Disappointing Facts about the Great Wall of China

While the Great Wall was militarily effective, most of it was seldom attacked throughout its long history, and many scholars say that the wall was more effective as a psychological barrier than a physical one.

While much of the more "touristy" parts of the wall have been well preserved, much of the wall has been plagued by vandalism. Some parts of the wall have even been stolen to use as building materials for people's homes and nearby roads.

Much of the Great Wall of China was built out of locally sourced materials, and so many parts are made from small stones and mud which has not held up well over time.

The most popular parts of the Wall near Shanghai have been heavily renovated and looked much different in the past. The image above was taken in 1907.

You cannot see the Great Wall of China from space. The image above is actually a magnified image, and as you can see only parts of the wall are barely visible. A person in low earth orbit cannot see it with the naked eye.

The wall was built primarily by peasants, soldiers, and even criminals. And many of the descendants of the builders still live near the various segments of the Great Wall, however those descendants can count themselves lucky since it is estimated that nearly a million people died during the various periods of construction.

Probably the most disappointing fact that people find out is that the Great Wall of China is not just a single wall, but many walls built over many different periods for almost a thousand years. The Great WALLS of China would be a more accurate description.