The Great Wall of China was started in 221 BC by the Qin dynasty and was further extended during the Ming dynasty between 1364 and 1644. It was intended to protect China from the marauding troops from the north (somewhat similar to the Hadrian Wall across the north of England). The wall extends almost 4000 miles and snakes across mountains, valleys and even one river. It is now one of the major tourist attractions for Chinese and visitors from around the world. As our tour bus climbed the mountain road, we got a few glimpses of the old sections that have not been restored.

The picture above obviously shows only a small section of the wall, but looking towards the top it is clear that there are several towers along the way. This is where the soldiers who guarded the defensive line would sleep and eat. Our walk would take us to the top most tower, a distance of only about one mile.

There are steep sections and the steps can be quite high and uneven as the surrounding hills undulate across the landscape. It is truly amazing that all of this was put together by hand and that many workers were enslaved and died here centuries ago. We were told that numerous bodies were buried right under our feet.
Sharon has a bad knee and did not make it all the way to the top as seen in the picture to the right. Five of us continued and judged that we had climbed at least a thousand feet. When we returned I found Sharon in the souvenir shop looking at jade jewelry.