The Trans-Pacific Call on the Great Wall

In this photo, Raul Castro, then the first Vice Chairman of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba, was making an international phone call on the Great Wall of China. On the other side of the call was his brother Fidel Castro, then Chairman of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.

“The east is red. The sun is rising. China has brought forth Mao Zedong.”

In December 1995, Fidel Castro climbed the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing, China, and Wu Jincun received him. Great Wall staff Wu Jincun has received more than 170 foreign leaders and is known as the “Great Wall Wu”.

Fidel Castro applauded the spectacular view of the Great Wall, “I have immense admiration for this great project which reflects the Chinese people’s hard-work, wisdom and their perseverance”.

Two years later, Raul Castro also heard Wu’s introduction of the Great Wall, and that’s how the classic photo of the international call came about.

The Badaling Great Wall is located 60 kilometers northwest of Beijing. There are many ancient sections of the wall in Beijing. In addition to the well-known Badaling Great Wall, there are also the Mutianyu, Juyongguan, Shuiguan, Jiankou, Jiuyanlou and Longquanyu Great Wall.

Riding on the mountain ridges of Yanshan and witnessing the rise and fall of the sun for thousands of years, the ancient Great Wall stands tall and still no matter how time changes. Since its official opening to the public in 1958, the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing has so far received 230 million visitors. China has shown the world the power of love and peace with a Great Wall that spans over 20,000 kilometers.