The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, the globe's greatest man-made wonder, is commonly imagined to be a single, unbroken barrier. In fact, however, it consists of a number of discrete walls and fortifications built by several dynasties over a span of more than 2,000 years. The Great Wall stretches through northern China, with some sections extending even as far as Mongolia and Korea.

While the principal role of the Great Wall was to act as a China barrier against the invasions of the north's nomadic tribes, the Wall also played other key roles. One of the most fascinating roles of the Wall is one of trade control and management of migration. In the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), the Wall was more than just a defense system; it was a system of border control for managing the infamous Silk Road trade as well.

The Great Wall was not only a symbol of military might—it was also a symbol of the geopolitical significance of China in international trade and diplomacy.

The wall had beacon towers, watchtowers, and garrison stations, which served as military outposts and customs offices. Merchants and travelers passed through these points, at which their goods and identities were examined and taxed. This enabled the Chinese Empire to control the flow of valuable materials like silk, spices, and porcelain, which formed the economic backbone of China and the cultural interface of China with the rest of the world.

P.S. The photograph “Great Wall Simatai” was made by Jakub Hałun and is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0