Today there is no person who has not heard of the eighth wonder of the world - the Great Wall of China. Originating in the Liaodong Bay, this historic symbol of a majestic civilization runs through northern China and abuts the Gobi Desert. It is known that the length of the structure is about 2,000 kilometers. However, if we take into account the ramparts extending to the sides, then the length of the main attraction of China reaches 6,500 kilometers.
History of appearance
The construction of the Great Wall began by decree of the ruler of Qin Shi-Huang in the early 200s BC. e. and has been in progress for over 2,000 years. About 2 million people died during the construction of this impressive structure. Initially, the facility was a defensive structure. The ruler of China decided to strengthen the borders of his power and protect the country from the raids of the nomadic Xiongnu tribe.
History shows that the Qin principality, possessing a developed military structure, subjugated the Rong tribes and managed to create a single army, uniting the fragmented small principalities. According to historical data, 220 BC is named as the date of the beginning of the reign of the great dynasty. e. It was Qin Shi-Huangdi, heading it, who became the first emperor of China.
Building a wall
The emperor possessed large funds and absolute power, so he ordered a huge number of people to be rounded up to build the wall. Every fifth inhabitant of the empire participated in the construction of the structure. The work was facilitated by the fact that many principalities on the territory of the northern borders had their own protective walls. Therefore, the only thing left for the builders was to connect and extend them.
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The fence was erected around the clock. When the manpower was not enough, the emperor ordered to send convicted criminals and prisoners of war to the construction. The work entailed colossal losses - the number of deaths at the facility was estimated in the thousands. In order not to dig graves, the corpses of the workers were mixed with earth, chalk, gravel, sand and rammed into the wall. A few more layers of building mixture were applied on top. Lime and animal blood were used to hold the mixture together. This method is time consuming, but in the future, such structures served for centuries.
The outer part of the Chinese wall was lined with rubble stone, and the inner part was filled with earth, sand, stones, tree branches, the corpses of dead animals, as well as the bodies of builders who died from exhaustion. In winter and summer, the construction of the wall did not stop for a minute. All the builders worked under the constant supervision of guards, as there were repeated attempts to escape. Even a significant part of the empire's army was sent to build the wall.
The upper part of the structure was fastened with several layers of bricks, and so that plants would not grow under them, they were poured with a concentrated solution of lime. A rainwater drainage system specially built into the wall helped to preserve the structure for many years. The structure of the object was so strong that cavalry detachments of several hundred horses allegedly moved along it at a gallop.
For the ancient civilization of China, building such a structure was a difficult task that required perseverance and patience. Suffice it to recall the length of the wall - about 7,000 kilometers, taking into account the branches. In addition, the height of the wall ranges from 6 to 10 meters.
Many scholars call the Chinese Wall the largest cemetery on earth and the “wall of tears”. The dead or those who died during the construction were tampered with the ground and their corpses were added to the clay to make bricks. The remains of workers are still found today.
Despite the massive death of the builders, the emperor remained unshakable. His order to build a wall against the enemies of China (Mongols, barbarians and other nomadic tribes) was carried out at the cost of millions of human lives.
The Great Wall remains a silent witness to the sacrifices the Chinese people can make. She perfectly coped with her functions in the past, and amazes with her grandiose size now. Even in spite of some destroyed parts of it and the fact that in many places the height has decreased to 3 meters, this structure remains unique. Since 1987, the Wall of China has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Riddles and questions for scientists
Many researchers to this day cannot explain the following: how in the conditions of Ancient China, with its primitive tools of labor, it was possible to build such a gigantic monument, meandering through the mountains and valleys.
In addition, the sheer scale of the ancient structure remains unsolved. According to historians, about 8 million people participated in its construction, while the Chinese people numbered only 5 million. In addition to the fortification itself, canals and roads were actively built in China, which also required large human resources. Where did the additional builders come from? This question has no answer.
More recently, archaeologists from Great Britain have discovered the remains of a similar structure about 100 kilometers long on the border of China and Mongolia. This sensational discovery has become the new mystery of the Great Wall of China. Apparently, the structure has a much greater length than is commonly believed today.
Features and legends
The uniqueness of the Great Wall of China is that it exactly repeats all the lines and curves of the landscape. Its height fluctuates depending on the terrain, in some places it reaches 10 meters, and in some it drops to 3 meters. On the outside, the structure is crowned with teeth up to 2 meters high, while on the inside these teeth are 1 meter high. In some areas near the wall there are fortifications and additional fortifications.
The geographic location is also of interest to specialists. The wall divides China into two halves: the north, where nomads live, and the south, where the farmers settled. Why did you have to divide the empire?
In Chinese folklore, there are many legends about the construction of the wall. So, the Emperor Qin Shi-Huang was predicted that his defensive structure would be fully erected only after the death of a man named Wano, or after the murder of 10 thousand inhabitants of the empire. Since people were needed for the construction, the sovereign ordered to find a person with the right name, execute and bury in the wall.
Also, one of the most famous legends is the story of Meng Jiang Nu, a young wife of a Chinese farmer, who was taken to work on the wall. The man died from overwork, and his body was walled up in the wall, like many others. Upon learning of the death of her beloved, the woman cried violently. At this time, the part of the structure collapsed where the remains of her husband were. This made it possible to bury the man according to local tradition. Subsequently, a statue of a woman was installed on the wall in memory of this story.
Interesting Facts
Today, the Chinese Wall is considered the largest architectural structure. The destroyed sections of the structure continue to be restored by specialists; many are visited by tourists. So, next to Beijing is a construction site that attracts millions of lovers of local culture. By its grandeur, the wall cannot be compared with any architectural masterpiece in the world that has survived to this day.
Until the end of the nineteenth century, the structure changed its name. At first it was called "Barrier", then "Fortress". Later, the wall was renamed to "Purple Border", and even later to "Dragon Land". Now this structure is called the Great Wall of China.
The experts do not restore the entire wall. The areas that are accessible to tourists are being looked after and restored, and the main part of the wall is in disrepair.
In the early 1970s, the Great Wall was considered a symbol of despotism, so local residents were allowed to use parts of the structure to build their homes.
When the last emperor of the Ming dynasty was overthrown, the wall was completed. This happened in 1644. Since that time, only repair work has been carried out.
The Great Wall of China is the most visited and popular tourist attraction in the country. Every year tens of millions of people admire its uniqueness. However, it remains a mystery to scientists around the world.