The Great Wall of China, (PROSE: Childhood Living, COMIC: In-Fez-Station) formerly called the Great Wall of Cathay, (TV: Marco Polo) lay along the course of the Yellow River. According to the First Doctor, it was twenty feet wide. (PROSE: Childhood Living) According to Ian Chesterton it was 2000 miles long. (PROSE: Marco Polo)
Geography[[edit] | [edit source]]
The ancient cities of Su-Chow and Kan-Chow, as well as Lan-Chow and the town of Sinju, were located along or near the Great Wall. (TV: "The Wall of Lies")
History[[edit] | [edit source]]
Marco Polo claimed the wall was built 300 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Tegana claimed it was built to keep Tartars and War Lords. like him, out of Cathay. (PROSE: Marco Polo)
In 1289, Marco Polo's caravan travelled along the Great Wall for many miles. (TV: "The Wall of Lies") Barbara was the first to spot it, almost calling it the "Great Wall of Chi-" before correcting herself with "Cathay". (PROSE: Marco Polo)
The Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble visited the site of the Great Wall of China during the Qin dynasty, as it was still being built. (COMIC: The Immortal Emperor)
In 1904, Yasmin Khan, Dan Lewis and Eustacius Jericho, who were stuck in 1900s after being sent back in time by the Weeping Angels, left a large message near the Great Wall to attract Karvanista's attention. (TV: Survivors of the Flux)
Before 2005, the Ninth Doctor visited the Great Wall of China and was photographed doing so. Clive Finch later showed this image to Rose Tyler. (PROSE: Rose)
Harry's grandfather was once arrested, with his boyfriend, for attempting to steal a section of the Great Wall. (TV: Knock Knock)
In 2021, Karvanista noted the message Yaz, Dan, and Professor Jericho left in 1904, but could not do anything about it, since he did not have time travel. (TV: Survivors of the Flux)
References[[edit] | [edit source]]
Susan thought it might be possible to view the Great Wall of China from outer space, a notion which the First Doctor found "preposterous". (PROSE: Childhood Living)
Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Just as in the Doctor Who universe, the human eye cannot view the Great Wall from outer space in the real world. It can be photographed from low Earth orbit satellites; however, this is only when magnification is used.[1]
Footnotes[[edit] | [edit source]]
Citations[[edit] | [edit source]]
- ↑ Iain Todd (6 January 2023). Can you really see the Great Wall of China from space?. Sky at Night Magazine. Retrieved on 6 November 2023.