The Fascinating History of the Great Wall of China
Origins of the Great wall of China
The Great Wall of China has a long history as the wall itself is an old phenomenon. The Great Wall of China originated as a series of walls built by individual states in China during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period. The Warring states period which lasted for about two and half centuries (475- 221 BC) was a time for warfare, bureaucratic reform and consolidation. It was at that time that the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang rose to power, united China and connected the walls to form one single system in the 3rd century BC.
The Warring State Period
During the warring states period, Chinese kingdoms fought each other in a civil war for control of territory. In order to protect themselves, the kingdoms built walls that were made of compacted dirt and rocks. The walls, for effective defense, included towers, block houses and beacons. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang united China wanted to fortify China against nomadic enemies. The Emperor destroyed the existing walls, instead he fortified, and joined them together.
Construction of the wall
The construction of the Great wall lasted for about 2000 years, being built by different emperors over that period of time. It was the Ming Dynasty that completed the wall into its current form between the year 1368 and 1664 AD. To make it effectively secure, the Ming Dynasty built over 25,000 watchtowers along the wall.
Significance of the Great wall
The Great Wall of China is a significant powerful symbol of Chinese identity and culture, the wall as built mainly for protecting the country from nomadic invasions from the north. The wall served as a major defense structure of its own kind in the whole Chinese history. The wall represents the collision between agricultural and nomadic civilizations in ancient China. Moreover, the Great Wall through its wonderful architectural prowess is regarded as one of the World wonders and also considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cultural and Historical Significance
The Great wall apart from its military function which demonstrates national pride, hard work, courage, perseverance, resilience and power thus making it a prominent clear symbol of Chinese lasting identity. Being constructed through many different dynasties, the Great wall portrays a long and indeed complex history of China.
Architectural Landmark
We have seen that the Great wall of China was constructed over many dynasties for over 2000 years with different methods and approaches. Despite the differences, the Great wall stands as a remarkable landmark in engineering.
Touristic attraction
Services to tourists
Economic benefits to the local population
Conclusion on the great wall of China
Take away
Frequently Asked Questions
The Great wall of China is subject of great interest as the wall in China is simply amazing. The Great wall of China is an old subject as the subject itself is old. Despite its age, the wall has never stopped fascinating people. It is a wall that demonstrate people’s culture of resilience, cooperation, perseverance, sense of purpose and much more. There are many questions that readers are asking about, here are some of those questions put forth by readers:
- The great wall of china tourism?
- Why was the Great Wall of China built?
- Great Wall of China Map?
- How long did it take to build the Great Wall of China?
- How old is the Great Wall of China?
- How tall is the Great Wall of China?
- History of the Great Wall of China?
- When was the Great Wall of China built and finished?