Great Chinese Wall- one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it passes near Beijing. The construction process of this structure is amazing in its scale. We will tell you about the most interesting facts and events from the history of the Wall

First, let's delve a little into the history of the great structure. It is difficult to imagine how much time and human resources are required to build a structure of this scale. It is unlikely that anywhere else in the world there will be a building with such a long, great and at the same time tragic story. Construction of the Great Wall of China began in the 3rd century BC during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty, during the Warring States period (475-221 BC). In those days, the state was in dire need of protection from attacks by enemies, in particular the nomadic Xiongnu people. A fifth of the Chinese population was involved in the work, at that time it was about a million people

The wall was supposed to become the northernmost point of the planned expansion of the Chinese, as well as protect the subjects of the “Celestial Empire” from being drawn into a semi-nomadic lifestyle and assimilation with the barbarians. It was planned to clearly define the boundaries of the great Chinese civilization and to promote the unification of the empire into a single whole, since China was just beginning to form from many conquered states. Here are the boundaries of the Chinese Wall on the map:


During the Han Dynasty (206 - 220 BC), the structure was expanded westward to Dunhuang. They built many watchtowers to protect trade caravans from attacks by warring nomads. Almost all sections of the Great Wall that have survived to this day were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, they built mainly from bricks and blocks, thanks to which the structure became stronger and more reliable. During this time, the Wall ran from east to west from Shanhaiguan on the shores of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost on the border of Gansu provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region

The Qing Dynasty of Manchuria (1644-1911) broke the resistance of the Wall defenders due to the betrayal of Wu Sangui. During this period, the structure was treated with great disdain. During the three centuries that the Qing remained in power, the Great Wall was practically destroyed under the influence of time. Only a small section of it, passing near Beijing - Badaling - was preserved in order - it was used as a “gate to the capital”. Nowadays, this section of the wall is the most popular among tourists - it was the very first open to the public back in 1957, and also served as the finishing point of the cycling race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. US President Nixon visited it. In 1899, newspapers in the US wrote that the wall would be dismantled and a highway would be built in its place.

In 1984, on the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a restoration program was organized Chinese wall, financial assistance from Chinese and foreign companies was attracted. A collection was also held among individuals; anyone could donate any amount.

total length The Great Wall of China is 8 thousand 851 kilometers and 800 meters long. Just think about this figure, isn’t it impressive?



Nowadays, a 60-kilometer section of the wall in the Shanxi region in northwestern China is undergoing active erosion. The main reason therefore intensive methods of management Agriculture in the country, when groundwater gradually dried up starting in the 1950s, and the region became the epicenter of extremely strong sand storms. More than 40 kilometers of the wall have already been destroyed, and only 10 kilometers are still in place, but the height of the wall has partially decreased from five to two meters



The Great Wall was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as one of China's greatest historical sites. In addition, this is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists come here every year


There are many myths and legends surrounding such a large-scale structure. For example, the fact that this is a solid, continuous wall, built in one approach is a real myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of individual segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern border



During its construction, the Great Wall of China was nicknamed the most long cemetery on the planet, because a large number of people died at the construction site. According to rough estimates, the construction of the wall cost the lives of more than one million people


It is logical that such a giant has broken and still holds many records. The most significant of them is the longest structure ever built by man.

As I wrote above, the Great Wall was built as many individual elements in different times. Each province built its own wall and gradually they were united into a single whole. In those days, protective structures were simply necessary and were built everywhere. In total, more than 50,000 kilometers of defensive walls have been built in China over the past 2,000 years.



Since the Chinese Wall was broken in some places, it was not difficult for the Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan to raid China, and they subsequently conquered northern part country, between 1211 and 1223. The Mongols ruled China until 1368, when they were driven out by the Ming Dynasty, described above.


Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space. This pervasive myth was born in 1893 in the American magazine The Century and then re-discussed in 1932 on Robert Ripley's show, which claimed that the wall was visible from the moon - even though the first flight into space was still very far away. Nowadays, it has been proven that it is quite difficult to notice a wall from space with the naked eye. Here's a NASA photo from space, see for yourself


Another legend says that the substance used to hold the stones together was mixed with powder from human bones, and that those killed at the construction site were buried right in the wall itself to make the structure stronger. But this is not true, the solution was made from ordinary rice flour - and there are no bones or dead in the wall structure

For obvious reasons, this miracle was not included in the 7 ancient wonders of the world, but the Great Wall of China is quite rightly included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world. Another legend says that a large fire dragon paved the way for workers, indicating where to build a wall. The builders subsequently followed his tracks

While we are talking about legends, one of the most popular is about a woman named Meng Jing Nu, the wife of a farmer working on the construction of the Great Wall. When she found out that her husband died at work, she went to the wall and cried on it until it collapsed, revealing the bones of her loved one, and her wife was able to bury them

There was a whole tradition of burying those who died during the construction of the wall. Family members of the deceased carried the coffin, which had a cage with a white rooster on it. The rooster's crow was supposed to keep the spirit awake dead man until the procession recounts the Great Wall. IN otherwise, the spirit will forever wander along the wall

During the Ming Dynasty, more than one million soldiers were called upon to defend the country's borders from enemies on Great Wall. As for the builders, they were recruited from the same defenders in peacetime, peasants, simply the unemployed and criminals. There was a special punishment for all those convicted and there was only one verdict - to build a wall!

The Chinese invented a wheelbarrow especially for this construction project and used it throughout the construction of the Great Wall. Some particularly dangerous parts of the Great Wall were surrounded by protective ditches, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. The Chinese used advanced weapons for defense such as axes, hammers, spears, crossbows, halberds, and a Chinese invention: gunpowder

Observation towers were built along the entire Great Wall in uniform areas and could be up to 40 feet high. They were used to monitor the territory, as well as fortresses and garrisons for troops. They contained supplies of necessary food and water. In case of danger, a signal was given from the tower, torches, special beacons or simply flags were lit. The western section of the Great Wall, with a long chain of observation towers, served to protect the caravans that moved along the Silk Road, a famous trade route

The last battle at the wall took place in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War. There are many bullet marks left in the wall from those times. The highest point of the Great Wall of China is at an altitude of 1534 meters, near Beijing, while the lowest point is at sea level near Lao Long Tu. The average height of the wall is 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 8 meters, but generally ranges from 5 to 7 meters


The Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride, centuries-old struggle, and greatness. The country's government spends enormous amounts of money on the preservation of this architectural monument, amounting to billions of US dollars per year, hoping to preserve the wall for future generations

The Great Wall of China is a unique and amazing structure of all times, which has no equal in the whole world.


The grandiose building is recognized as the longest structure ever erected by man; its length, according to some sources, is almost 8,852 kilometers. At the same time, the average height of the wall is 7.5 meters (and the maximum is up to 10 meters), and the width at the base is 6.5 meters. The Chinese Wall begins in the city of Shaihanguan and ends in Gansu Province.

The Chinese Wall was built to protect the Qin Empire from threats from the north. Then in the 3rd century AD. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of an incredible defensive fortification, the construction of which involved more than a million people (slaves, peasants and prisoners of war). During the construction of the wall, tens and hundreds of thousands of people died, so it is also considered the largest cemetery in the world. With all this, the quality of the construction is amazing - even after 2000 years, most of the wall remained intact, although the main material for it was compacted earth, and ordinary rice flour was found in the mortar for laying stones and bricks. But still, some sections of the wall were restored at a later period, since over time they were destroyed under the influence of natural conditions.

It is worth noting that, despite all the efforts of the emperor to build such a large-scale defensive structure, the Qin dynasty was later overthrown.

The enormity of the Chinese Wall has given rise to many myths. For example, it is believed that it can be seen from space, but this opinion is erroneous. In addition, one of the most creepy and ominous myths says that real human bones, crushed into powder, were used as “cement” to build the wall. But as stated earlier, this is fundamentally false. There is also an opinion that people who died during construction were buried directly in the wall to make it stronger, but this is not true either - the dying builders were buried along the structure.

Today, the Great Wall of China is one of the most popular attractions in the world. Every year, more than 40 million people come to China to see with their own eyes an architectural monument that amazes with its grandeur. And the Chinese even claim that without visiting the wall it is impossible to truly understand China itself. The most popular section of the Chinese Wall among tourists is located in close proximity to Beijing - only 75 km away.

Chinese Wall brief information.

From the course school history Many of us know that the Great Wall of China is the largest architectural monument. Its length is 8.851 km. The height of the grandiose structure varies from 6 to 10 meters, and the width varies between 5 and 8 meters.

Chinese Wall on the map of China

The history of the Great Wall of China

In Northern China, as early as the 3rd century BC, there were frequent clashes between the Chinese people and the Xiongnu. This historical period was called the "Era of the Warring States".

It was then that the construction of the Great Wall of China began. The main role assigned to the stone structure was that it was supposed to mark the borders of the Chinese Empire and unite scattered provinces and regions into a single territory.

In the center of the Chinese plains, new trading posts and cities arose every now and then. And the neighboring peoples, warring among themselves and with others, robbed and ruined them with enviable regularity. The rulers of that era saw the construction of the wall as a solution to this problem.

During the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty, it was decided to devote all efforts to continuing the construction of the wall. Most of the population, and even the emperor's army, participated in this large-scale historical project.

The Chinese Wall was built during the reign of this emperor for 10 years. Slaves, peasants, people with average incomes laid down their lives to build a structure made of clay and stone. The construction work itself was complicated by the lack of access and roads to some construction sites. People were experiencing a shortage of drinking water and food, died from epidemics without doctors and healers. But construction work did not stop.

At first, the wall was built by 300 thousand people. But by the end of its construction the number of workers reached 2 million. There were many legends and tales around the Wall of China. One day, Emperor Qin was informed that the construction of the wall would stop after the death of a man named Wano. The emperor ordered to find such a one and kill him. The poor worker was immured at the base of the wall. But construction continued for a very long time.

The Chinese Wall divides China into the south of farmers and the north of nomadic peoples. During the Ming Dynasty, the wall was reinforced with bricks and watchtowers were erected on it. Under Emperor Wanli, many parts of the wall were rebuilt or rebuilt. People popularly called this wall the “earth dragon.” Because its foundations were high earthen mounds. And its colors corresponded to this name.

The Great Wall of China begins in the city of Shanghai-guan, one of its sections runs near Beijing, and ends in the city of Jiayu-guan. This wall in China it is not only a national treasure, but also a real cemetery. The bones of people buried there are still found today.

How defense structure this wall did not show its best side. Its empty sections could not stop the enemy. And for those places that were guarded by people, its height was not enough to effectively repel attacks. Its small height could not fully protect the area from barbarian raids. And the width of the structure was clearly not enough to accommodate a sufficient number of warriors capable of fully fighting.

Meaningless for defense, but useful for trade, the wall continued to be built. To build it, people were forcibly taken to work. Families were broken up, men lost wives and children, and mothers lost sons. They could send you to the wall for the slightest offense. To recruit people there, special calls were held, similar to how soldiers are recruited for the army. People grumbled, and sometimes riots were organized, which were suppressed by the emperor's army. The last riot was the last. After all, after him, the reign of the Ming Dynasty came to an end, and construction stopped.

The current Chinese government has introduced a number of fines for damaging landmarks. This had to be done because many tourists wanted to take a piece of the Chinese Wall with them. And the natural processes of its destruction only accelerated from such barbaric actions. Although in the 70s it was proposed to destroy the wall deliberately. Due to the prevailing political worldview at that time, the wall was perceived as a relic of the past.

What was the Great Wall built of?

Before the reign of the Qin dynasty, primitive building materials were used for the wall: clay, earth, pebbles. After this period, they began to build from sun-baked bricks. And also from large stone blocks. Construction materials were taken from the same place where construction took place. The solution for the stones was made from rice flour. This gluten held the blocks together quite reliably different shapes between themselves.

The Chinese Wall was even used as a road. It is heterogeneous in its structure. It has different heights, borders with mountain gorges and hills. The height of its steps in some places reaches 30 cm. Other steps are only 5 cm high. Climbing the Chinese Wall is quite convenient, but descending can be a risky adventure. And all because of this arrangement of steps.

Many tourists who visited the wall noted this feature. It would seem that there is nothing easier than going down the steps. But the paradox is that going down steps of different heights takes more time than going up them.

The attitude of the Chinese towards this building

During different periods of construction and reconstruction of the wall, people rebelled, as their strength was running out. The guards easily let the enemy through the wall. And in some places they willingly took bribes so as not to lose their lives during enemy raids.

People rebelled, not wanting to build a useless structure. Today in China the wall has a completely different meaning. Despite all the failures, difficulties and setbacks that arose during construction, the wall is considered a symbol of the resilience of the Chinese people.

Modern Chinese view the wall differently. Some experience sacred awe at the sight of it, others can easily throw garbage near this landmark. Most people have a moderate interest in it. But the Chinese go on group excursions to the wall just as willingly as foreign tourists.

Mao Zedong wrote in his book that anyone who has not visited the Great Wall cannot call himself a true Chinese. On small areas walls, marathons of runners are organized annually, excursions are held, research papers and reconstruction.

Chinese Wall: facts, myths and beliefs

Among the abundance of information about the main Chinese attraction, a fairly popular myth is that the Wall of China is visible even from the moon. In fact, this myth has long been debunked. Not a single astronaut has been able to clearly see this wall either from an orbital station or from a night satellite of the earth.

In 1754, the first mention appeared that the Great Wall of China was so large that it was the only one visible from the moon. But the astronauts were never able to see this structure made of stones and earth in the photographs.

In 2001, Neil Armstrong also denied rumors that the Wall of China could be seen from Earth's orbit. He stated that none of the other astronauts could clearly see this structure on Chinese territory.

In addition to disputes about the visibility of the wall from orbit, there are many rumors and legends surrounding this landmark. The terrible legend that the construction mortar was mixed from crushed human bones was also not confirmed. Rice flour served as the basis for the solution.

Another myth says that when a farmer died while building a wall, his wife cried on it for so long that part of the structure collapsed, exposing the remains of the deceased. And the woman was able to bury her husband with all honors.

There were various rumors about the construction of this facility. Some claimed that a real fire-breathing dragon helped people lay the track for the wall, which melted the space with its flame to make it easier construction work On him.

Among other things, there is a legend about the construction itself. It says that when the chief architect was approached and asked how many bricks to make. He said the number "999999". After the completion of the construction work, one brick remained, and the cunning architect ordered it to be installed above one of the entrances to the watchtower to attract good luck. And he pretended that everything was planned that way.

Let's look at the reliable facts about the Great Wall of China:

  • The site is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List;
  • Some sections of the wall were destroyed by contemporaries because there was a need for space for new construction;
  • This artificial structure is the longest in the world;
  • The attraction is not classified as a wonder of the Ancient World;
  • Another name for the Chinese Wall is “Purple Border”;
  • The wall was opened for the entire world community in 1605 by the European Bento de Gois;
  • Except protective functions, the design was used to introduce state duties, control over the resettlement of peoples and accounting for foreign trade;
  • Many famous politicians and actors visited this attraction;
  • The wall's sentry points were used as beacons;
  • Even today night and evening tours are organized on the wall;
  • This structure can be climbed on foot or by cable car;
  • In 2004, 41.8 million foreign tourists visited the wall;
  • The simple wheelbarrow, commonly used on construction sites, was invented during the construction of the wall;
  • The final battle on this structure took place in 1938 between the Chinese and Japanese;
  • The highest point of the wall is located near the city of Beijing, 5000 meters above sea level;
  • This object is the most popular tourism destination in the Middle Kingdom;
  • The construction of the legendary wall was completed in 1644.

It is almost impossible to maintain such a huge architectural object in a presentable form. What influences the Great Wall of China today?

Why is the heritage of our ancestors being destroyed?

Over the course of three imperial “kingdoms” in a row, the Chinese Wall was built and rebuilt several times. It was built during the reign of the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties. Each dynasty brought something new to the appearance of the structure, giving the construction a new meaning. Construction was completed during the Ming era. The construction of the wall served as one of the reasons for a large-scale uprising, during which the last representative of the dynasty was overthrown from the throne.

Today, even modern construction technologies and innovations cannot stop the destruction of a huge structure. Some sections of the wall collapse on their own due to exposure to rain, sun, winds and time.

Others are dismantled by local residents to use the materials to build villages. Tourists also cause damage to the wall. Often there are sections of the wall covered in graffiti. Stones and other parts are pulled out from the structure.

In addition, some sections of the Great Wall of China are so far from cities and settlements that there is simply no one to monitor their condition. And the business, which is costly for the economy, does not fit into the modern Chinese budget.

The Great Wall gives the impression of a structure organically integrated into the landscape. It seems to merge with the trees, hills and steppes around, without in any way disturbing the beauty of the places where it lies. Her colors are earthy and sandy tones. If you look from the outside, you get the impression that the structure, like a chameleon, adapts to all the shades of greenery around it and dissolves among the woody palettes of the local vegetation.

This attraction has many canals and branches. Her story is full of secrets, tragedies and mysteries. And the design itself is not distinguished by engineering delights. But the meaning inherent in this symbol today allows us to say that the Chinese people have no equal in work and perseverance. After all, for the construction of this building it took millennia and millions of human hands building the wall stone by stone.

The Great Wall of China is also called " Long wall". Its length is 10 thousand li, or more than 20 thousand kilometers, and to reach its height, a dozen people must stand on each other's shoulders... It is compared to a writhing dragon, stretching from the Yellow Sea to the Tibetan Mountains. There is no other place on earth one similar structure.


Temple of Heaven: Imperial Sacrificial Altar in Beijing

Construction of the Great Wall of China begins

According to the official version, construction began during the Warring States period (475-221 BC), under Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, in order to protect the state from the attacks of the Xiongnu nomads, and lasted ten years. About two million people built the wall, which then amounted to a fifth of the total population of China. Among them were people of various classes - slaves, peasants, soldiers... The construction was supervised by the commander Meng Tian.

Legend has it that the emperor himself rode on a magical white horse, plotting the route for the future structure. And where his horse stumbled, then a watchtower was erected... But this is just a legend. But the story about the dispute between the Master and the official looks much more plausible.

The fact is that the construction of such a huge building required talented builders. There were plenty of them among the Chinese. But one was especially distinguished by his intelligence and ingenuity. He was so skilled in his craft that he could accurately calculate how many bricks were needed for such a construction...

The imperial official, however, doubted the Master's ability and set a condition. If, they say, the Master makes a mistake by only one brick, he himself will install this brick on the tower in honor of the craftsman. And if the mistake amounts to two bricks, then let him blame his arrogance - severe punishment will follow...

A lot of stones and bricks were used for the construction. After all, in addition to the wall, watchtowers and gate towers also rose. There were about 25 thousand of them along the entire route. So, on one of these towers, which is located near the famous ancient Silk Road, you can see a brick, which, unlike the others, noticeably protrudes from the masonry. They say this is the same one that the Official promised to lay in honor of the skilled Master. Consequently, he escaped the promised punishment.

The Great Wall of China is the longest cemetery in the world

But even without any punishment, so many people died during the construction of the Wall that this place began to be called “the longest cemetery in the world.” The entire construction route was covered with the bones of the dead.

In total, experts say, there are about half a million of them. The reason was poor working conditions. According to legend, she tried to save one of these unfortunate people. She hurried to him with warm clothes for the winter. Having learned on the spot about the death of her husband, Meng - that was the woman’s name - began to cry bitterly, and from the profuse tears her part of the wall collapsed. And then the emperor himself intervened. Either he was afraid that the whole Wall would crawl from the woman’s tears, or he liked the widow, beautiful in her sadness, - in a word, he ordered to take her to his palace.

And she seemed to agree at first, but it turned out only in order to be able to bury her husband with dignity. And then faithful Meng committed suicide by throwing herself into a stormy stream... And how many more such deaths have happened? However, is there a record of victims when great state affairs are accomplished...

And there was no doubt that such a “fence” was an object of great national importance. According to historians, the wall not only protected the great “Celestial Middle Empire” from nomads, but rather guarded the Chinese themselves so that they would not flee from their dear fatherland... They say that the greatest Chinese traveler Xuanzang had to climb over the wall, stealthily, in the middle of the night, under a hail of arrows from the border guards...

The great Wall of China - grandiose building throughout the history of mankind, which performs a defensive function. The reasons for the creation of such a large-scale building arose long before the start of the long construction. Many principalities of the north and kingdoms of China in general built protective walls from raids of hostility and simple nomads. When all the kingdoms and principalities united (3rd century BC), the emperor named Qin Shi Huang, with all the forces of China, began the centuries-long and difficult construction of the Chinese Wall.

Shanhai-guan is the city where the Great Wall of China begins. It is from there that it stretches in wavy curves, skirting more than half the borders of Central China. The width of the wall is on average 6 meters, and the height is about 10. At some point in time, the wall was even used as a good, flat road. On some sections of the wall there are fortresses and fortifications as additions.

2450 meters is the length of the Chinese Wall, although the total length, taking into account all the branches, bends and meanders, is almost 5000 km. Such large and endless dimensions have long given rise to many legends, myths and fairy tales, for example, one of the most common is that the wall can be seen from the Moon and Mars. In fact, the Wall of China is only visible from orbit and in satellite images.

According to a widespread legend, a huge imperial army, about 300,000 people, was spent on the construction of the wall. In addition, tens of thousands of peasants were accepted and involved in construction, since the number of builders was decreasing for various reasons, and it was necessary to compensate for this with new people. Fortunately, there are no problems with “human resources” in China to this day.

The geographical location of the wall itself is very interesting: it is a symbol that divides the country into two parts - the north belongs to the nomads, and the south to the landowners.

Another interesting and tragic fact is that this is the longest and largest cemetery in the world in terms of the number of burials. History is silent about how many people were buried during construction and during the entire period in general. But the figure is probably incredibly large. The remains of the dead are found even today.

During the entire existence of the wall, it was restored more than once: its reconstruction was carried out from the 14th to the 16th centuries, and then from 16 to 17. At this point, special signal towers were added, which made it possible to notify the enemy’s attack through fire and smoke (transmitted from one tower to another).

As a means of defense, the wall performed very poorly, because such a height is not a hindrance for a large enemy. Therefore, the guards for the most part did not look at north side, and to the south. The reason was that it was necessary to keep an eye on the peasants who wanted to leave the country to avoid taxes.

Today, in the 21st century, the Great Wall of China is an officially recognized symbol of its country, known throughout the world. Many of its sections have been reconstructed for tourism purposes. One part of the wall runs directly next to Beijing, which is a winning option because the capital attracts the largest number of tourists.