THE ICON OF THE
PAST AND PRESENT
The Great Wall was built a long time ago and is still standing to this very day. To different people, it is a symbol of different things. Some people see the Great Wall of China as a new beginning. Others see the wonder as a piece of history. The Great Wall of China represents China's past, present and future.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE WALL
The Warring States period marked the first of many wall buildings. This happened between 481 B.C. and 221 B.C. The first dynasty that really undertook the massive project was the Chu Dynasty. It was a necessity because the wall acted as protection from the Northern invaders. The Han and Qin Dynasties also contributed to the building of the Great Wall of China. This happened between 221 B.C and A.D. 220. The building was completed during the Sui Dynasty (581-618 A.D.) The Wall often collapsed and fell under attack. After the Sui Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty rebuilt the wall to fix all the broken areas from A.D. 1368 to A.D. 1644. The Great Wall has been through many dynasties in between the ones mentioned but they were less significant and didn’t have as much as an effect on the Wall as the mentioned dynasties did. The Great Wall of China has been through almost all the history of China.
Qin Huangdi was the ruler during the Qin Dynasty. He was a ruthless ruler who didn't care about the welfare of the people. Workers that died building the Great Wall of China were not given a proper or formal burial ceremony. Their remains were built right into the walls of the Great Wall of China.
THE WALL'S PROTECTION
The first dynasty to build the Great Wall of China built it for protection from the invaders from the North. Throughout the course of history, protection was a continuous reason for continuing the construction of the Wall. The wall is about 25 feet tall and has a base of about 15 to 30 feet thick. The entire wall is about 4000 miles long. The Great Wall of China in Chinese directly translates into the "long wall that is 10,000 meters long. " The massive wall did a good job of protecting the people on the inside. The only problem was that this wall also isolated the entire country from the rest of the world. This caused some problems because trading was much more difficult.
THE GREAT WALL FOR MILITARY PURPOSES
Whenever China was at war with another country, the Great Wall was extremely helpful. The other country's soldiers had to get over the wall to actually fight against the Chinese. Usually, the soldiers of the opposing side didn't make it over the 25 foot wall. When they did, it was usually a very small amount that could easily be fought against. Sometimes, the Chinese didn't even get to fight. The other country's soldiers would look at the wall and retreat when they realized they didn't have a chance. Also, there were garrisons or shelters incorporated into the Great Wall. The garrisons acted as a place where soldiers could rest. The garrisons were shelters that kept the soldiers safe.
WHAT DOES THE WALL REPRESENT TO YOU?
The Great Wall of China represents different things for many different people. When you take in to account the construction, the Great Wall is a symbol of China's long history. It is the history textbook that includes the workers that died while building the Wall and the account of battles that happened. For some people, the Great Wall of China will always be remembered as the bodyguard that protected the people for years. What does the Great Wall of China mean to you? Come and find out!