Trekking the Wall Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mountain pass

The name Jiayuguan translates into English as Excellent Valley Pass. Mountain passes are, of course, significant places for controlling passage into and through a country, since they provide relatively easy access for travelers. Many of them are prominent features of the Great Wall of China.

When Jiayuguan fort was built, around 1372, it was near an oasis at the very western end of Chinese territory. Near the fort, a number of tombs from the Jin Dynasty (265-420) have been unearthed, featuring decorated brickwork and frescoes, but they are not generally open for public viewing - you can see photos in many museums around the country.

Answer: Northern Silk Road

Although most people think of the Great Wall as a barrier to invasion, and that was indeed the reason for much of its construction, it also served as a useful way of controlling civilian travel, especially in extracting taxes from those engaged in commercial activity. The Gansu Corridor, a series of oases located north of the Tibetan Plateau and south of the Gobi Desert, was an important link between northern China and central Asia. It stretches for around 1000 km (620 mi) in a roughly northeast-southwest direction.

As the image used for this question shows, the Great Wall is not actually one continuous structure. In places it consists merely of strategically-placed towers. Many of the oldest sections of actual wall have disappeared over time, both from natural erosion and because the material was used for other buildings in times when the need for a defensive wall was not seen as urgent.

Answer: Yellow River

The Yellow River, also known as the Huang He, originates in the Bayan Har Mountains of western China (specifically, in eastern Tibet), and flows generally eastwards. Around the city of Lanzhou it turns northeast, then east, and finally south again, forming three sides of a rectangular area known as the Ordos Loop, because it includes the Ordos Desert.

The Great Wall crosses roughly in the middle of this loop, dividing the fertile southern region from the desert. This location would have been harder to defend than one built along the river, but was chosen as an acknowledgment that the nomadic Mongol tribes controlled the desert, and the Chinese were protecting the southern region from invasion.

Answer: The southern branch goes through Yanmenguang

The northern branch, called the "Outer Great Wall", goes along the border with Inner Mongolia while the "Inner Great Wall" goes southeast, through a number of passes including Yanmenguang, before the two sections join up again near Beijing. This dual stretch is about 400 km (250 mi) long.

The entire stretch of the Wall near Inner Mongolia is one of its most complete sections, with few gaps. Every dynasty repaired and/or added to what was already there, and relics from many different eras can be seen.

Answer: It was part of the road cycling circuit

As part of the defense of the capital city, built in 1504, the Badaling Wall is one of the most highly refined fortifications of the entire complex. The exterior walls, about six meters apart, are made of squared stone on the bottom, and brick on the top.

The stones are used for the bottom because they bear weight much better than do bricks; the bricks are used for the upper sections because they are much easier to form and use. The walls are filled with small stones and dirt, producing a very solid edifice. Moats line both sides of the structure.

This stretch of the Great Wall has been listed in UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage Directory, and in 2007 it was declared to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. If you saw Richard Nixon visiting the Great Wall in 1972, or illusionist David Copperfield walking through it in 1986, this is the stretch you saw.

Answer: Base for three Buddhist stupas

The Cloud Platform gate, also called the Crossing Street Tower because its construction allows people to pass through it by means of the archway that is just visible in the photo, was originally topped with three stupas, domed structures containing Buddhist relics. It was built as part of a larger temple complex in the area, most of which has now disappeared. The gate's name comes from the way it seems to sit on the clouds in the valley when seen from a distance. It is covered with symbolic Buddhist carvings and, on the inside, two dharani-sutras (incantations) each written in six different languages. In 1961, the Cloud Platform was included on the list of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

The Wall in this section has been maintained in excellent condition, because it forms part of the main defense of Beijing and the agricultural lands to the south. It is around eight metres (27 feet) high, and five metres (16 feet) wide - easily wide enough for a troop of horses to gallop along four or five abreast.

Answer: It is built for defense on both sides

Mutianyu Great Wall runs across mountain peaks, and was constructed in the 6th century and reconstructed during the 16th century using local granite. With an average height of seven metres and width of four metres, it provides a formidable defensive structure. Most of the Great Wall is built with a solid wall on the inside, and only the outer-facing side including crenellations to allow soldiers to shoot through the openings. The Mutianyu Wall, however, has crenellated parapets on both sides. It also has an unusual grouping of three interconnected watchtowers at Mutianyu Pass, indicating that a significant number of soldiers would have been stationed there. It is a sad commentary on tourists that the Chinese government has erected 'signature walls' to encourage visitors to leave their names on these instead of vandalising the Wall itself.

If you haven't got the energy to climb the steep mountain to reach the Wall, you can take a gondola or a chairlift up from the valley to the Wall. For those seeking an adrenaline rush, there is a toboggan ride you can take for the descent.

Answer: Acting as holiday homes for the wealthy

The watchtowers were built on top of the wall at appropriate intervals, and were usually one or two stories in height. The lowest level was where the on-duty soldiers were stationed, and had windows through which they could shoot arrows; the upper level, when present, provided resting places as well as storage space for weapons and food (both for soldiers and for their horses). The flat roof was ideal for setting up signal fires to send messages rapidly over great distances - some towers were also built specifically to relay signals, to make sure the line of sight was adequate, between the watchtowers with soldiers. Many of the towers have names, and legends attached to their origins. Some of the towers have messages written on the bricks by the soldiers stationed there,

If you're visiting around 1 May, you may want to participate in the Jinshanling Great Wall marathon, the course of which includes running along the top of the wall. Personally, I prefer to take my time and enjoy the view.

Answer: Steep climbs lead to spectacular views

Simatai Great Wall is known for its steep stretches, especially on the eastern half, as it climbs the mountains. There are over 30 towers, the most famous of which is called the Fairy Tower. It features lotus flower sculptures above its doors, and is reached by a stretch of wall called the Heavenly Ladder, which runs at an 80-degree angle and is only 50 cm wide at its narrowest. On the other side, a 100-metre stretch of wall called the Sky Bridge (little more than a foot wide in places) spans a ravine to connect the Fairy Tower with the Wangjinglou Tower, from which the lights of Beijing can be seen at night.

This portion of the Wall was closed to tourists in 2010 due to the dangerous conditions, but reopened in 2014 after renovation.

Answer: The Old Dragon's Head

The Old Dragon's Head is the English translation of Laolongtou, a name given because the portion of the wall that extends about 20 metres into the ocean looks like a dragon drinking the seawater (with a bit of imagination). Laolongtou Great Wall has a number of other tourist sites in its vicinity, including the Chenghai Pavilion (with its many poems left by famous visitors), the Nereus Temple, and the Jinglu Beacon Tower.

It is part of Shanhai Pass complex, the first tower of which, Zhendong Tower, is also called 'The First Pass under Heaven', the motto inscribed on a large board by a calligrapher at the time of its construction in the 14th century. Today, a 1920 replica board hangs for the public to view, while the original is kept inside the tower to help preserve it.