Shandan Great Wall
Gansu Shandan Great Wall Map
Built during the Han (206BC-220) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties, Shandan Great Wall is praised as “the Great Wall open air museum”. During the Han dynasty, this portion of the wall was built in 111BC and runs about 98.5 km (61.2 miles) from east to west. Though it’s been about 2,000 years, the relics of the wall are still recognizable.
Compared to the proud Great Wall sections of Badaling Great Wall and Mutianyu Great Wall, the walls here reminded us of a listless dragon. It is a fact that the hostile environment has eroded the wall day by day. But the big holes and the deep marks left by theft indicate that the man-made damage is another factor, and probably a bigger factor to the wall’s destruction.
 Shandan Great Wall |
 Shandan Great Wall |
The portion of the Great Wall built by the Ming Dynasty runs parallel to that built by the Han Dynasty and maintains a distance of 10 to 80 meters (11 to 87 yards). The livelihood of the local people depends on raising livestock. But the dry climate in the county does not support sufficient growth of grass to feed the sheep and cows. So the shepherds allow the sheep to freely dig for grassroots in the wall. Even worse, some shepherds dig the holes themselves to accommodate the sheep. To add, the locals are also guilty of taking home the strong bricks on the wall to build houses.
The portion of the Great Wall in Shandan County is the most completely preserved portion of the wall.
Gansu Great Wall List |
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| Dunhuang Great Wall of Han Dynasty | Jiayuguan Great Wall |
| Juyan Fortress of Great Wall | Overhanging Great Wall |
| Shandan Great Wall |
Yangguan Great Wall |
| Yumenguan Great Wall |
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