Ming Great Wall belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 1500 CE at northern China. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
Ming engineers rebuilt earlier walls in brick and stone into the postcard rampart that snakes over ridges for thousands of kilometres.
How it amazes the brain
Watchtowers, beacon systems, and mortar recipes that still puzzle chemists. The wonder is logistics across a continental frontier.
Why it counts as a wonder
It sits on the New7Wonders of the World list (2007 global poll) — a modern people’s roster of amazement.
Qin started the idea; Ming made the icon. Walking a section still feels like standing on a mountain’s spine.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 1500 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 4 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.