Dennis Waterman, age 12, of Indianapolis, Ind., for his question.:
HOW LONG DID IT TAKE TO BUILD THE GREAT WALL IN CHINA?
Since the start of time, it seems, man built fortresses to protect himself and his family. walled cities are found in ail parts of tile world since many from ancient civilizations saw this means of construction as the best method of keeping the enemy away. Unfortunately, it didn't usually work out this way.
Most famous of all the protective .galls is the one fcund in China and called the Great Wall. Its size is almost unbelievable: It stretches for 1,500 miles, winding across
North China from Kansu province on the Yellow Sea to Chinwangtao in Hopeh province.
Running along the southern edge of the Mongolian plain, the wall was built to protect the Chinese people from northern barbarians. It is actually an amalgamation of many walls that were built over a long period of time during ancient days.
Construction started in 214 B.C. when Shih Huang Ti decided to build the grand barrier. Laborers were brought from all over china to work on the mammoth project, and many died or. the job.
The wall's present form dates mainly from the Ming dynasty which ran between 1368 to 1644 A.D. At this time many of the shorter sections were joined, and the full ribbon was complete.
The gigantic wall averages about 25 feet in height. Thickness varies from between 15 and 30 feet, with much of the length measuring about 25 feet thick. The wall slopes from the base and is about 12 feet wide at the top.
Guard stations and watchtowers are placed at regular intervals the full length of the wall. The eastern part of the %,all is made of earth with stone and brick facing, but in the west it is only an earthen mound.
During the many years, China had successive invasions from the north, and it was demonstrated that the Great Wall had very little military use. It was too easy for the enemy to get over the protective barrier.
Much of the wall has fallen into ruin. with disuse. Since 1949, however, a section to the north of Peking has been reconstructed and is open to visitors. Almost all visitors to China these days include a side trip to the Great Wall, since it is such a remarkable engineering monument and worth seeing.