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In MyMemeCards, the meme card game, “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” is a rare card of the Memes World series 73, number 21664 of the collection, and the 31st best-known meme of its 300 cards. Here is what the meme means, where it comes from, and how to get its card.
What does the “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” meme mean?
The meme highlights the hilarious irony of an accidental passerby completely stealing the spotlight from a world-famous monument. It is widely used to represent ruined plans, unexpected interruptions, or simply to overlay the man’s face onto completely unrelated backgrounds for comedic effect.
Where does the “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” meme come from?
The phenomenon began on November 11, 2013, when Reddit user hipsterthug posted a vacation snapshot to the r/funny community. Intending to showcase the Badaling section in China, the photographer instead captured an unidentified Asian man standing directly in front of the lens. The submission exploded overnight with tens of thousands of upvotes. Users immediately isolated the man’s candid face to create clever mashups. On November 12, 2013, the picture was submitted to r/photoshopbattles under the title “Great Wall of China Guy”, establishing the snapshot as an enduring exploitable cutout across internet culture.
- November 11, 2013User hipsterthug uploads the ruined Great Wall photograph to Reddit’s r/funny.
- November 12, 2013A dedicated thread on r/photoshopbattles turns the anonymous man into a viral template.
How to use the “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” meme
- Sharing a personal holiday snapshot that was inadvertently ruined by a random stranger.
- Inserting the cutout of the man’s head into famous movie scenes or historical landmarks.
- Parodying the phrase “I tried to take a picture of…” when an unexpected element ruins an otherwise serious photo.
Also searched as
- Great Wall of China Guy
- Great Wall Photobomb
- i tried to take a picture of the great wall
- great wall of china guy meme
- great wall photobomb reddit
- i tried to take a picture meme meaning
- great wall guy origin
The “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” card in MyMemeCards
| Number | No. 21664 |
|---|---|
| Rarity | Rare |
| Collection | Memes World series 73 |
| Fame | 66/100 · #31 of 300 |
| Recycle value | 10 MemeCoins (30 in Shiny) |
How to get the “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” card
Every pack holds 5 meme cards, the first 3 of them Common; I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall comes out of the Memes World series 73 as a rare card. The pack odds say what each rarity weighs.
Your first pack is free and needs no account. After that a new free pack lands every 10 minutes, up to 3 waiting for you. You can also buy the card with MemeCoins on the market, bid for it at auction, or trade it — and a double recycles into 10 MemeCoins.
Open your free pack
5 meme cards, one of them at least Rare. One free pack per person.
Free · no account needed
Odds per card, averaged over a pack: Common 72%, Rare 23.9%, Epic 3.2%, Legendary 0.56%, Mythic 0.3%, Full Art ≤ 0.1%, Shiny 0.2%. Cards 1 to 3 are always Common, cards 4 and 5 climb the rarities. Rates drop for cards that circulate a lot. Details
Memes like “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall”
More cards of the Memes World series 73
Frequently asked questions
Who is the man photobombing the Great Wall picture?
The true identity of the man in the foreground remains unknown.
Where was the original photograph taken?
The snapshot was captured along the Badaling section of the Great Wall of China.
Why did this image become so popular?
Reddit users found the accidental framing hilarious and quickly turned the man’s face into a versatile cutout template.
How do I get the I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall meme card?
Open a pack of MyMemeCards: “I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall” is a rare card of the Memes World series 73. Your first pack is free, with no account, and you can also buy, trade or win the card at auction.
How rare is the I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall card?
It is a Rare card. Rarity decides which pack slot can deal it, and what it is worth on the market.
Sources: I Tried to Take a Picture of The Great Wall · r/funny - I tried to take a picture of the Great Wall. · Memes · checked on October 14, 2026.
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