The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built originally to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire
against intrusions by various nomadic groups. Several walls have been
built since the 5th century BC that are referred to collectively as the
Great Wall, which has been rebuilt and maintained from the 5th century
BC through the 16th century. One of the most famous is the wall built
between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall was built during the Ming Dynasty.
