How was the Great Wall of China built?

Construction of the Great Wall began in 220 BCE, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang demanded that sections of earlier fortifications be joined together to form a defence system against invasions from the north. Soldiers, commoners and convicts carried out the work using whatever materials were available locally.

Much of the Great Wall that exists today was built from bricks and mortar during the Ming dynasty

In the plains, earth was rammed into compact layers between board frames; in the mountains, stone was piled high; in the desert, walls of reeds and willow were stuck together with sand. Much of the material was transported via human chains, basket and pulley systems and one-wheel barrows. However, much of the Great Wall that exists today was constructed during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when construction methods had advanced.

Bricks made from local materials in factories close to the wall were secured together with lime mortar, forming a stronger structure that could withstand the new weapons of the time – muskets and cannons.