Wan Weisheng (Chinese, B. 1932) "Great Wall in Winter" Signed lower left. Tempra on Watercolor Paper. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was originally published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the China 60Y Great Wall in Winter stamp issued June 25, 1979. For 4,000 miles, from Po Hai on the northwestern offshoot of the Yellow Sea to somewhere deep within central Asia, it snakes through the Chinese countryside. Known as "Wanli Changcheng" or the "10,000 Li Long Wall," the Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure ever built. Sections of the wall date back to the 4th century B.C., but the actual linkage of the sections into one massive barrier occurred in 214 B.C. Emperor Shih Huang-ti, first ruler of a unified China, ordered a series of defensive walls combined into a single entity. Watchtowers dotted the wall and enabled guards to keep vigilant watch for the approach of invading armies. Emperor Shih Huang-ti had ample cause to be concerned for his nation's safety. The Hsiung-nu, nomadic tribes from the steppes, roamed across China and left havoc in their wakes. Faced with brick and originally constructed of masonry and earth, the wall remains one of the man-made wonders of the world -- and the only such structure visible from space. Image Size: 7.5 x 8.75 in. Overall Size: 12 x 13 in. Unframed. (B05542)