China, again :)

Usually I try to avoid posting two postcards from the same country in such a short period, but look at this beautiful card; who could resist? :) So, here comes another postcard from China that have reached my mailbox in last few days. This time it shows the Great Wall. I always wanted to have a view over the Great Wall in my postcard collection. It looks stunning gorgeous, don't you think?

The construction of the first, much smaller and shorter, walls started in the 7th century BC. Later, these smaller walls, were connected to form the Great Wall as we know it today,  measuring approximately 8,850 km. The wall was used to protect the Chinese Empire and to control the exchange of goods transported along the Silk Road, but the path of the Great Wall also served as a transportation corridor. Nowadays, the Great Wall is a huge tourist attraction and some parts of it are reconstructed and in a pretty good condition. On the other hand, some parts of the Great Wall are in a very bad condition. This part on the card in not in a good position either. Did you know that over 60 km of the wall in Gansu province may disappear in the next 20 years, due to erosion from sandstorms?

I am very thankful to Zhao for this beautiful postcard. And the stamps are quiet nice. I am often skeptical about the Chinese postcards that I am waiting to reach me as I have receive many dull ones, but this card really made me think again :) Thank, Zhao!