Ancient barrier brings people new horizon

Discoveries spark interest among tourists along the famed ancient defense project

Rome was not built in a day and neither was the Great Wall of China.

The country's most iconic defensive structure was built in a period spanning some two millennia from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Called "the Great Wall Museum", Shanxi province is one of the best places to see the ancient wonder with characteristics of various periods.

With a total length of more than 3,500 kilometers in Shanxi, the Great Wall runs through nine cities and about 40 counties. More than 1,500 km of walls and other relics remain relatively intact.

Yang Jianmin, a resident in Datong city in northern Shanxi, is a professional photographer and researcher of the Great Wall.

Over the course of his explorations, Yang has discovered in Shanxi relics of Great Wall sections built in the Warring States, Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), Northern Dynasties (386-581), as well as Song (960-1279) and Ming dynasties.

"Seen from the maps of China, the Great Wall is basically a long line from Hebei province in the east to Gansu province in the west," Yang said. "But in Shanxi, the Great Wall has many sections distributed in a broad area spreading about 800 km from north to south."

The researcher said the Great Wall is a comprehensive defense system consisting of walls, fortresses and other military facilities.

Such a complete system can be found in the ancient town of Guangwu in Shanyin county.