[Photo via VCG]

The Great Wall was continuously built from the 3rd century BC to the 17th century AD on the northern borders as a great military defence project of Chinese dynasties. The Great Wall begins in the east at Shanhaiguan in Hebei Province and ends at Jiayuguan in Gansu Province to the west, with a total length of more than 20,000 kilometers. In 1987, the Great Wall was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

[Photo via tuchong.com]

The Badaling Great Wall is located in the northwest of Beijing, and it's a pass of Jundu Mountain. It extends in all directions, therefore termed Badaling.

The Badaling Great Wall is located on the ridge of the northern part of the Guangou. Here, two peaks come face to face, and there is an alley between the two, strategically placed. Due to the importance of the Badaling, it became the place where military fought. It became the martial stronghold from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty where it was no longer a mere wall, but a rigorous recovery system. Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei are all in the Great Wall's path. Many Guan cities and short walls were built in these pivotal places. Since the Qing Dynasty, the Badaling Great Wall has become more deserted. The city towers to the west of Guan city had severely been destroyed. After the State Department decided to repair it, the Great Wall had been rehabilitated several times.

The Badaling Great Wall is renowned worldwide, yet it is only the first part of it that was open to the public. Badaling is considered the soul of the entire structure, welcoming tourists from all over the world. It is said that whoever gets to the Great Wall will be acclaimed as reaching the peak of perfection!