Iconic Great Wall of China at Badaling with mountain backdrop at sunset.

Why Was the Badaling Great Wall Built?

The moment you step onto the Badaling Great Wall, a wind tears through the Guankou valley and hits you full in the face. Beneath your feet are Ming dynasty bricks, five hundred years old. Ahead, the wall snakes along the ridgeline until it disappears into the distance. Most people standing there ask the same question:…