The Great Wall



Known to most Chinese as the “Long Wall of Ten Thousand Li” (2 Li = 1 Kilometer), the stretch of formidable defensive structures built to hold off an invasion by barbarians is most often called the "Great Wall" or the "Wall of China" by the majority of Europeans.

The Great Wall of China was originally a series of stone and earthen defense fortifications that were built in northern China.  When it was built, the idea was to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire against intrusions. You should know that several walls were initially constructed within China by the many warring factions beginning as early as 300 BC, major parts of which collectively became the Great Wall.  It has been built, rebuilt and maintained from approximately 300 BC until early 1600 AD

The most famous individual noted for the construction of the wall, reigned between 220 and 206 BC, and is considered the first Emperor of China, his name was Qin Shi Huang; you may recall from one of my earlier posts simply titled “China” just a few days ago, he’s the one that wasted so much effort trying to find life’s “elixir”. Perhaps his historical significant derives from him being first in uniting the in-country’s warring factions (no small feat) and with a little help from his friends (approximately 300,000 labors) after he gained power, he is responsible for deciding that China’s northern boarder was what needed protecting. Although very little of that original wall remains today, primarily due to the types of material used for construction along with the ravages of time; the wall that we do see today was actually built in majority by the Ming Dynasty which ruled from 1368 to 1644 AD.

The Ming emperors (1368 to 1644 AD), in fact revived the tradition of maintaining and constructing the wall that Qin Shi Huang is often credited for.  During the Ming dynasty in fact, an additional 3,500 miles of new wall were built.   The wall was fortified by 25,000 towers and protected by 15,000 outposts.

Today’s Great Wall is the  world's longest human-made structure made up of 5,500 total miles according to modern estimates;  this estimate includes 223.5 miles of trenches and 1,387.2 miles of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

It has previously been claimed the Great Wall is visible from the moon; such fiction has been addressed more than once, but is still ingrained in popular culture.  So consider this: It is a maximum 30 feet wide, and is about the same color as the soil surrounding it.  To even see the wall from the moon would require a resolution 17,000 times better than normal 20 / 20 vision allows.  Obviously, no lunar astronaut has suggested to have seen the Great Wall from the moon.  Regardless, as early as 1754, writings have suggested otherwise.   The visibility of the Great Wall as seen from the moon is best described as being the same as trying to view a human hair from 2 miles away, so what do you think?

In Summation, the Great Wall of China is a series of stone and earthen fortifications located in northern China; built, rebuilt, and maintained between 300 BC and as late as the 1600’s A D; intended to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of consecutive dynasties. It originated from several separate walls built by the small kingdoms to protect their own territories during China's Warring States Period from 475 BC to 221 BC.  After the country was unified in 220 BC by the first Emperor Qin Shi Huang, he ordered his general Meng Tian to force approximately 300,000 labors to extend and connect the north sections of these walls to assist in holding off potential invaders.

Sources …                                                                           http://www.greatwallchina.info/                                        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China              http://tgsfree4allinfo.blogspot.com/2011/08/china.html         http://www.chinahighlights.com/greatwall/fact/great-wall-length.htm http://www.globalmountainsummit.org/great-wall-of-china.html