Construction Material Fortifications of Great Wall Labor Force Terrain & Structure
The history of the construction of the Great Wall can be dated back to the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC - 771 BC). But the wall at that time was only a line of fortresses standing to defend against attacks from the Yanyun (an ancient nomadic tribe in north China). The Period of the Warring States (476 BC - 221 BC) was an era when the seven states (Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, Qin) were busy engaging in wall-construction for self-defense. Instead of one line, their walls stretched in the four directions and varied in length from several hundred miles to one or two thousand miles. In the Qin Dynasty (221 - 206 BC) the emperor Qin Shihuang ordered his laborers to connect these scattered walls and create some new sections, thus forming a Great Wall in northern and central China in the true sense. The Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) further developed the defensive system of the wall and strengthened it on a larger scale. It pushed the wall construction to its highest peak.
The winding Great Wall is not merely a wall but instead a complete and rigorous defense project composed of countless passes, watchtowers, garrison towns, beacon towers and blockhouses. These fortifications were arranged in certain ways under the control of the military command system at all levels. For example, there were about 1,000,000 soldiers guarding the Ming's wall. The chief military officers were stationed in garrison-towns, while lesser officials and soldiers were stationed in Guan Cheng (the defensive beachhead) and other smaller fortifications. The eleven garrisons were set up along the wall in order to guard the precinct or subsection. The average height of the Ming wall measures 33 feet and the width is about five yards. In low, flat areas the wall was built high and more defense lines were added. In the lofty mountains, the wall was a little lower in order to save the human and financial cost. Sometimes, even steep cliffs served as natural walls to thwart enemies.
Today, the wall has lost its military function, but as a great ancient engineering work, its magnificent beauty and austere structure are still worthy appreciating.
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Travelers' Voices on Great Wall Construction
1.
Jul. 4,2009 04:36 Reply
Mr.jami(bangladesh9095) said:
now the walls are intact?
2.
Jun. 7,2009 14:25 Reply
Ms.cherry flower(usa) said:
There is great good and haunting past.of want has happend.if the great wall could spak ? would it whisper or cry out from dust and earth,stones at was layed so long ago. want could tell about those times? the coutness worker.who were these men ,women,countness slaves? from unknow landes. what was there storys?how than came to be?
Jun. 10,2009 20:11
Ms.Sue replied:
There are many stories of the Great Wall. They are just stories, but not true cases. This is one for you to share http://www.travelchinaguide.com/china_great_wall/culture/mengjiangnu.htm.
3.
May. 26,2009 22:48 Reply
Ms.Whyamiss?(Pie) said:
the great wall was built by peasants and soilders.If the people died while working the lower people(peasants)buried the dead within the walls.Yeah the great wall is the only man made thing that can be seen by space(satellite)
May. 30,2009 22:09
Mr.Jason(Aus) replied:
I highly doubt that the died were buried within the walls. it would compromise the structural integrity of the wall making it easier to collapse due to the harsh conditions. As a dead body erodes it creates gaps. The gaps within the walls eventually collapse under the weight of the stones/mud etc. Not to mention the amount of people who died during its construction.
4.
May. 25,2009 04:50 Reply
Mr.rooster(ch) said:
can you see the great wall of china from space?
May. 30,2009 20:06
Mr.Lemon replied:
No, definitely not.
5.
May. 28,2009 19:19 Reply
Ms.jessie(new zealand) said:
how many km is the wall
May. 30,2009 20:05
Mr.LEO replied:
The China Great Wall measures 8,851 km in total.
6.
May. 21,2009 19:55 Reply
Mr.jonh(san luis a.z.) said:
in what year was completed teh great wall?
May. 22,2009 03:39
Mr.Zhen replied:
It is hard to say which year was the finish of the construction of the Great Wall. Generally speaking, the wall was finished in Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644).
7.
May. 19,2009 13:14 Reply
Mr.dude said:
how were messages sent along the wall?
May. 20,2009 20:32
Mr.Jeremy replied:
The messages were sent by lighting a fire in each beacon tower to let the soldiers in the next beacon tower notice.
8.
May. 18,2009 19:05 Reply
Ms.oday(usa) said:
does anybody have a picture of the whole wall from space or something
May. 19,2009 04:56
Mr.Leo replied:
Many people say it cannot be seen from space, do you know?
9.
May. 17,2009 18:40 Reply
Mr.Sunshine said:
what would happen to a man's wife if her husband died while building the wall?
May. 18,2009 04:54
Mr.Zhang replied:
Well, I can tell you a story, the story is about the origin of "Widow Tower". In Ming Dynasty, 12 soldiers died of building the wall, their wivies were too sad. Instead of going home to look after their kids, they inherited the unfulfilled the wish of their husbands, that is to fishish the wall construction. They donated money and built a tower named "Widow Tower" to commemorate their husbands.
10.
May. 16,2009 13:58 Reply
Ms.serinity(USA) said:
Hi i have a report due on Monday and its Saturday...I am almost finished but i was wondering why they made it. I know they did it to protect themselves but i was wondering if there any more reasons?? Thanks.
May. 17,2009 20:03
Mr.Wang replied:
Well, yes there is another reason, that is to ensure the smooth passage of the Silk Road, to protect the normal trade between China and the West from being disturbed by the northern nomadic tribes.