Andrew FIELD
An aerial view of the Great Wall shows its expansive reach and fortification points across the mountains. PHOTO BY TOM CHRISTENSEN.
The Great Wall (changcheng or wanli changcheng) is a series of defensive walls built in northern China between the fifth century BCE and the nineteenth century. These walls played a role in defending China from incursions by northern steppe peoples, particularly the Mongols during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
Although the
