BY YVETTE LAPIERRE CONTENT CONSULTANT Guolong Lai Associate Professor of Chinese Art and Archaeology University of Florida Cover image The Great Wall stretches through various landscapes as it winds its way across China Core Library An Imprint of Abdo Publishing abdopublishing com BUILDING BY DESIGN ENGINEERING THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA
CHAPTER ONE 4
AN INCREDIBLE WALL The The guard stood watch on a tall tower above the wall He gazed toward the plains to the north Far in the distance he spotted invading horsemen They raced toward the wall The guard quickly lit a fire The smoke would be seen by soldiers posted farther along the wall They would grab their weapons and come quickly Together they would rally and protect China from its enemies The Great Wall of China is one of the largest building projects ever undertaken It runs across northern China for thousands The wall’s towers gave defenders a clear vantage point over the Chinese frontier 5
