A Brief History of the Great Wall

 

The Great Wall of China (Changcheng)

Known as the ’10,000 Li Wall’ to the Chinese (li being a unit of measure with 1 li approximately equivalent to 500 meters, 10,000 li = 5000 kms), the Great Wall is the worlds longest man-made structure stretching from the Gansu province in western China to what is now North Korea.

Although the Great Wall is often conceived as one very long wall, it is actually a series of walls, the first being constructed over 2000 years ago, with the longest and most elaborate section of the wall built during the period of the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644). Over the centuries millions of prisoners, soldiers and peasants laboured to construct the wall. It has been estimated that more than a million perished as a result of their efforts.

The true length of the wall remains a mystery to this day with various claims typically ranging from between 5,000 – 10,000 kms. The reason for these disparities becomes apparent when you consider the walls deteriorated state and the rugged terrain through which it passes. Some archaeologists even believe that there are sections of the wall which still lay undiscovered. In an attempt to solve this mystery China has recently commenced research utilising advanced satellite and radar imagery in an attempt to accurately calculate the distance of the Great Wall.

It is generally accepted by the majority of historians that the overall length of the Great Wall of China exceeds 6500 kms. When you also consider that the average height of the wall was 8 meters and its width 6 meters, the immensity of the structure becomes even more overwhelming.

To put that into perspective… it would be the same distance as building the wall from Sydney to Perth… and then deciding to build another wall all the way back again to be doubly sure of ‘keeping the rabbits out’! Or from Los Angeles to New York… and then detouring all the way down to Miami to get a tan!

The Great Wall was initially constructed as a defensive barrier against marauding nomads and invading armies. Although it failed to achieve it’s main objective as an impenetrable barrier (guards could be bribed to allow passage over the wall), the wall certainly impeded the attempts of large armies crossing its boundary. Perhaps the walls greatest benefit was that it proved invaluable as a means for transporting people, equipment and supplies over difficult terrain and became a link to important trade routes. In addition, the construction of strategically placed watch towers along the Great Wall provided an effective means of communicating quickly over vast distances by sending dense smoke signals which where made by burning wolf dung.

Today the majority of the wall is in ruins and only relatively short sections have been preserved or rebuilt to there original glory. Large sections of the wall have deteriorated to dust and rubble, or have been submerged as a result of the construction of dams, and are no longer visible.

The Great Wall is recognised by many as the eighth wonder of the world and the immensity of its construction continues to bewilder, enchant and inspire those that ponder it’s existence. It has quickly become China’s main tourist attraction with hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world flocking yearly to view one of mankind’s greatest constructions.