Winding its staggering way along over 5,000 miles, the Great Wall of China needs little in the way of introduction. During its construction, it was called “the longest cemetery on earth” because so many people died building it. Reportedly, it cost the lives of more than a million people. Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall was not built at all once, but was a discontinuous network of wall segments built by various dynasties to protect China’s northern boundary. The wall was built with mortar made from rice flour, even though there are rumors that abound about the mortar used to bind the stones being made from human bones. The Great Wall of China is approximately 2,145 long, with an extra 1,770 miles of branches and spurs. If you were to take on the task of walking the entire wall, it’s estimated that it would take you around 18 months to complete. Another misconception is that the Great Wall of China can be seen from the moon. In 1932, Ripley’s Believe It Not started that rumor, but it’s not true.
