Justification for Inscription: 
Report of the 11th Session of the Committee

Brief description:
In about 220 B.C., under Qin Shin Huang, sections of fortifications which had been built earlier were joined together to form a united defence system against invasions from the north. Construction continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the world's largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural value.