Great Chinese Wall- the largest defensive structure in the history of mankind.
Even by modern standards, this building is gigantic. It could be realized only as a result of the unification of the whole country. The wall was conceived to protect the northern borders Ancient China from the raids of the barbarian hordes. But modern scientists believe that the wall was never a single defensive structure - it was built in different parts of the country under different dynasties for different purposes.
Description of the Great Wall of China
The height of the wall is 10 m, width 5-8 m. It originates from the city of Shanhaiguan and from there stretches like a giant snake along the ledges of mountain ranges to the west, ending in Central China, at the borders of the Gobi desert.
In some places, other fortifications and earthworks stretch parallel to it. At the gates and passages, additional fortresses and casemates were built for protection.
The length of the wall is over 21,000 km. To date, only 8.2% of the total length of the wall erected during the Ming Dynasty retains its original appearance, while over 74% has received serious damage. This huge structure is clearly visible even from space, from Earth's orbit. Although not all astronauts agree with this.
Satellite image of the Great Wall of China
On a section of 750 km, the wall is used not only as a fortification, but also as a convenient road.
Construction
The construction of the wall began in 221 BC. It is believed that it was built by the 300,000-strong imperial army and a huge number of peasants. The Great Wall of China was built over several centuries, but its main part was built under Emperor Qing in 10 years. Adhesive was used when laying the stone blocks of the wall. rice porrige with an admixture of slaked lime.
About how much human lives It was necessary for its construction, one can only guess. No wonder the Great Wall of China is called the "wall of tears" and "the most long cemetery peace." The remains of workers who died of exhaustion were often immured directly into the wall, sometimes they are already found in our time.
After Qin's death, the wall lost its significance for a long time. During the Han Dynasty (206-220 AD), it was renovated and extended by 100 km. In 607, the emperors of the Sui dynasty (589-618) began its reconstruction. Subsequently, the wall was subjected to reconstruction more than once.
The wall acquired its modern appearance under the emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In many areas it was rebuilt, earthen embankments were replaced with brick and stone structures. Of the 25,000 watchtowers 12 meters high, standing at a distance of two arrow flights, many have survived to this day. From their upper platforms, in the event of an enemy attack, an alarm was transmitted: at night with the help of fire, and during the day with a smoke signal.
In the XV century. under the Wanli emperor, huge work was carried out to reconstruct this structure, so huge that until the beginning of the 20th century. many believed that it was he who built the wall.
Despite the huge expenditure of manpower and resources, the effectiveness of the wall as a defensive structure turned out to be extremely low - it turned out to be a weak defense against foreign invaders. But on the other hand, it kept the population of China from fleeing from a country where cruel orders reigned.
As China's borders expanded beyond the wall, its role as a frontier was reduced to zero. For decades, peasants dismantled the wall for building materials, so that in some places it disappeared altogether. Only in 1977 did the authorities begin to punish with a large fine for damaging the wall.
- an architectural monument in China with a length of over 8800 kilometers.
The history of the construction of the Great Wall of China
The construction of the Great Wall of China began in the 3rd century BC. e. during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi-huangdi (Qin Dynasty), during the "Warring States" period (475-221 BC). The wall was supposed to protect the subjects of the "Middle Empire" from the transition to a semi-nomadic way of life, from merging with the barbarians and was supposed to clearly fix the boundaries of Chinese civilization, contribute to the consolidation of a single empire, just made up of a number of conquered kingdoms.
In the entire history of the country, there were 3 Great Walls of China, the construction of which took more than 2000 years.
Previously, the Great Wall of China was an obstacle in the way of everyone who wanted to get to China. Several special checkpoints were made in Sten, which were closed at night and under no circumstances were to be opened. Exceptions were not made even for the emperor. In order to get inside, the traveler had to obtain permission from higher authorities.
In 1644, after the conquest of China by the Manchus and the accession of a new dynasty, the Great Wall of China became unnecessary and was abandoned.
The current state of the Great Wall of China
During the three centuries of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the wall almost collapsed under the influence of erosion. A site near Beijing was maintained in relative safety - Badaling, as it served as the "gateway to the capital". Based on everything at the beginning of the century, there were rumors that the wall would be demolished, and a highway would be built in its place.
Throughout its length, fortresses, forts, signal towers were torn down, and the wall and watchtowers suffered only a little from time to time. Nowadays, several sites are open for tourists, the unrestored site is of the greatest interest. Symatai.
In 1962, the Great Wall of China was included in the list of Chinese national monuments, and in 1987 - in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List.
In 1984, under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping, a program began to restore the Great Wall of China.
The wall is a symbol of China both for the Chinese themselves and for foreigners. At the entrance to the restored part of the Wall, you can see the inscription made by Mao Tse Tung
If you have not visited the Great Wall of China, you are not a real Chinese.
- total length The Great Wall of China is 8,851 kilometers and 800 meters long.
- The average height of the wall is about 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 9 meters.
- This is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists visit here every year.
- The wall is not continuous - it is built in different times from several separate segments and later combined into one.
- The attraction is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest structure ever built by man.
- The Great Wall of China is the longest cemetery on the planet, as more than a million people died during the construction.
- The fact that the Great Wall of China is visible from space is a myth, it is barely visible even from the earth's orbit, since its maximum width does not exceed 10 meters, and the color of the stone merges with the color of the rocky surroundings.
- The highest point of the wall is at 1534 meters (near Beijing), and the lowest point is at sea level near Laolongtu.
- The last battle at the wall was in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War.
How to get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing?
The easiest and most popular way to see the Great Wall is to get to it from Beijing, here are the sites:
- Badaling(60 km from Beijing)
- Mutianyu(95 km north of Beijing)
- Symatai(120 km northeast of Beijing)
- Jinshanling(125 km northeast of Beijing)
It is easier and closer to get to the Badaling site:
- by tourist bus from Tiananmen Square;
- by taxi (~500 yuan);
- by regular bus 919 from Deshengmen stop (Jishuitan Subway Station);
- commuter train to Badaling goes from Beijing North Station;
The great Wall of China - grand building throughout the history of mankind, which performs a defensive function. The reasons for the creation of such a large-scale building were formed long before the start of a long construction. Many principalities of the north and the kingdoms of China in general built protective walls from the raids of enmity and simple nomads. When all the kingdoms and principalities united (3rd century BC), an emperor named Qin Shi Huang began the centuries-old and difficult construction of the Chinese Wall with all the forces of China.
shanhai guan is the city where the Great Wall of China begins. It is from there that it stretches in wavy bends, skirting more than half of 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 level road. On some sections of the wall there are fortresses and fortifications as additions.
2450 meters - this is the length of the Chinese wall, although the total length, taking into account all the branches, bends and meanders, is almost 5000 km. From such a large and infinite size, many legends, myths and fairy tales have long been formed, 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 satellite imagery.
According to a popular legend, a huge imperial army was spent on the construction of the wall, and this is about 300,000 people. In addition, tens of thousands of peasants were accepted and involved in construction, as the number of builders decreased for various reasons, and it was necessary to compensate for this with new people. Fortunately, there are no problems with the "human resource" in China to this day.
The geographical location of the wall is very interesting in itself: it is a symbol that divides the country into two parts - the north belongs to the nomads, and the south belongs to the landowners.
Another interesting and tragic fact is the longest and largest cemetery in the world in terms of the number of burials. About how many people were buried during the construction, and for all the time in general, history is silent. But the number is certainly incredibly large. The remains of the dead are found even today.
During the entire existence of the wall, it was restored more than once: it was reconstructed from the 14th to the 16th century, and then from the 16th to the 17th. one tower to another).
As a means of defense, the wall proved to be very bad, because such a height is not a hindrance for a large enemy. Therefore, for the most part, the guards did not look at north side, but to the south. The reason is that it was necessary to keep an eye on the peasants who wanted to leave the country, avoiding 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 passes directly next to Beijing, which is a winning option, because it is in the capital that the most a large number of tourists.
The longest defensive structure in the world is the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about her today are very numerous. This masterpiece of architecture is fraught with many mysteries. It causes fierce controversy among various researchers.
The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been precisely established. It is only known that it stretched from Jiayuguan, located in the province of Gansu, 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 - the length of a straight line drawn between its end points. However, it must be borne in mind that the wall does not go straight anywhere: it either bends or 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. Width - 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 beginning of the Great Wall of China was laid during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He ruled the country from 246 to 210. BC e. With the name of this creator of a single Chinese state - the famous emperor - it is customary to associate the history of the construction of such a structure as the Great Wall of China. 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 who came from the north. In order to protect the Qin empire from nomads, the emperor ordered the construction of defensive fortifications, unprecedented in scale. They subsequently turned into such a grandiose structure as the Great Wall of China.
Evidence suggests 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, about 2 thousand km was the total length of these ramparts. The emperor at first only strengthened and united them. This is how the 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, 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 for its construction. When there were not enough workers, mass mobilization of peasants also began. Emperor Shi Huangdi, according to one of the legends, ordered to make 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 single burials were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is still unclear whether they were ritual sacrifices, or whether they simply buried the dead workers, those who built the Great Wall of China, in this way.
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 huge costs for the construction of defensive fortifications. Through deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along cities, across the whole of China, the Great Wall stretched, turning the state into an almost impregnable fortress.
Protective function of the wall
Many called its later construction meaningless, since there would not have been soldiers for the defense of such long wall. But it should be noted that it served to protect against the light cavalry of various nomadic tribes. In many countries, similar structures were used against the steppes. For example, these are the Trajan's Wall built by the Romans in the 2nd century, as well as the Serpent's Walls, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large detachments of cavalry could not overcome the wall, since the cavalry needed to break through or destroy large plot. And without special tools, this was not easy to do. Genghis Khan managed to do this in the 13th century with the help of military engineers from the Chudji, the kingdom he conquered, as well as local infantry in huge numbers.
How different dynasties took care of 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, as well as the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about a little later). They controlled the lands north of the wall, so they didn't need it. The history of the construction knew 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 (Ming) in 1368-1644, work was underway 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 security depended on the wall.
During the reign, women were used as sentries on the towers, watching 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 tradition
We continue to reveal the topic: "The Great Wall of China: Interesting Facts". The photo of the wall below will help you imagine its greatness.
The folk legend tells about the terrible hardships that the builders of this structure had to endure. A woman named Meng Jiang came here from a remote province to bring warm clothes for her husband. However, when she reached 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 grief of a woman: one of the sections collapsed great wall by opening 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 "barbarians" and restoration work
The wall did not save from the last large-scale invasion of the "barbarians". The overthrown aristocracy, fighting with the rebels representing the Yellow Turban movement, let numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - Qin. The Great Wall from that moment lost its defensive significance. She finally 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” (Hongweibings), who did not recognize the value ancient architecture, decided to destroy some sections of the wall. She looked, according to eyewitnesses, as if she had been attacked by the enemy.
Now not only forced laborers or soldiers 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 the one who was not on it cannot be called a good fellow, which Mao Zedong turned into a slogan, became a new saying just then.
Great Wall of China today
Not a single description of China is complete without mentioning the Great Wall of China. Locals say that its history is half of the history of the whole country, which cannot be understood without visiting the structure. Scientists have calculated that with all the materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty in its construction, it is possible to fold a wall that is 5 meters high and 1 meter thick. It is enough to encircle the entire globe.
The Great Wall of China has no equal in grandeur. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scale still amazes today. Everyone can purchase a certificate right 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 the best preservation of this great monument.
Is the wall visible from space?
For a long time it was believed that this is the only man-made object visible from space. However, this view has recently been refuted. Yang Li Wen, the first Chinese astronaut, admitted with sadness that he could not see this monumental structure, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps the whole point is that at the time of 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 creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with many traditions and legends, which this majestic building is still surrounded by today.
The Great Wall of China is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it runs 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
To begin with, let's delve a little into the history of the great building. It is hard to imagine how much time and human resources it takes to build a structure of this magnitude. It is unlikely that somewhere else in the world there is a building with such a long, great and at the same time tragic history. The construction of the Great Wall of China began as early as 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 the attacks of enemies, in particular the nomadic people of the Xiongnu. A fifth of the population of China was involved in the work, at that time it was about a million people
The wall was supposed to be the extreme northern point of the planned expansion of the Chinese, as well as to 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, to promote the unification of the empire into a single whole, since China was just beginning to form from a multitude of conquered states. Here are the boundaries of the Wall of China on the map:
During the period of the Han Dynasty (206 - 220 BC), the building was expanded to the west to Dunhuang. Many watchtowers were built 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, due to which the structure became stronger and more reliable. During this time, the Wall ran from east to west from Shanhaiguan on the coast of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost on the border of the provinces of Gansu and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 
The Qing Dynasty of Manchuria (1644-1911) broke the resistance of the defenders of the Wall due to the betrayal of Wu Sangui. During this period, the building was treated with great disdain. During the three centuries of the Qing in power, the Great Wall was almost destroyed by the influence of time. Only a small section of it, passing near Beijing - Badaling - was kept in order - it was used as a "gateway 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 finish point for the cycling race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. It was visited by US President Nixon In 1899, newspapers in the United States wrote that the wall would be dismantled, and a highway would be laid in its place 
In 1984, at the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a program was organized to restore Chinese wall, financial assistance from Chinese and foreign companies was attracted. A collection was also held among individuals, everyone could donate any amount 
The total length of the Great Wall of China is 8,851 kilometers and 800 meters. Just think about this figure, is it really impressive?
In our time, a 60-kilometer section of the wall in the Shanxi region in northwest China is undergoing active erosion. main reason therefore, intensive methods of management Agriculture in the country, when, starting in the 1950s, groundwater gradually dried up, and the region became the epicenter of the emergence of extremely severe sandstorms. 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 been partially reduced from five to two meters.
The Great Wall was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as one of China's greatest historical landmarks. In addition, this is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists visit here every year.
A lot of myths and legends roam around such a large-scale structure. For example, the fact that this is a solid, continuous wall built in one go is a real myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of separate segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern border.
During construction, the Great Wall of China was nicknamed the longest cemetery on the planet, as a large number of people died at the construction site. According to approximate calculations, the construction of the wall cost the lives of more than one million people.
It is logical that such a hulk 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 separate elements at different times. Each province built its own wall and gradually they 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 erected in China over the past 2,000 years.
Since the Wall of China was interrupted in some places, it was not difficult for the Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan to raid China, and they subsequently conquered northern part countries, 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, in the Robert Ripley show, who claimed that the wall was visible from the moon - this despite the fact that the first flight into space was still very far away. In our time, it has been proven that it is quite difficult to notice a wall from space with the naked eye. Here is a picture of NASA from space, see for yourself 
Another legend says that the substance used to hold the stones together was mixed with human bone powder, and that those who died 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 rightfully included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world. Another legend says that a large fire dragon paved the way for the workers, indicating where to build the wall. Builders subsequently followed in his footsteps
Since we are talking about legends, one of the most popular is about a woman named Meng Jing Niu, the wife of a farmer working on the construction of the Great Wall. When she learned that her husband died at work, she went to the wall and cried on it until it collapsed, showing the bones of her beloved, and the wife was able to bury them 
There was a whole tradition of burying those who died on the construction of the wall. Members of the family of the deceased carried the coffin, on which was a cage with a white rooster. The crowing of a rooster 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 the Great Wall. As for the builders, they were drawn from the same defenders in peacetime, peasants, simply unemployed and criminals. There was a special punishment for all convicts and the verdict was the same - to build a wall! 
Especially for this construction, the Chinese invented a wheelbarrow and used it everywhere in the construction of the Great Wall. Some of the most dangerous parts of the Great Wall were surrounded by defensive ditches, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. The Chinese used advanced defense weapons such as axes, hammers, spears, crossbows, halberds, and a Chinese invention: gunpowder. 
Observation towers were built along the length of the Great Wall in even sections and could be up to 40 feet high. They were used to monitor the territory, as well as fortresses and garrisons for troops. They had supplies of necessary food and water. In case of danger, a signal was given from the tower, torches, special beacons or just flags were lit. The western section of the Great Wall, with a long chain of watchtowers, served to protect caravans that traveled 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 traces of bullets from those times in the wall. 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 Laolongtu. The average height of the wall is 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 8 meters, but in general it varies from 5 to 7 meters. 
The Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride, centuries of struggle, and greatness. The country's government spends huge amounts of money on the preservation of this architectural monument, estimated at billions of US dollars a year, hoping to save the wall for future generations.
