Brief introduction of Great Wall

Great Wall of China,an ancient gigantic defensive project,is one of the greatest wonders of the world.It winds its way westward over the vast territory of China from the bank of the Yalu River and ends at the foot of snow-covered Qilianshan and Tianshan mountains,up and down across deserts, grasslands, mountains and plateausstretching approximately 6,700 kilometers (4,163 miles ).

It is seldom that we can see any other gigantic in the world like Great Wall of China. As the Great Wall was reconstructed --in Qin, Han and Ming Dynasties -- its length exceeded 5,000 km(10,000 li). Hence the name "Wan Li Chang Cheng" or "the long wall of 10,000 li". Its size is better seen on a map or from an aerial photograph. According to astronauts who looked back from the moon, of all projects built by man, the Great Wall of China is the most conspicuous visible from space.

History of Great Wall

Construction of the Great Wall started in the 7th century B.C. Excitement abounds in the origin, vicissitude and nature of the great wall of the Qin, Han, and Ming dynasties.According to records put down in Chinese literature, as many as 20 principalities and dynasties took part in reconstructing the Great Wall.

The Great Wall was originally built in the Spring, Autumn, and Warring States Periods as a defensive fortification by the three states: Yan, Zhao and Qin.For self-protection, rival kingdoms built walls around their territories, laying foundations for the present Great Wall.The Great Wall went through constant extensions and repairs in later dynasties. In fact, it began as independent walls for different states when it was first built, and did not become the "Great" wall until the Qin Dynasty.

When Qin Shihuang (First Emperor of the Qin) unified China in 221 B.C.,the walls was joined together to hold off the invaders from the Xiongnu tribes in the north and was extended to more than 10,000 li or 5,000 kilometers.The undertaking of such a huge project over difficult terrain at that time without any machinery was an extraordinary feat. A workforce of nearly a million, representing one fifth of the whole labour force of the country, was used to build it. Hardship and cruel treatment brought death to many of the laborers, and tragic stories were told, from which folk-tales and legends came into being.The Great Wall was renovated from time to time after the Qin Dynasty.

The Great Wall of China was continuously built during the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD). It was extended towards the west to Lop Nur Lake in today's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. And an outer Great wall was added to the north of the Qin Great Wall. With its system of fortifications and beacon towers, the Han Great Wall reached a total length of about 10,000 kilometers.

With the expansion of the Tang Empire (618-907AD), the frontier was pushed further north, and the Great Wall ceased its function for almost 300 years. ince the Han, various dynasties, including Northern Wei,Eastern Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui, Liao, Jin and Ming, rebuilt the Great Wall on extensive scale. The engineering projects undertaken in the Ming dynasties were the largest.

A major renovation started with the founding of the Ming Dynasty in 1368, and took 200 years to complete. The wall we see today is almost exactly the result of this effort. With a total length of over 6,000 kilometers, it extends to the jiayu Pass in Gansu Province in the west and to the mouth of the Yalu River in Liaoning Province in the east. What lies north of Beijing is but a small section of it.

Military value of Great Wall

The Great Wall can not be said to be a defence network of any great military value in mordern society. However, when man's chief military weapons were the sword, arrows, bows, ge (hook weapon)adn mao (spear), the situation was quite different.

The Great Wall offers excellent defence since it had been built in strategic places. It played an vital role then. There were many instances in ancient times that it took a very long time to take a city or mountain pass. And even cases that those who launched the attack had to retreat without a fight, for they saw the strong defence work of the city. In the Central Plain of China such firm and high defence work proved to be very useful to foil the attacks of mobile cavalry, which roamed from one place to another.

As a result of Ming Dynasty's continuous construction and improvement,the Great Wall became a perfect defence network, whereby the central Chinese authority could, by means of various administrative and military levels of organization, reach the basic or grass root military unit, down to each soldier guarding the Great Wall. The Ming Dynasty overthrew the Yuan, obtaining ruling power throughout the nation.The original rulers, however, only retreated to their former positions. They were not destroyed. This made it possible for them to make a come-back. Under these circumstances, the Great Wall became a major security issue for the Ming Dynasty.

Travel of Great Wall

Today, the Great wall has lost its strategic importance and has become a world-renowned tourist attraction. The laboring people of different dynasties demonstrated their intelligence and wisdom while building this great project. They left behind a precious heritage deserving our everlasting care. Badaling section, Juyong pass and Cloud Terrace were listed as important historical monuments under special preservation by the Chinese government in 1961. The Great Wall was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world heritages.

The Great Wall as we see today was mostly built during the Ming Dynasty. It starts from Shanhaiguan Pass in the east to Jiayuguan Pass in the west traversing provinces of Liaoning, Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia,Shaanxi and Gansu.

Different Sections of the Great Wall of China

Badaling Great Wall:

Locates 11km away from Juyongguan Pass and 60km north of Beijing, Badaling, which means "giving access to every direction", is the best-preserved section of the Great Wall. First built in 1505 with an elevation of 600 meters, the wall average 7.5 meters high, 4 meters thick, 6.5m wide on the base and 5.8m at the top.

Most travelers visit this section when they travel Beijing. Partly because it is well maintained, easy for travelers to walk along it.The parapets built on the inner side is about one meter high. The battlements on the outer side is about two metes high with embrasures for shooting through. The wall here is high and solid with huge stone slabs and filled with hardened earth and rocks. The stone slab is three meters long and weighs more than 1,000 kilograms apiece.

Huanghuacheng Great Wall:

Located 29 km northwest of Huairou city, the wall, with a reservoir, is an unwonted great wall in Beijing boundary, which contains both water and mountains. When summer comes, all the villages and houses are deeply immersed in yellow flowers, hence the name Huanghuacheng (Yellow Flower Great Wall). Early in the Yuan dynasty, here used to be dotted with prosperous villages and in the Ming dynasty, it became a town of military importance, named "Benzhenguan Pass".

The construction began in the Ming dynasty, and, according to legend, under the supervision of General Cai Kai. Due to the false accusation of jerry-build by a treacherous official, General Cai was beheaded by emperor. Later, when an official sent by the emperor to the wall found the wall actually was solid and steep, instead of the output of jerry and slipshod work, the emperor realized that he had wronged General Cai. Soon, the tomb of Cai was rebuilt and a memorial stele was stood. Besides, the emperor also order people to carve two characters, "Jin Tang", on a huge rock under the wall, indicating the firmness and stoutness of the wall.

Outside the tour area, the wall, with coarse line, broken body, as well as ubiquitous bramble, appears majestic and desolate. Winding its way above the lofty and precipitous peaks, and finally fading into far distance, the wall abidingly attracts tired climbers to discover its mysterious veil. In midsummer, visitors can view the yellow flowers, while in late autumn, can fully enjoy the boundless yellow leaves.

Jinshanling Great Wall:

Jinshanling Great Wall lies within Ruanping county, Hebei province, 150 km from Beijing. It used to be under the jurisdiction of Gubeilu, an important doorway in the northeast defence line of the Ming Dynasty. The structure was mainly built in 1570 of Ming dynasty.The wall looks a bit old and ruinous but much more natural, 7.8 meters high, 5-6 meters thick at bottom. The 20-kilometer-long structure, although a bit smaller and narrower compared to Badaling and Mutianyu features complicated and well preserved fortifications systems and fantastic natural scenery.

Surveys were done here by the Historic Relics Bureau and the Ministry of Culture in1981. The magnificence of this section is equal to that of Badaling. On this account Jinshanling is named second Badaling. This section is now known to friends abroad and people at home. For three years in succession funds have been allocated by the State to repairthis section, aided by recent donations. Highway and tourist services have been projected to be built. One of the most magnificent parts of the Great Wall will shortly be opened to public.

If you want to see the wall, but avoid the crowds of Badaling, this is the place to come, but be prepared for a walk from the car park up to the wall.

Meng Jiangnu's Bitter Weeping:

Many beautiful legends and tales have left in China about the construction of the Great Wall. However, many of them have been based on historical records. Among them, the most popular would probably be the one about Meng Jiangnu.

It was said that 2,000 years ago when Qin Shihuang (the First Emperor of the Qin) was building the Great Wall, a young called Fan Xiliang was forced to work on the construction of the Great Wall even on his wedding day. His pretty bride waited for her husband at home for five years but did not hear a word from him and finally got to the construction site of the Great Wall where she was told that her husband had died and was buried under the Great Wall.she sat down at the foot of the Great Wall and started crying.She cried day and night, and her wailing made the wall fall.This made Qin Shihuang very angry, and he ordered Meng Jiangnu to be punished.But he was immediately attracted by her beauty and asked her to marry him. Meng Jiangnu had to agree but asked for a grand funeral for her husband. After the funeral, she jumped into the sea unseen by the guards.

Now on the shore of the Bohai Sea, beyond Shanhaiguan Pass there are two black rocky reefs. According to legend, the round one is Meng Jiangnu's tomb and the square one is her tomb tablet. Not far from her tomb, a temple was built on a small hill to commemorate the lady of chastity. Visitors to Shanhaiguan Pass should not miss the chance to see her "tomb" and temple.

Mutianyu Great Wall:

Located in Huairou County 72km northeast of Beijing, Mutianyu section of Great Wall is connected with Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou Gateway in the east. Mutianyu Great Wall stands in the east opposite of Badaling Great Wall, which is in the west. It connects Gubeikou Pass in the north and Huanghuacheng in the west. As one of the best-preserved parts of the Great Wall, Mutianyu section of Great Wall used to serve as the northern barrier defending the capital and the imperial tombs.

Magnificent in appearance, Mutianyu Great Wall has been preserved intact. Vegetation and fruit trees is abundant. The scenic beauty in spring and autunm is excellent. The whole area is like a garden on a mountain top. We can find scenic spots, such as Lianhuachi (lake), Zhenzhuquan (spring) and Longtan (lake) in the neighborhood. Then, Mutianyu is also a Place for tourists to go and enjoy the beauty of Chinese landscape.

Simatai Great Wall:

Simatai, located in the north of Miyun county, 120km northeast of Beijing, holds the access to Gubeikou, a strategic pass in the eastern part of the Great Wall. Originally built during the Northern Qi dynasty (550-577) and rebuilt in the Hongwu years of the Ming dynasty by Qi Jiguang, this section of Great Wall is the only part of the Great Wall which keeps the original features of the Ming dynasty Great Wall.

Simatai Great Wall is 5.4km long with 35 beacon towers. Ingeniously conceived and uniquely designed, this section of Great Wall, inimitable and diversified, has incorporated the different characteristics of each section of the Great Wall. No matter the famous specialist of Great Wall, Professor Luo Zhewen, says: "The Great Wall is the best of the Chinese buildings, and Simatai is the best of the Great Wall."

Shanhaiguan Pass of the Great Wall:

Located in Qinhuangdao by the Sea, approx. 300 km east of Beijing, on the Bohai Gulf, Shanhaiguan is an important pass in the eastern Great Wall. It was reconstructed by the Ming Dynasty. Work continued until the end of the dynasty. The wall connects itself from the Yanshan Mountain with the sea. It provides the only and best scenery of beautiful sea and beautiful mountain in one setting. Shanhaiguan was proclaimed a key historic monument by the State Council in 1961.

It is a popular tourist destination, featuring the eastern end of the Great Wall The Great Wall of China, is an ancient Chinese fortification, built to protect the Empire of China since the 3rd century BC against the raids of 'barbarians' from Mongolia and Manchuria. The main purpose of the Wall was not to prevent people from crossing but rather to prevent them from bringing their horses.

Huangyaguan Pass of the Great Wall:

Huangyaguan Pass of the Great Wall was an important pass under the Jizhou fortressed town in the Ming Dynasty, lying 20 km northeast of Jixian county, Tianjin. The precipitous cliff called Huangya is in a strategic position, with the Great Wall winding its way across mountains and ridges. Built in the early years of the Ming Dynasty it was completed only by Qi Jiguang, commander of Jizhou fortressed town in the reigning years of Long Qing.

Huangyaguan Pass of the Great Wall has certain special features in structure. Stone slabs, bricks and stones faced with bricks have been used. Watchtowers are rectangular, round in shape, also built with the same materials. It is a section of the Great Wall much to be valued. The layout of the architecture is unique. Within the mountain pass city wall we can find a network of T-Shaped road junctions or crooked ruler so that when the enemy enters into the city he can hardly find his way. The entangled paths are an outstanding piece of defence engineering work.Huangyaguan Pass of the Great Wall, however, has been even more badly damaged than other sections.