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This the renewed Grand Canal from back when it was made during the Sui Dynasty.

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Ruled from 581-618
A military coup brought this dynasty to its start. Some of their greatest achievements are: construction of new palaces, uses for woodblock printing, some legal reforms, and also the construction of The Great Canal. The name Sui literally means to follow. This dynasty reunified China after about 3 centuries/300 years.
Emperor Sui Yangdi was a very harsh ruler, forcing people to work on the canal. He also charged high taxes to support his lifestyle. Many people died working on The Grand Canal under his order. Emperor Yangdi ended up being murdered and the dynasty was ended.

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This was on of the first books that they made and published.

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Ruled from 618-907.
They created the first gunpowder ever. During this dynasty time period, China became the largest nation in the world. The first criminal code was created. Chinese poetry reached its highest point. Literature was thriving. The world's earliest printed book was created. The first clockwork mechanisms was invented. An even better form of gunpowder and porcelain was made.
Tang Taizong was the second emperor of this dynasty and he ruled from 1626-1649. He was born on January 28, 1598. He died on July 10, 1649. Taizong is considered one of the greatest rulers in China has ever had and his religious tolerance was great. Taizong also started a new rule that he named, "equal distribution of land". Chang'an was one of the largest and most populous cities in the entire world. The name Chang'an literally means "perpetual peace." Part of the area of Chang'an was inside Ming Xi'an fortifications. It also had some land to the east and west of Ming Xi'an. Chang'an was a substantial part in the southern suburbs.

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One of the first compasses ever made by the Song dynasty

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Ruled from 960-1279.
The Song dynasty was the first in all of the worlds history to issue the first banknotes and real money. Their government was also the first to establish a permanent standing navy. Three of their greatest inventions were movable printing type and a compass. They also made gunpowder. Emperor Taizu fostered science and education. The Song dynasty ended up doubling after 150 years of ruling. Their dynasty got conquered after battling with the Mongols for 44 years.

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This is some of the Mongols armor and weapons.

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Ruled from 1206-1368.
Kublai Khan was born in the year of 1215 and he died in the year of 1294. He ruled from 1260-1294. He was the fifth emperor to rule over the Mongols. Kublai was invested with full civil and military responsibility. The Mongols spread all over Eurasia. They were able to conquer Eurasia because they had advanced technology for their time and they had a ton of nomadic style warriors. The Mongol Empire is originally from the Steppe of Asia. The end of the Mongol Empire was when Kublai died. Also a disease called the Black Death outbroke killing many. The Mongols invented stirrups, a composite bow, leather armor, and their own version of gunpowder. Some other inventions are, artillery, silk shirts, chemical and biological weapons, and Mongolian Barbeque. Also most of the Mongols were super skilled fighters which made them deadly. Another fact about the Mongols is that they helped re-established the Silk Road.

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Ruled from 1279-1368.
This dynasty created the first paper currency. One of their astronomers made the most accurate calendar of that time. One of their mathematicians took algebra to its highest level so far. They had a major development in landscape paintings. They made movable type printing efficient. The teapot was invented during their reign along with blue and white porcelain. They also discovered and described some disease they found.

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Learn for free about math, art, computer programming, economics, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, finance, history, and more. Khan Academy is a nonprofit with the mission of providing a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere.

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Ruled from 1368-1644.
Outside world Trade Expansion
Emperor Taizu was born into poverty. Begged for Buddhist Monastery. Joined rebel group. Captured Beijing in 1368. In 1380 A.D., he began an internal investigation which lasted 14 years and resulted in 30,000 executions. Taizu son Chengzu ignited a civil war to take the throne. From 1405-1433, Chengzu launched eager flotillas to expand to other countries. The fall of the Ming Dynasty was because a lot of diseases were spreading and the last emperor committed suicide. Zheng He used to go by the name Ma He and he was taken by the Chinese army at age of 13. Worked under Emperor Chengzu. Zheng He organized and supervised the Seven Sea Voyages. He was once the commander/admiral of the China treasure ship fleet. They also were the biggest part in The Great Wall of China building/fixing.

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Mostly created during the Ming Dynasty

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As China's most famous attraction, the Great Wall of China is an essential stop on all China tours. Commonly considered a wonder of the world, the Great Wall boasts a history of over 2,000 years and stretches more than 3,000 miles across several provinces of northern China, making it one of the most impressive ancient structures on the planet.

Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China

Best Sections to Visit

Beijing is usually considered the main gateway to the Great Wall, since there are several world-famous sections of the Wall in the suburbs of Beijing, including Badaling, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Juyongguan, Gubeikou, and Jiankou. These sections were built during the Ming dynasty between the 14th and 17th centuries and have been well preserved.

Of all the sections of the Great Wall near Beijing, Badaling is the most famous one. As a result, Badaling is the destination of choice for many large tour groups and is often very crowded. The nearby Juyongguan Great Wall features one of the three great mountain passes of the Great Wall but is almost as crowded as Badaling.

Mutianyu Great Wall is just as close as Badaling and offers wonderful views of the Great Wall and the surrounding hills with far fewer tourists. This section of the Wall also features a thrilling toboggan run that you can ride from the top of the Wall down to the bottom of the hill.

Due to their proximity, Badaling, Juyongguan, and Mutianyu are all doable as a half-day trip from downtown Beijing. We usually recommend Mutianyu over Badaling or Juyongguan, since the massive crowds at the latter two sections can ruin one's experience of this impressive structure.

Further away from Beijing, Jinshanling Great Wall is about 150 km northeast of downtown and it usually takes about two and a half hours to drive there. Despite the longer drive, Jinshanling is among the most stunning sections of the Great Wall. If your itinerary allows for one full day seeing the Great Wall, then we highly recommend a tour to Jinshanling.

Gubeikou and Jiankou can also be visited within a day tour from Beijing. Both sections have not been restored since they were first built in the Ming Dynasty, making them ideal choices for those who want to hike and experience the wild Great Wall. Do be aware that the Jiankou section features very steep and dangerous climbs and is only suitable for experienced hikers.

There are also some other famous sections of the Great Wall within or outside Beijing, such as Huanghuacheng, Simatai, and Shanhaiguan, but we only recommend these if you are visiting the Great Wall for a second time or planning a multi-day, in-depth Great Wall tour.

Great Wall Hiking and Camping

Due to its original purpose as a military defense, almost all sections of Great Wall were built on mountain ranges and thus involve some challenging climbs and uneven stairs, including the well-restored sections. If you are visiting a restored section but hike to the end of the renovated part, you will be able to see the unrestored part of the Great Wall.

For most visitors, Mutianyu and Jinshanling offer good, medium difficulty hikes, while still being very safe. For those looking for a serious hike along wild, unrestored portions of the Wall, we suggest the Jinshanling to Jinshanling East, or Gubeikou to Jinshanling routes. All these routes boast both unrestored and picturesque renovated sections of the Wall. However, please be aware that hikes along wild, unrestored parts of the Great Wall involve many steep climbs and loose bricks, and can be very dangerous in some places. (People can no longer hike through from Jinshanling to Simatai since the route was closed years ago.)

Camping on the Great Wall is usually banned, especially on the renovated sections. If you want to spend a night sleeping on the Great Wall, we can take you to a watchtower on the Gubeikou section of the Great Wall to experience the life of an ancient soldier and catch amazing sunrise/sunset views over the Wall.

Best Time to Visit

For all sections of the Great Wall near Beijing, the spring months (April to June) offer temperate weather and are great for climbing. In late April to early May, many trees begin to blossom, making this a particularly beautiful period to visit the Wall. Fall is also a nice time to visit, as temperatures are usually comfortable. October to early November are particularly picturesque, as the tree leaves on the mountains begin to change color. The winter months, from December to February, are cold and can be windy, but there are usually far fewer tourists on the Wall during these months. July and August are hot and humid, and thus not the best for long hikes. In addition, it's best to avoid hiking on the Wall after rain or snowfall because some parts can get very slippery.

You should also avoid visiting the popular sections, such as Badaling, Juyongguan, and Mutianyu, around National Day (the first week in October) and Spring Festival. August is also a busy time for the Badaling and Juyongguan sections, since students are on summer vacation and many families travel to these famous sections with their kids before the new school year starts. Learn more about how to avoid the crowds when traveling in China.

Great Wall of China Private Tour Packages

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As China's most famous attraction, the Great Wall of China is an essential stop on all China ... Virtual Tour of the Great Wall of China ...

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This is a finished and polished jade carving.

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Rule from 1644-1912. Last imperial dynasty in China.
The Qing Dynasty used gunpowder to create the first machine gun which held about 28 bullets and could shoot all of them without reloading. This dynasty had some cultural achievements. This included jade carving, painting, and porcelain making. They also had some embarrassing history moments. This included their defeat in the Opium wars, they forced trade, they had unequal treaties, and they had some general decline which dominated in the Qing era.