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The Great Wall of China

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Location

The Resume

    (circa 220 BC- )
    Existing fortifications on the northern border of China connected by walls during the reign of Qin Shi Huang Di (220-206 BC)
    Later dynasties to significantly rebuild, reinforce, or extend the walls included the Han, Sui, and Ming
    Length: 13,171 miles (21,176 kilometers)

Why The Great Wall of China might be annoying:

    Hundreds of thousands of laborers died building it.
    Very little of the original Qin Dynasty walls remain.
    The Manchus were able to avoid assaulting the wall when a rebellious Ming general allied with them and opened up the gates (May 25, 1644).
    Many segments of the Wall not near tourists centers have fallen into disrepair.
    According to myth, it is the only man-made object visible from outer space (or from the Moon).
    Trying to spot the Great Wall from the Moon is equivalent to trying to see a single human hair at a distance of two miles.
    It is visible from low Earth orbit (about 100 miles in space), especially if conditions are favorable and you know where to look -- but that's also true for plenty of other man-made objects, such as highways and canals.

Why The Great Wall of China might not be annoying:

    It is widely considered one of the most impressive building feats in history.
    For two centuries, it kept the Manchus from doing anything more ambitious than sending in an occasional raiding party.
    The Badaling section of the Great Wall near Beijing draws so many tourists that a daily limit of 65,000 visitors had to be imposed.
    It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987).
    It was named one of the New 7 Wonders of the World (2007).

Credit: C. Fishel


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Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 7 Votes: 42.86% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 32 Votes: 21.88% Annoying