William Lindsay first came to China to recee the Great Wall in 1986. The following year, he undertook the first-documented traverse of the Ming dynasty ruin covering 2,470 km on foot. Since 1990 he has resided permanently in China, spending more than 2,800 days on the Wall. He has written five books and fronted various documentaries that have been screened internationally. For his tireless work in raising awareness of the need to protect the Great Wall and its environment, he was given permanent residence by the Chinese government and received an OBE from the Queen. Having devoted his adult life to the preservation and history of the Great Wall, few can match his intimate knowledge of this monumental landmark.