The "10,000 li Great Wall" (pinyin Wanlichangcheng ) is actually much longer than that: it starts at the banks of the Yalujiang River, runs westward Shanhai Pass and Jiayu Pass, and ends at the foot of Qilian Mountains. The total length amounts to more than 14,600 li, or 7,500 km. Badaling Great Wall, the portion of Great Wall 60 km from Beijing, was first built in 290 B.C. and is more than 1,000 metres above sea level. The existing Great Wall was rebuilt more than 600 years ago during the Ming Dinasty and frequently renovated thereafter. According to an old urban myth, the Great Wall of China is the only man-made structure that is visible from space. In the last couple of years this urban myth has been supplanted by a newer one stating that the original myth was false. This confusion stems from people who failed to mention what part of 'space' they are looking from: the wall is visible from earth orbit , but not from the moon. We climbed the Great Wall on a misty day of March, in the precious company of Xiao Rui and Natson , to whom we are very thankful for friendship and kindness.