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The Great Wall of China

All Episodes 2007

  • Ended
  • 2007-10-01T00:00:00Z
  • 45m
  • 45m (1 episode)
  • Documentary
There are few objects as compelling or iconic as the Great Wall of China and this feature length drama doc takes on this monumental subject with typical style and scale of ambition. Recently shown on Channel 4 this 1.45min film traces the story of the building of the wall in its latest, greatest guise the colossal brick structure that everyone recognizes as the Wall, from the terror of apocalyptic Mongol attacks in 1550 the Ming dynasty’s own 9/11 - through the founding of the nation s first professional army to the building of the wall itself and its testing in battle. The drama has been likened to modern classic Chinese features and the documentary suitably compelling bringing us face to face with the descendants of the wall's builders, taking us to the remotest reaches of the wall itself and into the heart of China's legendary People's Liberation Army the first time a western film crew has ever been allowed such access. All in all, like the wall itself, a monumental tour de force. Modern engineers and some of the world's leading historians are still fascinated by one of the great engineering mysteries of humankind: The Great Wall of China. This feature length documentary-drama traces the story of its construction, and brings us face-to-face with the descendants of the wall's builders.

3 episodes

Series Premiere

2007-10-01T00:00:00Z

1x01 Part 1

Series Premiere

1x01 Part 1

  • 2007-10-01T00:00:00Z45m

Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall of China actually consists of numerous walls and fortifications, many running parallel to each other. Originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (c. 259-210 B.C.) in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire, the wall is one of the most extensive construction projects ever completed. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it came to function more as a psychological barrier between Chinese civilization and the world, and remains a powerful symbol of the country’s enduring strength.

1x02 Part 2

  • no air date45m

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