The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen
fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the
5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders
of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during the rule of
successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall
of China, were built since the 5th century BC. One of the most
famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of
China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther
north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming
Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km from
Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that
roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but
stretches to over 6,700 km in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was
guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that
somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of
the centuries-long project of building the wall.
The Simatai section of the Great Wall of China is located in the
north of Miyun County, 120 km northeast of Beijing and holds the
access to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the
Great Wall. Originally built during the Northern Qi dynasty
(550-577) and rebuilt in the Hongwu years of the Ming dynasty by Qi
Jiguang, this section of Great Wall is one of the few to retain the
original features of the Ming dynasty Great Wall.
It is 5.4 km long with 35 beacon towers. This section of the
Great Wall incorporated the different characteristics of each
section of the Great Wall.
A specialist on the
Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhewen, has said "The Great Wall is the
best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great
Wall." UNESCO has designated Simatai Great Wall as one of the World
Cultural Heritage sites.
Simatai Great Wall is separated by a valley into eastern and
western parts. The western part appears gentle with 20
well-preserved watchtowers dotting along the wall. The eastern part
is much steeper, following more rugged terrain that includes cliff
edges and kilometre-high peaks. The 15 watchtowers are relatively
closely spaced and provide spectacular views. Main attractions in
the eastern part include Watching Beijing Tower, Fairy Tower,
Heavenly Ladder and Sky Bridge, though they are currently closed to
the public for safety reasons.
The
Cache
It is Lock&Lock box with enough space for small TBs and
coins. I hope it is hidden well enough to keep muggles away!
Warning! There
are many saleswoman running around and following you wherever you
go. Please be very careful and don't risk the cache!