The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications found in northern China. It is one of the most spectacular wonders of the world. It is the world’s longest human-made structure. It almost appears as a giant dragon, as it winds up and down the land of China, through deserts, mountains, plateaus, and grasslands. Unfortunately, by now some of the wall is in ruins or has disappeared. Despite that, it is a must see if you are visiting China.
The Great Wall of China has been built and rebuilt a number of times. It is estimated that between two and three million Chinese died during the centuries long project of building the Great Wall of China. It was built between the 5th century B.C. and the 16th century with the purpose of protecting the northern borders of China from attacks from Xiongnu. Beginning in the 5th century BC, there have been several walls built that were called the Great Wall. One of the most famous of the walls is the wall that was built between 220-206 BC by Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Not much of that wall remains, as the majority of the remaining wall that exists in China today was built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall is surrounded by greenery.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan on the eastern side to Lop Nur in the West. This arc roughly creates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The Great Wall, including all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km or 5,500.3 miles. This includes 6,259 km. or 3,889.5 miles of sections of the great wall, 359.7 km, or 223.5 miles of trenches, and 2,232.5 km or 1,387.2 miles of natural barriers like hills and rivers.
The Great Wall that we observe today was mainly built during the Ming Dynasty, from around 1368-1644. It begins at Shangaiguan Pas in the east and flows into Jiayuguan Pass in the west. On its way, the Great Wall passes through the provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ninxia, Shaanxi, and Gansu. By visiting the Great Wall of China, you can view the diversity in scenery as well as the ethnic people of China.
History of the Great Wall
The Chinese people were already familiar with how to build walls by the time of the Spring and Autumn Period. This period began around the 7th century, BC. During the Warring States Period that occurred from the 5th century BC to 221 BC, the states of Yan, Zhao, and Qi all had formed or constructed walls to defend their own borders. They were built in order to withstand the attacks of spears and swords, and these walls were typically built by stamping the earth and gravel between board frames. In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang was able to conquer the opposing states, and the Qin Dynasty was formed. He ordered that the wall sections that divided his empire be destroyed. Then in order to protect the empire against any intrusions by the Xiongnu people from the northern border, he ordered the people to build a new wall with the purpose of connecting the remaining walls along the new northern frontier of the new empire.
You can walk up the very steep steps of the Great Wall.
Local resources were typically used to build the walls, since it is very difficult to transport the materials needed in order to build the wall. Typically stones from the mountains were used over the mountain ranges, while rammed earth was often used for construction in plains areas. Earlier it was stated that there were many Chinese who died from building the wall. These peasants who died in the process were buried inside the wall, and were unearthed later by archaeologists. It is possible that around one million people died while building the Qin Dynasty’s wall. Unfortunately most of these ancient walls have eroded away, and very little remains. In later years, the Han, Sui, Jin, and Northern dynasties all repaired, rebuilt, or in some cases expanded sections of the Great Wall in order to defend themselves against invaders from the north. This was a very expensive undertaking.
Under the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall was revived. After the Ming Army was defeated by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449, the Ming decided to adopt a new strategy to keep the nomadic Mongols out by constructing walls along their northern border. The Ming construction was stronger, more durable, and more elaborate than the earlier Qin walls because of the use of bricks and stones instead of rammed earth. There were Mongol raids that continued during this time, but the Ming continued to devote time and resources to the reinforcement and repair of the Great Wall. The sections found along the Ming capital of Beijing were particularly durable and strong.
This part of the Great Wall is in good shape.
During the end of the Shun Dynasty, the Great Wall assisted in the defense of the empire against the invasions of the Manchu that started around 1600. The Ming army held off the attacks of the Manchus at the Shanhaiguan pass, which kept the Manchus from entering the Liaodong Peninsula and the heart of China. In 1644, the Manchus were finally able to cross the Great Wall when the gates at Shanghaiguan were opened by a Ming border general named Wu Sangui, who disliked the actions of the rulers of the Shun Dynasty. The Manchus were able to seize control of Beijing, and they defeated the Shun Dynasty and Ming Resistance, and established the Qing Dynasty. During the rule of Qing, the borders extended beyond the walls and were annexed into the empire. This resulted in the ending of construction and repairs to the Great Wall. However, there was a counterpart to the Great Wall build in the south that protected and divided the Chinese from the Miao.
Places to Visit at the Great Wall
* The North Pass of Juyongguan Pass, also known as the Badaling was used by the Chinese to protect their land. This section had many defensive guards to defend Beijing. It is made from stones and bricks and is almost 26 feet high and about 16 feet wide. One of the most striking areas is where it climbs up very steep slopes. It runs 7 miles long, with a range of 5 to 8 meters in height, and six meters across the bottom, and narrows up to five meters across the top. One of Jinshanling’s 67 watchtowers is Wanginglou, which is 980 meters above sea level.
* Just southeast of Jinshanling is the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is winding around mountains from the southeast to the northwest for a little over a mile. It connects to the Juyongguan Pass on the west and the Gubeikou to the east.
* A third location you may wish to visit is near the eastern extremity of the Great Wall, where the first pass of the Great Wall was built on the Shanhaiguan, which is the first mountain that the Great Wall climbs. Here you will also find Jia Shan and Jiumenkou, which is the sole part of the wall that was built as a bridge. The Shanhaiguan Great Wall is called the Museum of the Construction of the Great Wall due to the Meng Jiang-Nu Temple, which was built during the Song Dynasty.
More Great Wall Facts
Before the Great Wall was built of bricks, it was mainly constructed from earth, wood, and stones. The Ming Dynasty began using bricks in many parts of the wall, along with other materials, like lime, tiles, and stone. Bricks were easier to use than the earth and stone, so they were able to speed up the construction during this time. Bricks also were a better construction material because they were able to bear more weight and also would last longer than rammed earth. Although stone can hold its own weight better than brick, it was more difficult to use. As a result, stones that were cut in rectangular shapes were used for the foundation, inner and outer brims, and the gateway of the wall. The steps of the Great Wall of China are very tall and very steep in many areas. Often tourists become exhausted from the walk.
This shows how the Great Wall curves around.
Many locations of the Great Wall of China are in disrepair. Some portions that are north of Beijing and near tourists areas have been reconstructed and preserved. Some areas of the wall have been victim to graffiti and vandalism. Some of the parts of the wall have been destroyed because it is in the way of new construction. Erosion has also and will continue to have a negative impact on the condition of the Great Wall. In some places, the height of the wall has shrunk as much as a few meters. The square lookout towers have also disappeared. Areas that have been built from dirt or mud are also falling into disrepair from erosion.
The Great Wall has defensive fighting stations so the defenders could retreat to safety if they were overwhelmed. Each tower has restricted unique stairways and entries in order to confuse any attackers. Barracks as well as administrative centers are also located at larger intervals. Also there were signal towers built on hill tops or other high points for increased visibility. If you visit The Great Wall of China, there are also reproductions of the weapons used by the Chinese present on display in tourist areas of the Great Wall.
The Great Wall of China has been listed as one of the “Seven Medieval Wonders of the World.” If you are visiting China, you need to make sure this is one of your sightseeing opportunities.
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