The Great Wall Photo taken in 1907Photo taken in 2004

Great Wall sections still intact (red) Originally built in the Qin Dynasty ( BC) Little of that earthen wall remains Its walls were improved, extended, and added in successive dynasties from 206 BC-1297 AD During the Ming Dynasty (1449 AD), the parts of the wall that are most elaborate and fortified were constructed to keep out Mongol invaders from the North. 1 million workers died building the Great Wall Total length of all parts is estimated to exceed 5,500 miles (if built in North America, it would stretch from Florida to Alaska!)

Yangtze River (Chang) Longest River in Asia—begins in the Plateau of Tibet and opens to the China Sea at Shanghai in the east

Western China Himalayas and Plateau of Tibet Landscape

Three Gorges Dam Largest Hydroelectric Plant in the World Idea conceived in 1919 Over 60 years in planning Took 14 years to build ( ) Provides 10% of all power to China Cost $22.5 billion

Three Gorges Dam Dam is located 1000 miles inland on the Yangtze River You can see a lake the dam has created (to the right)

Yellow River (Huang) empties just south of Beijing

Canola fields of Yunnan Coast of Southern island of Hainan

Two Chinas (?) purple People’s Republic of China (PRC) --Most of the world recognizes this as CHINA orange Republic of China (ROC) --Most of the world calls this TAIWAN However, both countries to this day believe each is the real China.

Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and mainland China Satellite image showing rise in elevation from west to east

Contrasting Taiwan Rugged rural terrainTaipei 101 towers over Capital