Unusual Facts about the Great Wall

Initially built to protect northern China from rampaging Mongols, the Great Wall has since become one of China’s most treasured national icons. CHI takes a look at some of the more unusual things that have taken place at this tourist hotspot.

After becoming the first Emperor to unify China, Qin Shi Huang was faced with the task of protecting the northern frontier from the might and brutality of Genghis Khan’s Mongol Army. It was decided that a wall should be built to safeguard the people, and plans were made to start its construction. Alas, large sections of the wall were not built in time and the invading Mongols had no problem moving through the gaps and conquering China, which they went on to hold for some 200 years. Despite its apparent failure, the Great Wall is one of China’s most famous landmarks and is a must-see for all tourists. In recent times, however, it has been witness to some odd events, a few of which we will now learn more about.

Skateboarding on the Great Wall

Danny Way is a professional skateboarder from America who in 2008 became the first person to ‘ollie’ or skateboard jump across the Great Wall. Way had previously set world records for the highest and widest jumps, yet for his Great Wall attempt he was aiming to become the first person to successfully jump off the wall without motor assistance.

Cheered on by local dignitaries, officials and thousands of locals, Way pulled off this spectacular feat not just once but five times in total. Way’s team had built what they called the Beijing Mega Ramp, which was placed at the Ju Yong Guan section of the Great Wall. High winds on the day added to the difficulty of the task and Way admitted to being extremely nervous before the jump. (A mountain biker had previously tried to jump the wall in 2002 but was killed). After completing the jumps safely, Way commented that he hoped his new world record would help raise the profile of skateboarding in China and around the world.

Piano Tour

In 2011, singer and songwriter Stefan Aaron developed the concept for his ‘Orange Piano Tour’ where he would travel to some of the world’s most unusual locations and play music. The tour began with a performance at an elevation of 4,200 meters on the Alphubel Glacier in Switzerland, which was followed in 2012 by his attempt to became the first singer and piano player to perform two songs on the Great Wall.

Aaron required a 15 man crew to help carry the piano to its location on the Ju Yong Guan section of the wall. This section of the wall was closed to the public for the day as Aaron and the piano were put in place, and the event was recorded and documented by Chris Dolan, the tour director and producer. Aaron wrote a themed song for the occasion and commented afterwards: "It's like a dream-come-true thing and look at the view here, I'm speechless."

Running on the wall

Each year the Great Wall Marathon takes place in May and several hundred runners descend on the Huang Ya Guan section of the wall in Tianjin to take part. Participants must face not only the daunting length of the race, but the many ascents and descents that shape the contour of the wall. In total, there are 5,164 stone steps to be climbed and with the addition of high temperatures and humidity, the Great Wall Marathon is widely regarded as one of the toughest in the world.

In addition to the full marathon, there are also half-marathon, 10km and 5km races. In 2010, a record 1,363 runners took part in the four races. There are two holders of the men’s record, with Mexico’s Romualdo Sanchez Garita and China’s Yan Qiao Yun both running times of 3:18:48 in 2008 and 2011 respectively. Inez-Anne Haagen of The Netherlands holds the record in the female category with a time of 3:56:38.

Party Ban

Not all recent events at the Great Wall have had happy outcomes, and in 2005 there was a public outcry when pictures of late night parties surfaced which showed revellers defacing, and in some cases urinating, on parts of the wall. The uproar caused by so-called Great Wall Rave Parties prompted government officials to impose a party ban on the wall, and any individual found attending a late night party, writing on, driving on or defacing the wall was liable for a hefty fine of RMB500,000 (US$80,000).

The parties on the wall were rumoured to be held once a month, and locals were said to be outraged at the drunken antics of party goers; they felt that the amount of empty beer cans and litter left in the area were directly affecting tourist numbers. Keen to appease local citizens and to ensure that tourism remained high, government officials quickly put a stop to the parties.

Turning the wall into a catwalk

Completing our rundown of unusual events that have taken place on the Great Wall is the Fendi Fashion Show, which was held in 2007. Co-hosted by fashion designers Silvia Venturini Fendi and Karl Lagerfield, the fashion show was one of the biggest and most publicised that year.

A large section of the wall was transformed into a massive catwalk, complete with lighting and seating for guests. A number of western and Hollywood celebrities attended, and photos that were published of the event, showing models walking down the illuminated wall against the darkening sky, were widely praised and published in media outlets around the world.

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