The Great Wall of China

Step back in time as you walk along the longest man-made structure in the world known as the Sleeping Dragon. Wear some sturdy shoes for this adventure because the stairs are uneven and the climb is very steep. If you were to walk from one end to the other, it would take you 30 million steps. Most visitors average about 5,000 steps which takes about three hours.

The Emperor ordered the construction of the wall to begin in 221 B.C. It was built to protect China’s northern borders and the sections of wall and its fortifications are more than 13,000 miles long. The workers were soldiers and convicts and more than 400,000 of them died during the 2,000 years it took to build the wall. Some of them were buried within the walls. One of the most popular legends tells of a man who died while building the wall. His wife was so sad that she bitterly cried for so long that her tears caused a portion of the wall to collapse. In the rubble, the wife found her husband’s bones so she could take them home to bury them.