The Great
Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Wall stretches
through a variety of different terrains across plateaus, deserts, grasslands
and mountains. The wall is approximately 8,851.8 kilometers long, which is
5,500 miles. The Wall stretches from Hushan in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in
the west of China. Built over 2000 years ago, now parts of the wall remain only
in ruins, but are still one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the
world with great historical significance and architectural uniqueness. The Wall
is at least 7.6 meters in height and up to 9 meters in width. In Chinese the
wall is called ‘Wan-Li Qang-Qeng’. ‘Wan Li’ means 10,000 Li that is 5,000
kilometers. And ‘Qang-Qeng’ means Long Wall.
It took
about 250-270 years to complete the construction of the wall. The construction began in 221 B.C. It was
built between the Warring States Period and the Ming Dynasty era. Currently the
wall built during the Ming Dynasty is what remains visible to the tourists. The
first emperor of the Qin Dynasty initiated the construction of the Wall as a
defensive line to protect the three states of Yan, Zhao and Qin. The
construction took a great deal of energy and resources. The construction of
this enormous structure demonstrates the wisdom, tenacity, will power and
determination of the Chinese people.
The
construction did not have any monetary cost, but it took a lot of resources. It’s
made of masonry, stone, wood, rocks and packed earth. The first emperor of the
Qin Dynasty who is considered to be Qin Shi Huang made the people of China
build it with no pay, considering them as slaves. The bricks and building
material were transported either by men or by animals. The men carried the load
on their backs while the donkeys, mules, and goats had the brick bags strapped
onto them. Today the wall is worth a lot, owing to its historical importance.
The Wall
was built as a defense from the invading tribes from north China. These tribes
were known as the nomadic Hsiung Nu tribes. Armies were stationed within the
wall and the soldiers on the walls could see long and far for any sign of
attack. Signal fires were used from these soldiers on the wall to indicate any
sign of attack approaching. It became very hard for any enemy to breach these
walls. There were very few entrances to get into the city, and those were
heavily guarded. The Wall was too steep and flat for any enemy to climb over,
and could be easily shot down by the soldiers on the wall. The Great Wall
served as the perfect watchtower. Later on cannons were added which gave the
ability to open fire on the enemy even when they were a few kilometers away.
As we
know the wall was built over a long period and finally joined together during
the rule of the Ming Dynasty. There were four distinctive periods that this was
built during: the First Great Wall was built between 221-207 B.C by the Qin
Dynasty, the Second Great Wall was built between 205-127 B.C by the Han
Dynasty, the Third Great Wall was built in 1200A.D by the Jin Dynasty and the
Fourth Great Wall built between 1367-1644 A.D by the Ming Dynasty. The First
Great Wall was designed to stop raids by the Xiongnu raiders of the north.
Although the Wall kept the enemies out, internal problems led to changing of leadership
to the first Han emperor, Taizong. The Wall continued to be used as a line of
defense but the raiders had breached the wall in several areas. Taizong then
established a program to rebuild, and extend the First Wall. After the Han
Dynasty collapsed the Wall was still maintained by the kingdoms of Wei, Shu and
Wu. The Nuzhen established the Jin Dynasty then continued to build the Third
Great Wall noticing that the Mongols were on their heels. They added a new
characteristic to the Wall, having ditches running along the walls full length.
In spite of the efforts the wall did not sustain the Mongols from overthrowing
the Jin Dynasty. The Ming Dynasty later overthrew the Mongols and reclaimed the
Wall. The Ming emperor Hongwu established garrisons along the Wall to ensure no
enemy could take the empire. After the battle of Tumu against the Mongols the
Fourth Great Wall was reinforced and completed.
References
How
Long is the Great Wall. (2013). In Travel China Guide. Retrieved
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China (2006). In Great Wall. Retrieved April 15, 2013, from http://www.greatwall-of-china.com/51-90/the-great-wall-of-china.html
The
Great Wall of China (2006). In Great Wall. Retrieved April 15,
2013, from http://www.greatwall-of-china.com/51-90/the-great-wall-of-china.html
Great Wall of China - Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. (n.d.). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Retrieved April 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China
History of China Great Wall in Qin,
Han, Ming Dynasties. (n.d.). China Travel Agency with 24/7 Tour Service -
TravelChinaGuide. Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/history/
Great Wall of China — History.com
Articles, Video, Pictures and Facts. (n.d.). History.com — History Made
Every Day — American & World History. Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.history.com/topics/great-wall-of-china
Great Wall of China, Great Wall
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Who, When and Why Built the Great
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