day 24_Great Wall of China_the longest megastructure in the world

The Great Wall of China is incomprehensibly long, awe-inspiring, winding up and down like a snake for more than 13 thousand miles. If only for a second one forgets about the incredible presence and the crumbling stones beneath her feet, the wall appears almost malleable, even ephemeral, disappearing far into the distance.  Adjectives I would have never chosen to describe the Great Wall of China before.

The walk on top of the wall was thrilling, of course, but also it put many things into perspective for me. Whether it is the monumental  Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, or the more current mega-developments such as the Olympic Village or the CCTV building, to name just a few, I am starting to realize that China has always had a history of colossal and imposing structures.