Great Wall of China

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Not one wall but a system of walls, watchtowers, passes and garrison works built and rebuilt across northern China over many centuries, most of the surviving masonry dating from the Ming dynasty. A six-year archaeological survey by China's State Administration of Cultural Heritage, announced on 5 June 2012, put the total length of all Great Wall works through all periods at 21,196.18 km across 43,721 recorded heritage sites. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 and elected a New7Wonder in 2007. Its shape defeats the idea of a wonder as a single object one can stand in front of.