Great wall of china, history of construction & facts

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The Great Wall of China, Wanli Changcheng in Chinese or Wan-li Ch'ang-cheng in Wade-Giles romanization, is an enormous wall that was built in ancient China. One of the largest architectural projects ever was involved. 

ABOUT

In reality, the Great Wall is made up of several barriers that were constructed throughout two many of which run parallel to one another, spanning northern China and southern Mongolia for millennia. 

The longest and best-preserved section of the wall, which runs from Mount Hu in Dandong in southeast Liaoning province to Jiayu Pass in northwest Gansu province, was constructed during the Ming era (1368–1644).

As it snakes over the Chinese countryside, this wall frequently follows the crest lines of hills and mountains, and around one-fourth of its length is made up entirely of natural obstacles like rivers and mountain ridges. Stonehenge in England

 The remaining tiny portions are made up of ditches or moats, with the majority of the remaining distance (about 70% of the overall length) being genuine masonry walls.

 It is still one of the more amazing constructions on Earth, even though significant portions of the wall are either in ruins or have vanished entirely. In 1987, the Great Wall was named a UNESCO World Historic Site.

HISTORY OF CONSTRUCTION

The various boundary defenses and castles of several Chinese kingdoms gave rise to the Great Wall. These kingdoms likely worried about defense against their close neighbors for numerous centuries as much as they did about the possibility of barbarian assaults or invasions. Historical places

EARLY CONSTRUCTION

The state of Chu began building a permanent defense system around the 7th century BCE. This barrier, also known as the "Square Wall," was located in the northern region of the kingdom's capital province. Several states imitated Chu between the sixth and fourth centuries. 

A massive perimeter wall was progressively built in the southern region of the Qi state using existing river dikes, recently built bulwarks, and inaccessible mountainous terrain. 

To prevent invasion from the realms of Zhao and Qin in the southwest, a wall system was constructed in the Zhongshan state. In the Wei state, there were two defensive lines: the Hexi ("West of the [Yellow] River") and Henan ("South of the River") walls. 

The Hexi Wall served as a defense against the Qin state and western nomads. It was expanded from the dikes on the Luo River on the western boundary while King Hui (370–335 BCE) was in power. It began south of Mount Hua, close to Xiangyuan Cave, and finished at Guyang in what is now the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

An organization of people who operate in the construction sector is referred to as an "ecosystem." After capturing Zheng, the Han state rebuilt the Zheng state's wall system. The southern wall was primarily constructed as a defense against the Wei state, and the northern wall was completed by the state of Zhao.

10 FACTS RELATING TO THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

1. The Great Wall stretches for 21196.18 kilometers.

The Great Wall is the biggest man-made edifice on the entire planet. The entire route, which is almost 20,000 km long and snaking like a dragon across mountains and plateaus in northern China, runs from the east seaside to the west desert.

2. From the East to the West, there are fifteen key passes.

The Great Wall runs through 15 northern Chinese provinces, cities, and autonomous territories as it travels 2,500 kilometers from the Bohai Sea in the east to the Gobi Desert in the west.. 15 strategically vital passes have been built along the way.

3. It took more than 2,000 years to construct the wall.

Around 220 B.C., the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, connected the ruins of old defenses, walls, and earthworks to form a single wall. This image depicts the "First Pier of the Great Wall," which was erected in 1539 AD using rammed loess.

4. It is a succession of fortifications rather than a wall.

The Great Wall is a multi-structured defensive system with castles, barracks, garrison stations, obstacles, and beacon towers positioned throughout its length.

5. A variety of materials were used to build the Great Wall.

The Great Wall is a huge structure made of many materials. The majority of the sections that are visible now were constructed using cut stone blocks and bricks, with lime mortar used to hold the bricks together.

Tamped dirt, uncut stones, and wood were employed as local resources in places where bricks and blocks weren't readily available.

6. Eastern seafront entry point: Shanhai Pass

The earliest pass in East China is called Shanhai Pass, and it was constructed as a stronghold during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644). It is situated on Bohai Bay outside of Qinhuangdao City and 305 kilometers from Beijing. As a result of its advantageous location, it is known as the "First pass under heaven."

7. Jiayu Pass, at the Gobi Desert's westernmost point

At the western terminus of the Great Wall of China during the Ming Dynasty, Jiayu Pass is renowned for being the first border fortification. Jiayu Pass is one of the Great Wall's many well-preserved passes, out of the many that exist.

8. The legend of Lady Mengjiang is an old love story.

It ranks among the top four love stories from prehistoric China. Lady Mengjiang's husband was assigned to construct the Great Wall but never returned. She left to bring him winter clothing but later learned he had passed away. She sobbed so hard that part of the wall gave way under her weight.

9. Previous workers' prints can be seen on the bricks.

Some claim that the writing on the bricks is a system developed by General Qi Jiguang to judge the caliber of the bricks manufactured by the soldiers and to define roles. Historians, however, disputed this.

10. It is the Chinese people's largest cultural symbol.

The Great Wall is a feat of engineering that took many years and many hours to complete. Also, it demonstrated the conflicts and exchanges between agrarian and nomadic cultures.

The Juyong Pass served as a crucial thoroughfare from Beijing to Inner Mongolia during the Yuan Dynasty (1272–1368). Yuan emperors frequently traveled between various locations along this route, therefore temporary imperial palaces, temples, and gardens were built.

How much of the Great Wall still exist?

The Great Wall was never a single wall, but rather a vast expanse with over 43,721 historic sites spread over 15 provinces in northern China. Sadly, just 9.4% of the ancient wall is still standing. The length of the entire Great Wall only makes up a very minor portion of the well-preserved parts, such as Badaling and Mutianyu.

How long precisely is the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China has been constructed in portions that total 21,196 kilometers (13,171 miles) in length, including overlapped sections that were restored. The longest and best-preserved part of the wall, built during the Ming dynasty, is around 8,850 kilometers (5,499 miles) long.