Blast From The Past – October 1, 1986 – A view of a portion of the Great Wall located northwest and north of Beijing, China showing the fortified tower positions and many tourists. The construction of the wall started in the 7th Century BC by the first Emperor Quin Shui Hunag Di. It is 25 feet high and nearly 25 feet thick in places, the original wall, 1500 miles in length, took ten years to complete. In 1368 AD the Ming Dynasty continued construction for 200 years and it now is over 3750 miles in length.
This photograph was made during an assignment where I covered the crew of a KC-10 Refueling Tanker that flew a group of Chinese Acrobats that had been performing in the U.S. back to their home in China. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson