The Great Wall

The Great Wall

The Great Wall of China could be traced back to the third century B.C. It could also be traced back to the so-called Warring States Period when China was separated into different kingdoms. It is said that the Qin Dynasty was the one who ordered all the walls to be join together as one system to protect China against the attack from the North. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the wall to be extended for more than 10,000 Li(which is about one third of a mile). This happened around 221 B.C.It is also said that more than 400,00 workers lost their lives during this process. Most of them are actually buried in the wall.
General Meng Tian directed the construction project of the Wan Li Chang Cheng, The Great Wall. General Meng Tian was said to have used a huge army of soldiers, convicts, and commoners as workers. The wall was made mostly of earth and stone. The wall stretched from The China Sea port of Shanhaigua  over 3,000 miles west into Gansu province. From a base of 15 to 59 feet, the Great Wall rose 15-30 feet high and was topped by ramparts 12 feet or higher. The Great Wall of China is also guarded by towers distributed at intervals along it.
Most of the Great Wall of China that exist today was constructed during the Ming Dynasty which  is around 1368-1644. The Ming emperor had little interested in building border fortification. The emperor proclaimed China's new capital Beijing in 1421. A lot of construction was going on in China at that time. Many bridges were built. The construction of the Great Wall didn't start till 1474. The Ming rulers took a large defensive stance. Their reformation and extension of the Great Wall will support this strategy. The Ming wall extended from The Yalu River in Liaoning Province forge eastern and of the Taolai River in Gansu Province.
The Great Wall of China is very significant. In the mid-17 century, the Manchus from central and southern Manchuria broke through the Great Wall and encroached on Beijing. This forced the fall of the Ming Dynasty and began the Qing( Manchu) dynasty. This happened around 1644-1912. The Great Wall emerged as the most common emblem of China for the Western world. The wall also became a symbol for both physical-a manifestation of Chinese strength, and psychological-representation of the barrier maintained by the Chinese state to repel foreign influences and exert control over its citizen.
The Great Wall's significance has changed through time. Today, the Great Wall is recognized as one of the most impressive architecture in history. UNESCO designated the Great Wall a World Heritage site, and a popular claim that emerges in the 20th century holds that it is the only man structure that is visible from the moon in 1987. Some parts of the Great wall has been deteriorated after centuries of neglect. The most popular part of the wall is located 43 miles northwest of Beijing. That part was rebuilt in the late 1950s. The Great Wall attracts thousands of national and foreign tourist everyday.


Kwan L