Chang Cheng

Over 2,500 years ago, a Qin dynasty ruler decided to build a series of connected fortresses to protect his lucrative northern Chinese provinces from frequent barbarian raids. He commissioned an impressive 6,000-kilometer line of defensive walls. For centuries, entire armies of slaves and soldiers worked on this project, following the natural terrain to gain a tactical advantage. Later, the Great Wall, as it came to be known, was expanded and fortified. Defending and maintaining it required an army of over a million men. Its significance only waned with the arrival of the Mongols, who went on to rule the largest empire in human history. They breached the wall, pushed past it, and conquered the entire Chinese empire. Today, these ruins remain as a remnant of one of the most remarkable structures ever created by man: Chang Cheng – The Great Wall of China.