The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China
Originally uploaded by kk+

Today I traveled to the Great Wall of China, thanks to kk+ 's beautiful photo on flickr. I love that this photo makes me feel as though I'm standing in a tower of the wall looking out over that expansive country.

The Great Wall of China or 长城, in simplified Chinese, literally means "long wall". Long wall is right! It travels over approximately 6,508 km (that's 4,000 miles for my American readers) of country side. Construction on the wall is estimated to have begun during 5th century B.C. and continued on through 16th century B.C. It's purpose was to help protect the northern borders of the Chinese empire. This sprawling structure can actually be seen from space.

You know what they say "good fences make good neighbors"...

thanks for letting me stand in your shoes kk+.




About the author: Shannon Saffold invites you to travel the world vicariously through photos posted on the web. Send photos of your own travels to Shannon Saffold.