SECTION 08, DETAIL TZIMBABWEN

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a series of walls, trenches, and fortifications along the northern border of historical China.

It was originally constructed between 250 and 200 BCE, incorporating many fortifications that were built hundreds of years earlier. It has been rebuilt many times over the centuries.

It is made of wood, dirt, bricks, and limestone. Some of the sections are massive constructions with towers and wide paved roads along the top. From end to end, the Great Wall is more than five thousand miles long.

The wall was built to protect Chinese empires from invasion. Today, it is a celebrated landmark. Almost everyone who visits northern China takes a trip to see the Great Wall.

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Look for a section of the wall near Jinshanling, about eighty miles northeast of Beijing. You’ll know that you’re close to a secret entrance when you see a red trash can with a lid shaped like one of the Great Wall’s towers.

Place your open hand against the wall on the huge gray stone that is a different color from all the others. Then withdraw your hand and wait until you hear the sound of a gong. (It will come from a speaker hidden in the trash can.)

If you lean against the stone, you’ll be able to push it into the wall. Do not be startled by the sudden hissing sound of rushing air.

There is a secret staircase. As you walk down, the stone will slowly slide back into place behind you. You will find that it’s impossible to exit the way you entered.

At the bottom of the stairs is a paved hallway that runs directly underneath the Great Wall. Rocket-powered bicycles have been stationed in plastic compartments every fifty miles along the path.

There are secret signs and markers hidden along the walls of this subterranean roadway. Be sure to bring a pair of invisible-ink-detecting glasses with you on your journey.