wall is 80km (50 miles), a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Huanghuacheng Great Wall, with a reservoir, coarse line, broken body, as well as ubiquitous bramble, appears majestic and desolate.

Summer and autumn are the best times to visit Huanghuacheng Great Wall when all the villages and houses are deeply immersed in yellow flowers.

Jiankou Great Wall

Jiankou Great Wall is located in Huairou County, 73 kilometres north of Beijing City. It connects with Mutianyu Great Wall 10 kilometres to the east, and with Huanghuacheng Great Wall to the west. This section was built in 1368 during the period of the Ming Dynasty.

Jiankou Great Wall Features

Jiankou Great Wall is constructed of large white hill rocks, which makes it noticeable from a distance. The major section of the Jiankou Great Wall is built along a mountain ridge with large cliffs on each side, and due to the lack of repairs, it is now one of the most dangerous sections of the entire Great Wall.

Jiankou Great Wall Attractions

There are several scenic sites of the Jiankou Great Wall that visitors must see, one of which is the enemy observation tower known as The Eagle Flies Facing Upward. This observation tower appears extremely high as it was built on a mountain, which forms the highest section of the Jiankou Great Wall.

Therefore, when an eagle flies there, it can only do so facing upwards before reaching the top of the tower.

The Sky Stairs are another famous scenic spot. At this location of the Wall, the stairs go practically straight up, and they are so narrow that it is barely possible to obtain a foothold.

Other scenic areas include the Beijing Knot (the meeting point for three different converging sections of the Great Wall); the Nine-Eye Tower (a watchtower with 9 holes like eyes); the Zhengbei Tower (a good place to watch the sunrise and the sunset) and the Cloud Stairs (a section of the Jiankou Great Wall which rises like a staircase into the white clouds), and many other enemy observation towers.

Tourists standing on the top of the Jiankou Great Wall will always experience different scenes in all directions, regardless of the hour the season, or weather. There is no admission cost or ticket required to climb the Jiankou Great Wall.

Tourists can also visit Wofo Mountain Resort, where there is an Ancient Dragon Pool which is formed by springs at the foot of the mountain, and which contains the biggest breeding place for the famous rainbow mountain trout in the North of China. This rainbow trout, when eaten fresh, his delicious, and even the fish bones can be used to make a soup.

Jiankou Great Wall Tour

Jinakou Great Wall is 70km (43 miles), a 1.5-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Due to the lack of repairs, Jiankou Great Wall is now one of the most dangerous sections of the entire Great Wall. It is recommended for serious hikers only.

Gubeikou Great Wall

Gubeikou Great Wall, situated in Beijing's Miyun County, is 125 kilometers away from Beijing. It has long been a town of military significance and an important passage to the capital city.

The Yanshan Range winds from east to west and is cut off at Gubeikou, forming a natural narrow pass here. To the west of the pass are the Chaohe River and the Wohu Mountain, and to the east is the Panlong Mountain.

Gubeikou Great Wall Features

The Gubeikou Great Wall was built along the precipitous mountain ranges, rising and falling at various sections.

It has 143 beacon towers, each positioned at an average interval of 156 meters. The nearest two are only 30 meters apart. The inside of these towers varies in design. While some have a flat ceiling, others either have an arched ceiling, a domed ceiling, or an octagonal, painted ceiling.

Each tower has two floors, six archways, and ten arched doors, allowing garrisoned soldiers to advance and retreat freely. The towers are also different in size. The largest one can accommodate a garrison of 100 soldiers, and the smallest one a garrison of 10 soldiers. The towers often have one to six portholes.

Gubeikou History

From ancient times, Gubeikou has served as a route of strategic importance, linking the southern and northern areas of the YanshanRange. As early as 2,500 years ago, a fortification was built here and was constantly reinforced throughout the following dynasties.

The main part of today's Gubeikou Wall was constructed under the supervision of Xu Da, a noted general in the Ming Dynasty. It runs for more than 20 kilometers and consists of four sections: Wohushan, Panlongshan, Jinshanling, and Simatai.

Gubeikou Great Wall Tours

Gubeikou Great Wall is 120km (75 miles), 2 2-hour drive from downtown Beijing.The  Gubeikou Great Wall was built along the precipitous mountain ranges, rising and falling at various sections.

Juyongguan Great Wall

Juyongguan Great Wall, or Juyong Pass, is located in an 18-kilometer-long valley named "Guangou" in Changping County, more than 50 kilometers from Beijing. It is generally considered one of the three greatest passes on the Great Wall of China. The other two passes are Jiayu Pass and Shanhai Pass.

Juyongguan Great Wall History

The name "Juyong Pass" was first used in the Qin Dynasty when Emperor Qinshihuang first gave the order to build the Great Wall. Juyong Pass has two passes: the "Nan Pass", or "Southern Pass" in the south, and "Badaling" in the north.

Badaling Great Wall has a somewhat larger reputation since it was connected to the Great Wall during both the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the middle of Juyong Pass, there is a "Cloud Platform", also known as "Crossing Street Tower."

Originally built of white marble during the Yuan Dynasty with a height of 9.5 meters, lots of examples of period architecture, such as stone railings and watch towers, can be found along the platform. In the middle of the base of the platform, there is an arched door where men, horses, and carriages could often pass through on their way either into or out of Beijing. Many animal images were carved in the arched doorways, and on both sides of the door are carved statues of both Taoist and Buddhist gods. There were three white towers on the platform in the past, but they were destroyed in the interval between the Yuan and Ming dynasties. Later, a Tai'an Temple was built on the platform but was later destroyed in the Qing Dynasty.

The present Juyongguan Great Wall was initially built in the Ming Dynasty and was rebuilt many times later. It was strategically very important as it connected the inland areas and the area near the northern border of China. Being a strong defense barrier for Beijing, Juyong Pass witnessed many important battles throughout Imperial China. As there are lush trees around the Pass, the so-called Folded Greenness of Juyong Pass is one of "the Eight Best Scenic Spots of Ancient Beijing."

Juyongguan Great Wall Tours

Gubeikou Great Wall is 55km (34 miles), a 1-hour drive from downtown Beijing. Juyongguan Great Wall is the most accessible section and is a crucial pass of the Great Wall.

Which Great Wall Should You Visit

The Great Wall is one of the greatest man-made projects anywhere in the world. The scale of the undertaking is difficult to imagine until you have walked on it. No first trip to China is complete without seeing and climbing this living piece of history.

At a total length of about 13,650 miles, the Great Wall has several sections that are well preserved after thousands of years or have been carefully restored. We trust this information and tips will help you choose which to visit to get the best possible experience.

Our Recommended Great Wall Experience: Great Wall Mutianyu Section with a Private Guide

The Great Wall at Mutianyu Section is a less-crowded but beautiful section where the landscape changes with each season. It is about 3 hours from Beijing City, making it a day trip when you include time on the Wall.

A private English-speaking guide and van will ensure the best experience and all the interesting stories. In this section, all people walk at a steady yet unhurried pace through the watch towers and passes. Going there with kids will allow you to leave the hustle and bustle of the city for a relaxing day.

Mutianyu Great Wall Scenic Spot Information

• Opening Hours: 7:30-21:30
• Ticket Price: CNY40 for an adult
• Location: Huairou District, Beijing

The easiest and lowest-cost option: Join a Seat-in-coach Tour to the Badaling Section

The famous saying by Chairman Mao: He who doesn't reach the Great Wall is not a true man. It is well-known by almost all Chinese people, and the saying is also familiar to many foreigners. The section of the Great Wall that Chairman Mao was referring to was the Badaling Section.

It is the most famous, nearest, and most tourist-oriented section. A restored section is developed, but it has awesome views and iconic sights. It is not difficult to complete the climb onto the Wall. The Badaling section is especially good for older travelers, families with small children, and those who prefer a less strenuous outing. It is also a good option for those who are on a limited time, as it is the closest section to the city center.

As the Badaling section has been developed for a long time, services are well established. Joining a Seat-in-coach Tour (bus tour) to Badaling is very easy and the most economical. The quality of service varies, so compare before you buy.

Going there early or late in the afternoon is a good idea to avoid the thronging crowds and also to take photos when the light is best.

Badaling Great Wall Scenic Spot Information

• Opening Hours: 6:30-16:30 (April-October); 7:30-16:00 (November-March)
• Ticket Price: CNY40 (April-October), CNY35 (November-March)
• Cable Car: CNY100/one-way, CNY140/round-trip
• Location: Yanqing District, Beijing

A strenuous but worthwhile: Hiking from Jinshanling to Gubeikou

For hiking and photography enthusiasts, the hike from Jinshanling to Gubeikou will not disappoint. Its picturesque scenery, together with an unrestored wall, makes this an outstanding trip.

Jinshanling Section is a mountainous area with stunning scenery. Its wall zigzags up the steep hills and peaks, looking like a long bridge from a distance. Jinshanling remains relatively undeveloped, and that attracts those looking for more adventure. Gubeikou is famous for its important strategic role in defending China's capital.

The trip will take about 2 days, and travelers will experience an authentic village life as well as an outstanding time on the Wall. This route is a favorite of backpackers with a spirit of adventure. It is possible to start from either Gubeikou or Jinshanling.

Jinshanling Great Wall Scenic Spot Information

• Opening Hours: 6:30-17:30 from November 16th to March 15th; 6:00-18:00 from March 16th to November 15th
• Ticket Price: CNY65
• Location: Luanping County, Chengde City, Hebei Province

Gubeikou Great Wall Scenic Spot Information

• Location: Gubeikou Village, Gubeikou Town, Miyun District, Beijing
• Ticket Price: CNY25
• Opening Hours: All day

Great Wall of China History

The Great Wall was a gigantic defensive project used in ancient times as early as the 7th century B.C. For self-protection, rival kingdoms built walls around their territories, laying foundations for the present Great Wall. When Qin Shihuang (First Emperor of the Qin) unified the whole country in 221 B.C., the existing walls were linked up and new ones added to counter attacks by the remnants of the defeated states. Undertaking such a huge project over difficult terrain at that time without any machinery was an extraordinary feat. A workforce of nearly a million, representing one-fifth of the whole labor force of the country, was used to build it. Hardship and cruel treatment brought death to many of the laborers, and tragic stories were told, from which folk tales and legends came into being.

Subsequent dynasties continued to strengthen and extend the wall. In the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), about 500 kilometers were added to the west, bringing it to present-day Jiuquan and Dunhuang. The Tang Empire (618-907) expanded its territory and pushed its frontier further north, so the Great Wall ceased to be needed as a barrier against invasions. In the Qin Dynasty, a massive system of earthworks was constructed to check the invasion by the Mongols, and remains can still be found in Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia.

However, the Great Wall did not stop the invasion of the Mongols, who conquered the whole country and set up the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). In 1368, when Zhu Yuanzhang drove the Mongol Yuan rulers from the throne and established the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), he started the construction of a new Great Wall to the north of Beijing to secure his northern territories from the remnant Mongol forces since he had established his capital in Nanjing. The wall was built of stone blocks and bricks instead of the rough stones and clay used on the old walls. The size of the Ming wall was much bigger, and it stretched from the Yalu River in Liaoning in the east to Jiayuguan in Gansu in the west for a distance of 12,700 li. The part between the Yalu River and Shanhaiguan was damaged because of its less solid construction, but the rest has remained until now because it was solidly built. The Manchus had long-term ambitions to conquer the whole of China, but they were held back by the Great Wall until a Ming general helped them enter the Shanhaiguan Pass. The Manchu Qing rulers felt it unnecessary to build the wall, so very little reconstruction was done.

Today, travelers from the eight directions all flock to the Great Wall to walk on the only man-made structure visible from space. To look out from one of the guard towers out at the barren mountains and the Wall snaking off into the distance is a view not to be forgotten. Standing on the Wall, you can get a good feel for what the Wall was all about.