9781422278819

The organizers of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing thrilled viewers around the world with a stadium-spanning spectacle in the Opening Ceremonies.

Another notable accomplishment featured during the course of the evening was the Great Wall of China. Nearly 900 performers made a min- iature version of the wall, which is the longest construction project in world history. The first portions of the wall were built nearly 2,700 years ago. (Amyth says that it can be seen from space. In fact, when Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut, returned to Earth in 2003, he said, “The scenery was very beautiful. But I didn’t see the Great Wall.”)

1 1