Great Wall of Qi State in Shandong

When mentioning the Great Wall, people tend to think about the Great Wall built in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). But actually, the Ancient Great Wall built by the Qi State in the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) is no less important than the Great Wall of the Qin and Ming dynasties.

Investigations have shown that the Great Wall of Qi stretches across East China's Shandong province for 620 kilometers, from Jinan on the bank of the Yellow River to the coastal city of Qingdao in the east. The Qi Great Wall is a very important and impressive historical feature that miraculously visible across Shandong's landscape almost 2,500 years after it was built.

The best part to visit is located at Laiwu city, which is 40 km away from Jinan. The part remains remarkably well preserved largely due to its remoteness. This 64.16-km-long section is 6 meters high at its highest point and about 2 meters wide.

The Qi Great Wall was built to defend the Qi State against other competing states during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. It divided warring states in China, while the wall marked (Central) China's northern frontier. The wall takes advantage of mountains. Some parts of the wall use steep mountain cliffs as a natural fence.

However, the wall endured much damage and degradation from farming and modern development. After China was unified by Qin Shihuang, the area around the wall became more densely occupied by villages. Farmers took stones from the wall to build houses and banks of their farmland. In the modern society some sections of the wall have been removed to make room for roads.

In spite of various vicissitudes of history and the ravages of weather, the wall has survived well. Passes, gates, castles, beacon towers and parapets have been found among the remains of the Qi Great Wall. Except the gate and the 50-meter-long section of the wall restored by the local government, the other part of the Laiwu section is original, allowing details of its engineering to be appreciated.