The Great Wall of China is one of the oldest structures that has survived to this day. Its construction lasted for many centuries, accompanied by exorbitant human losses and gigantic material costs. Today, this legendary architectural monument, which some even call the eighth wonder of the world, attracts travelers from all over the planet.

Which Chinese ruler was the first to build the Wall?

The beginning of the construction of the Wall is associated with the name of the legendary emperor Qin Shi Huang. He did many important things for the development of Chinese civilization. In the 3rd century BC. e. Qin Shi Huang was able to unite several kingdoms that were warring among themselves into a single entity. After unification, he ordered the construction of a high Wall on the northern borders of the empire (more specifically, this happened in 215 BC). In this case, the direct management of the construction process was to be carried out by the commander Meng Tian.

Construction lasted about ten years and was fraught with many difficulties. A serious problem was the lack of any infrastructure: there were no roads for transporting construction materials, and there was also not enough water and food for the people involved in the work. The number of those who were involved in construction during the time of Qin Shi Huang reached, according to researchers, two million. Soldiers, slaves, and then peasants were transported en masse for this construction.

The working conditions (and it was mostly forced labor) were extremely cruel, so many builders died right here. We have reached legends about embedded corpses, that supposedly powder from the bones of the dead was used to strengthen the structure, but this is not confirmed by facts and research.


The construction of the Wall, despite the difficulties, was carried out at a high pace

A popular version is that the Wall was intended to prevent raids by tribes that lived in the lands to the north. There is some truth in this. Indeed, at this time the Chinese principalities were attacked by aggressive Xiongnu tribes and other nomads. But they did not pose a serious threat and could not cope with the militarily and culturally advanced Chinese. And further historical events showed that the Wall is, in principle, not very good way stop the nomads. Many centuries after the death of Qin Shi Huang, when the Mongols came to China, it did not become an insurmountable obstacle for them. The Mongols found (or made themselves) several gaps in the Wall and simply walked through them.

The main purpose of the Wall was probably to limit further expansion of the empire. This seems not entirely logical, but only at first glance. The new emperor needed to preserve his territory and at the same time prevent a mass exodus of his subjects to the north. There the Chinese could mix with the nomads and adopt their nomadic way of life. And this could ultimately lead to a new fragmentation of the country. That is, the Wall was intended to consolidate the empire within its existing borders and contribute to its consolidation.

Of course, the Wall could be used at any time to move troops and cargo. And the system of signal towers on and near the Wall ensured fast communication. Advancing enemies could be seen in advance from afar and quickly, by lighting a fire, notifying others about this.

The wall during other dynasties

During the reign of the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the Wall was extended westward to the oasis city of Dunhuang. Additionally, a special network of watchtowers was created, stretching even deeper into the Gobi Desert. These towers were designed to protect traders from nomadic robbers. During the Han Empire, about 10,000 kilometers of the Wall were restored and built from scratch - this is twice as much as was built under Qin Shi Huangji.


During the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), women, rather than men, began to be used as sentries on the Wall, whose duties included monitoring the surrounding area and, if necessary, sounding an alarm. It was believed that women are more attentive and take the responsibilities assigned to them more responsibly.

Representatives of the ruling Jin dynasty (1115–1234 AD) made a lot of efforts to improve the Wall in the 12th century - they periodically mobilized for construction work tens and hundreds of thousands of people.

Sections of the Great Wall of China that have survived to this day in acceptable condition were built primarily during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). In this era, blocks of stone and bricks were used for construction, which made the structure even stronger than before. And, as research shows, ancient masters prepared mortar from limestone with the addition of rice flour. Largely thanks to this unusual composition, many sections of the Wall have not collapsed to this day.


During the Ming Dynasty, the Wall was seriously updated and modernized - this helped many of its sections survive to this day.

The appearance of the Wall also changed: its upper part was equipped with a parapet with battlements. In those areas where the foundation was already flimsy, it was reinforced with stone blocks. It is interesting that at the beginning of the twentieth century, the people of China considered Wan-Li to be the main creator of the Wall.

Over the centuries of the Ming dynasty, the structure stretched from the Shanhaiguan outpost on the coast of the Bohai Bay (here one section of the fortifications even goes a little into the water) to the Yumenguan outpost, located on the border of the modern Xinjiang region.


After the accession of the Manchu Qing dynasty in 1644, which managed to unite the North and South of China under its control, the issue of the safety of the wall faded into the background. It lost its significance as a defensive structure and seemed useless to the new rulers and many of their subjects. Representatives of the Qing dynasty treated the Wall with some disdain, in particular due to the fact that they themselves easily overcame it in 1644 and entered Beijing, thanks to the betrayal of General Wu Sangai. In general, none of them had plans to build the Wall further or restore any sections.

During the reign of the Qing dynasty, the Great Wall practically collapsed, as it was not properly cared for. Only a small section of it near Beijing - Badaling - was preserved in decent condition. This section was used as a kind of front “metropolitan gate”.

The wall in the 20th century

It was only under Mao Zedong that serious attention was again paid to the Wall. Once, back in the thirties of the 20th century, Mao Zedong said that anyone who has not been to the Wall cannot consider himself a good fellow (or, in another translation, a good Chinese). These words subsequently became a very popular saying among the people.


But large-scale work to restore the Wall began only after 1949. True, during the years of the “cultural revolution” these works were interrupted - on the contrary, the so-called Red Guards (members of school and student communist detachments) dismantled some sections of the Wall and made pigsties and other “more useful” ones, in their opinion, from the building materials thus obtained. objects.

In the seventies, the Cultural Revolution ended, and soon Deng Xiaoping became the next leader of the PRC. With his support, a program to restore the Wall was launched in 1984 - it was financed by large companies and ordinary people. And three years later, the Great Wall of China was included in the UNESCO list as a world heritage site.

Not so long ago, there was a widespread myth that the Wall could actually be seen from low-Earth orbit. However, real evidence from astronauts refutes this. For example, the famous American astronaut Neil Armstrong said in one of his interviews that, in principle, he does not believe that it is possible to see at least any artificial structure from orbit. And he added that he doesn’t know a single guy who would admit that he could see with his own eyes, without special devices, the Great Wall of China.


Features and dimensions of the Wall

If we count together the branches created in different periods Chinese history, then the length of the Wall will be more than 21,000 kilometers. Initially, this object resembled a network or a complex of walls, which often did not even have a connection with each other. Later they were united, strengthened, demolished and rebuilt if there was such a need. As for the height of this grandiose structure, it varies from 6 to 10 meters.

On outside On the walls you can see simple rectangular battlements - this is another feature of this design.


It is worth saying a few words about the towers of this magnificent Wall. There are several types of them, they differ in architectural parameters. The most common are rectangular two-story towers. And at the top of such towers there are necessarily loopholes.

Interestingly, some towers were erected by Chinese craftsmen even before the construction of the Wall itself. Such towers are often smaller in width than the main structure, and their locations appear to be chosen at random. The towers that were erected along with the Wall are almost always located two hundred meters from each other (this is a distance that an arrow fired from a bow cannot overcome).


As for signal towers, they were installed approximately every ten kilometers. This allowed a person on one tower to see a fire lit on another, neighboring tower.

In addition, 12 large gates were created for entry or entry into the Wall - over time, full-fledged outposts grew up around them.

Of course, the existing landscape did not always facilitate the easy and quick construction of the Wall: in certain places it runs along a mountain range, skirting ridges and spurs, rising to heights and descending into deep gorges. This, by the way, demonstrates the uniqueness and originality of the structure being described - the Wall is very harmoniously integrated into the environment.

The wall today

Now the most popular section of the Wall among tourists is the already mentioned Badaling, located not far (about seventy kilometers) from Beijing. It is better preserved than other areas. It became accessible to tourists in 1957, and since then excursions have been constantly held here. Today you can get to Badaling directly from Beijing by bus or express train - it won't take much time.

At the 2008 Olympics, the Badaling Gate served as the finish line for cyclists. And every year in China a marathon is organized for runners, the route of which passes through one of the sections of the legendary Wall.


Throughout the long history of the Wall's construction, things have happened. For example, builders sometimes rioted because they did not want or did not want to work anymore. In addition, often the guards themselves let the enemy pass the Wall - out of fear for their lives or for a bribe. That is, in many cases it was indeed an ineffective protective barrier.

Today in China, the Wall, despite all the failures, difficulties and failures that arose during its construction, is considered a symbol of the perseverance and hard work of its ancestors. Although among ordinary modern Chinese there will also be those who belong to this building with genuine respect, and those who would not hesitate to throw rubbish near this landmark. It was noted that Chinese residents go on excursions to the Wall just as willingly as foreigners.


Unfortunately, time and the vagaries of nature work against this architectural structure. For example, in 2012, the media reported that heavy rains in Hebei completely washed away a 36-meter section of the Wall.

Experts estimate that a significant segment of the Great Wall of China (literally thousands of kilometers) will be destroyed before 2040. First of all, this threatens sections of the Wall in Gansu Province - their condition is very dilapidated.

Discovery Channel documentary “Breaking History. The great Wall of China"

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 completely 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 area among tourists Chinese wall is located in close proximity to Beijing - only 75 km.

Chinese Wall brief information.

The most recognizable symbol of China, as well as its long and colorful history, has become the great Wall of China. This monumental structure consists of numerous walls and fortifications, many of which run parallel to each other. Originally conceived for protection against nomadic raids by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (circa 259-210 BC). Great Wall of China (China) became one of the most ambitious construction projects in the history of mankind.

The great Wall of China: Interesting Facts

Here are the most interesting facts about the Great Wall of China:
VKS is the longest wall in the world and the largest building of antiquity.
Stunning scenery, from the beaches of Qinhuangdao to the rugged mountains around Beijing.

Consists of the great Wall of China from many sections:

  • Badaling
  • Huang Huancheng
  • Juyunguan
  • Ji Yongguan
  • Shanhaiguan
  • Yangguang
  • Gubeika
  • Giancu
  • Jin Shan Ling
  • Mutianyu
  • Symatai
  • Yangmenguang


Here's an interesting fact. Why do the loopholes of the Great Wall of China face China?? In fact, the photo shows that they look in both directions at once - that is, they were made with the expectation that they could be defended on both sides.

Length of the Great Wall of China in kilometers

  • Contrary to popular belief, the wall is not visible from space without a good approach.
  • Already during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), sticky rice dough was used for construction as a kind of material for holding stone blocks together.
  • The labor force at the construction site were military personnel, peasants, convicts and prisoners, naturally not of their own free will.
  • Although officially 8,851 km, the length of all the branches and sections built over thousands of years is estimated at 21,197 km. The circumference of the equator is 40,075 km.

  • There is a popular legend about Meng Jing Nu, whose husband died at a construction site. Her cry was so bitter that the Great Wall of China collapsed, exposing her husband's bones, and the wife was able to bury him.
  • There are still traces of bullets in the Gubeik area; there was a fierce battle here in the past.
  • During the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), many stones from the wall were stolen to build houses, farms and reservoirs.

  • Northwestern sections of the wall (eg in Gansu and Ningxia provinces) will likely disappear within 20 years. The reason for this is how natural conditions, and human activity.
  • The most famous part of the Great Wall, Badaling, has been visited by more than 300 heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, the first being the Soviet politician Klim Voroshilov in 1957.

    • The Great Wall of China (China): history of creation

    Significance: The longest fortification ever built by man.
    Purpose of construction: protection of the Chinese Empire from Mongol and Manchu invaders.
    Significance for tourism: the largest and at the same time the most popular attraction of the PRC.
    Provinces where the Great Wall of China passes: Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu.
    Start and end: From Shanhaiguan Pass (39.96N, 119.80E) to Jiayu Belt (39.85N, 97.54E). The direct distance is 1900 km.
    Closest site to Beijing: Juyunguan (55 km)


    Most visited site: Badaling (63 million visitors in 2001)
    Terrain: mostly mountains and hills. Great Wall of China, China extends from the Bohai coast in Qinhuangdao, around the northern part of the Chinese Plain, across the Loess Plateau. Then it goes along the desert province of Gansu, between the Tibetan plateau and the loess hills of Inner Mongolia.

    Altitude: from sea level to more than 500 meters.
    The most suitable time of year to visit the Great Wall of China: areas near Beijing are best visited in spring or autumn. Jiayuguan - from May to October. Shanhaiguan Passage - in summer and early autumn.

    The Great Wall of China is the largest cemetery. More than a million people lost their lives during its construction.

The Great Wall of China is probably the most famous monument ancient architecture. Stretching more than 8,000 km across northern China, the wall is an integral part of the history of the Middle Kingdom. Hundreds of thousands of workers worked on the construction of this structure for decades.

Now we can admire the long stone snake, which blends so organically into the surrounding landscape. But most often in photographs or excursions we see only the middle parts of this grandiose structure. Much less often we are shown the beginning of the Great Wall of China. Officially, it is located right on the coast of the Yellow Sea - it was there, according to the idea of ​​ancient Chinese engineers, that a defensive structure against external enemies could be completed.


"Dragon's Head" | depositphotos — @lenkusa

In this case, the wall goes into the water until the depth becomes large enough to prevent the advance of an infantryman or horseman. The Chinese liked to compare their wall, stretching from east to west, with a huge dragon. By analogy, the easternmost point of the wall is called the “Dragon’s Head”.

But if only everything were so simple! The construction of northern defensive structures began in the 5th century BC, when China was divided into internecine wars. Each dynasty built its own section of the wall, which would allow it to protect itself from at least one enemy - in this case, the nomadic Xiongnu tribes living in the north. Dynasties changed, one ruling house defeated another, and each time the construction of the wall began anew in different places, not always connected to each other. Some parts have reached us perfectly preserved, others are now barely visible in the landscape. It turns out that this seemingly single defensive structure can rightly be called the Great Walls of China.


The map shows the various sections of the defensive fortifications that were built Chinese rulers. Interestingly, some of the fortifications were even located on the territory of modern Russia

But still we are used to talking about the wall in singular- largely thanks to the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang, who put an end to civil strife, united the country and managed to build a single wall from separate sections of many defensive walls that reliably covered the states from the north (although, of course, even with him the wall was not completely connected - often this The difficult-to-reach area where the construction was taking place did not allow this to be done). In some places it was necessary to lay a new wall, the strong sections of which are so popular with tourists these days, in some places it was necessary to restore the old wall, which is now in poor condition, and in others it was decided to completely use the old parts that are now only hills remained. At the same time, many parts of the wall remained completely unused in the overall defensive line. And figuring out which of them really was part of the Great Wall, starting with the reign of Qin Shi Huang, is not an easy task.

Of course, over the past hundreds of years, the borders of countries have changed greatly, and what was previously under the rule of the Chinese emperors now belongs to other states. For example, North Korea. But this is where the real beginning of the Great Wall of China is located. True, the followers of the Juche ideas are unlikely to carefully take care of the unique structure, so on the territory of their state only ruins remain of the once wide (5-8 meters) and high (6-7 meters) Great Wall of China. Due to the fact that the ideology of North Korea cannot even afford the thought that their land once belonged to strangers, no archaeological research is being carried out there, therefore, for lack of data, one can only assume that the Great Wall of China begins somewhere north of modern Pyongyang.


The Jade Gate is the western end of the Great Wall of China | Flickr - Tim Wang

The end of the Great Wall of China is far to the west and is probably located somewhere in Jiuquan County. It was there that the westernmost guard posts were discovered, dating back to the 2nd century BC. They were called the “Jade Gate” and were both a stronghold on the Chinese border and literally the gate through which the Great Silk Road ran and where merchants were charged a tax for traveling through the emperor’s lands.

Illustration: depositphotos | @lenkusa

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The longest defensive structure in the world is the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about her today are quite numerous. This masterpiece of architecture is fraught with many mysteries. It causes fierce debate among various researchers.

The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been established precisely. It is only known that it stretches from Jiayuguan, located in Gansu Province, to (Liaodong Bay).

Wall length, width and height

The length of the structure is about 4 thousand km, according to some sources, and according to others - more than 6 thousand km. 2450 km is the length of a straight line drawn between its end points. However, it must be taken into account that the wall does not go straight anywhere: it bends and turns. The length of the Great Wall of China, therefore, should be at least 6 thousand km, and possibly more. The height of the structure is on average 6-7 meters, reaching 10 meters in some areas. The width is 6 meters, that is, 5 people can walk along the wall in a row, even a small car can easily pass. On its outer side there are “teeth” made of large bricks. The inner wall is protected by a barrier, the height of which is 90 cm. Previously, there were drains in it, made through equal sections.

Start of construction

The Great Wall of China began during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He ruled the country from 246 to 210. BC e. It is customary to associate the history of the construction of such a structure as the Great Wall of China with the name of this creator of a unified Chinese state - the famous emperor. Interesting facts about it include a legend according to which it was decided to build it after one court soothsayer predicted (and the prediction came true many centuries later!) that the country would be destroyed by barbarians coming from the north. In order to protect the Qin Empire from nomads, the emperor ordered the construction of defensive fortifications, unprecedented in scale. They later turned into this grandiose building like the Great Wall of China.

Facts indicate that the rulers of various principalities located in Northern China erected similar walls along their borders even before the reign of Qin Shi Huang. By the time of his accession to the throne, the total length of these ramparts was about 2 thousand km. The emperor first only strengthened and united them. This is how the unified Great Wall of China was formed. Interesting facts about its construction, however, do not end there.

Who built the wall?

Real fortresses were built at checkpoints. Intermediate military camps for patrolling and garrison service, and watchtowers were also built. "Who built the Great Wall of China?" - you ask. Hundreds of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war and criminals were rounded up to build it. When workers became scarce, mass mobilizations of peasants also began. Emperor Shi Huang, according to one legend, ordered a sacrifice to the spirits. He ordered that a million people be immured in the wall under construction. This is not confirmed by archaeological data, although isolated burials were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is still unclear whether they were ritual sacrifices, or whether they simply buried dead workers in this way, those who built the Great Wall of China.

Completion of construction

Shortly before Shi Huangdi's death, the construction of the wall was completed. According to scientists, the reason for the impoverishment of the country and the turmoil that followed the death of the monarch was precisely the enormous costs of building defensive fortifications. It stretches through deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along cities, across the whole of China. Great Wall, turning the state into an almost impregnable fortress.

Protective function of the wall

Many later called its construction pointless, since there would have been no soldiers to defend such long wall. But it should be taken into account that it served to protect against the light cavalry of various nomadic tribes. In many countries, similar structures were used against steppe inhabitants. For example, this is the Trajan Wall, built by the Romans in the 2nd century, as well as the Serpentine Walls, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large detachments of cavalry could not overcome the wall, since cavalry needed to break through or destroy large plot. And without special devices it was not easy to do this. Genghis Khan managed to do this in the 13th century with the help of military engineers from Zhudrjey, the kingdom he conquered, as well as local infantry in huge numbers.

How different dynasties cared for the wall

All subsequent rulers took care of the safety of the Great Wall of China. Only two dynasties were an exception. These are the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty, and also the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about a little later). They controlled the lands north of the wall, so they did not need it. The history of the building went through different periods. There were times when the garrisons guarding it were recruited from pardoned criminals. The tower, located on the Golden Terrace of the Wall, was decorated in 1345 with bas-reliefs depicting Buddhist guards.

After it was defeated during the reign of the next one (Ming), in 1368-1644 work was carried out to strengthen the wall and maintain the defensive structures in proper condition. Beijing, the new capital of China, was only 70 kilometers away, and its safety depended on the safety of the wall.

During the reign, women were used as sentries on the towers, monitoring the surrounding area and, if necessary, giving an alarm signal. This was motivated by the fact that they treat their duties more conscientiously and are more attentive. There is a legend according to which the legs of the unfortunate guards were cut off so that they could not leave their post without an order.

Folk legend

We continue to expand on the topic: “The Great Wall of China: interesting facts.” The photo of the wall below will help you imagine its greatness.

Folk legend tells about the terrible hardships that the builders of this structure had to endure. The woman, whose name was Meng Jiang, came here from a distant province to bring warm clothes to her husband. However, upon reaching the wall, she learned that her husband had already died. The woman was unable to find his remains. She lay down near this wall and cried for several days. Even the stones were touched by the woman’s grief: one of the sections of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing the bones of Meng Jiang’s husband. The woman took the remains of her husband home, where she buried them in the family cemetery.

Invasion of the “barbarians” and restoration work

The wall did not save the “barbarians” from the last large-scale invasion. The overthrown aristocracy, fighting with the rebels representing the Yellow Turban movement, allowed numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - the Qin. From that moment on, the Great Wall lost its defensive significance. It completely fell into disrepair. Only after 1949 did restoration work begin. The decision to start them was made by Mao Zedong. But during the “cultural revolution” that took place from 1966 to 1976, the “red guards” (Red Guards), who did not recognize the value of ancient architecture, decided to destroy some sections of the wall. She looked, according to eyewitnesses, as if she was subject to an enemy assault.

Now it was not only forced laborers or soldiers who were sent here. Service on the wall became a matter of honor, as well as a strong career incentive for young people from noble families. The words that one who was not there cannot be called a fine fellow, which Mao Zedong turned into a slogan, became a new saying right then.

The Great Wall of China today

Not a single description of China is complete without mentioning the Great Wall of China. Local residents say that its history is half the history of the entire country, which cannot be understood without visiting the building. Scientists have calculated that from all the materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty during its construction, it is possible to build a wall whose height is 5 meters and thickness is 1 meter. It is enough to encircle the entire globe.

The Great Wall of China has no equal in its grandeur. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scale still amazes today. Anyone can purchase a certificate on the spot, which indicates the time of visiting the wall. The Chinese authorities were even forced to restrict access here in order to ensure better preservation of this great monument.

Is the wall visible from space?

For a long time it was believed that this was the only man-made object visible from space. However, this opinion has recently been refuted. Yang Li Wen, China's first astronaut, sadly admitted that he could not see this monumental structure, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps the whole point is that during the first space flights the air over Northern China was much cleaner, and therefore the Great Wall of China was visible earlier. The history of its creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with many traditions and legends that surround this majestic building even today.