An engineering feat rarely matched in the history of the world, the 1500-mile-long Great Wall of China stretches from the shores of the Pacific to the Gobi Desert. It is such a prominent structure on earth that astronauts say they can see it with the naked eye from space. The 2000-year-old Great Wall was originally constructed to shield the ancient empire from invaders, but today it is regarded as a national symbol and attracts hordes of tourists from around the world. This text is a photographical survey of the wall as it snakes across the vastness of China's northern borders, along with paintings, sculptures, and scrolls depicting life along the wall through the centuries. Here also are evocative portraits of the nomads of the steppes who live near the wall, in much the same way as their ancestors. The text recounts the complete history of the wall, from the time it was begun during the Qin Dynasty 22 centuries ago to keep out strangers, to the era when it was used to expand the empire into Central Asia, to the period it was used as a trading route facilitating commerce along the Silk Road and later to allow for Buddhist expansion.
Included in the text are excerpts from literature and poetry inspired by the wall that express the Chinese spirit throughout the ages.