Attractions
Walk the ramparts of the Great Wall of China
The Taj Mahal is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself.
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Walk the ramparts of the Great Wall of China
CHINA // One of the world's most inspiring monuments and China's top drawcard, the Great Wall has long held legendary status in the minds of travellers. Though it's a popular myth that the Great Wall is visible from space, its vastness is indisputable: it stretches across 8850km (5500 miles) from the rugged mountains near Beijing to the dune-clad deserts of Gansu. Not one wall, but a series of many smaller segments, the Great Wall was conceived by China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang (221-207 BC) and construction was carried out for thousands of years by subsequent dynasties. The most recognised brick-tower sections near Beijing were built during the Ming dynasty. These tend to be the busiest with tourists, as they are easily accessible on a day trip. But venture farther west into Shaanxi and Gansu, and you'll find desolate sections of wall made of mud that you can have nearly to yourself.
long is China's Great Wall and why was it built?
To achieve their goal of military defense, people in ancient China tried to perfect the design of the Great Wall as much as possible. The main body of the Great Wall stretches for more than 5,000 kilometers and connects tens of thousands of tower blocks and lighthouse towers. Lighthouse towers were also known as smokestacks.