This sumptuously illustrated book offers 165 images portraying the Great Wall as never before. This is an exploration of what lies behind the fascination of the Great Wall as well as an examination of two millennia of Chinese culture. In addition to striking views of the Wall as it snakes across the vastness of China there are paintings, schulptures, scrolls, and calligraphy depicting life along the wall through the centureis. Here are also evocative portraits of the nomads of the steppes who live near the wall in much the same way as their ancestors.
The informative text recounts the complete hustory of the wall, from the time it was begun during the Qin Dynasty twenty-two centuries ago to keep out strangers to the period it served as a trading route facilitating commerce along the Silk Road, and later to allow for Buddhist expansion. Included in the text are excerpts from great literature and poetry inspired by the Wall that express the Chines spirit throughout the ages.

CONTENTS
* The origin and symbolism of the Wall
* The first empire and the first Great Wall
* The Han Wall and the Westward expansion
* The Tang Dynasty and life on the frontier
* Genghis Khan against the Jin kingdom
* The Great Wall of the Ming
* Western's views of the Great Wall
* Map
* Chronology of the construction of the Great Wall
* Detailed photo captions
* Selective bibliography