The History Behind The Great Wall of China

Every country will have its own historic monuments that are synonymous with its country's identity. Some of the main examples will be the Great Giza Pyramid (Egypt), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italy), and The Great Wall of China. If we were to talk about the Great Wall of China, there are many secrets and unique history behind it.

Before the Great Wall of China was built, the government that existed during the Warring States era constructed the fortress to defend its position. But that quickly changed when Qin Shi Huang conquered and united all the government under the Qin Dynasty flag.

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The Emperor then ordered the construction of the fortress except for the northern side of China which existed back then to be demolished instead. The northern wall was exempted from this order as it was combined into one new strategic defense system and was lengthened to more than 10,000 li which is equivalent to 1/3 mile.

General Meng Tian

Shi Huang hoped that by introducing this new fortress, it will be able to protect China from the threats of the resistance up north. To make this effort a reality, the Long Wall 10,000 Li project was moved under the leadership of a Chinese general named Meng Tian.

This type of project was considered the biggest scale project ever done in the history of mankind and to make sure that the wall was completed, Tian used the common people, military, and prisoners as workers for this project.

Due to the immense number of workers, there were rumors going around about the death of the workers while constructing the wall. These slanders were spread by the Han Dynasty historian, Sima Qian as a way to criticize his own emperor.

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With all that said, there was no written proof or archaeological materials to support this claim. The statement of Sima Qian has become the basis of the film plot of The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

Even though the fortress was built using rocks and clay, the wall project that started from the Shanhaiguan Port all the way to the Gansu region managed to be completed as ordered by Shi Huang.

In certain parts of the wall where it was strategic including in Badaling, it was even fortified through strict safety control. With a height of 15 to 50 feet and strengthen with added bulwark with a height of 12 feet or more, it became the perfect defense against those who dare to invade. 

At every corner of the wall, guard towers are placed to add more security to the wall. After the death of Shi Huang and the fall of the Qin Dynasty, this opportunity was taken by most tribes from the north invaded the Great Wall of China.

The situation was worsened by the fall of the Han Dynasty when we witnessed the Great Wall of China in an idle and damaged state. Some dynasties that ruled northern China like the Wei North Dynasty improved and strengthen the northern part section of the wall.

During the Bei Qi era, this government was responsible for rebuilding or improving more than 900 miles of the Great Wall of China. The next successor, Sui Dynasty also added some changes by lengthening the Great Wall of China during their rule.

But everything quickly changed when the Tang Dynasty was in power. After defeating the Tujue tribes of the north, the role of the Great Wall of China as a fortress became irrelevant. Not just that, their conquered regions are beyond the border of the wall.

But during the Song Dynasty, many people were forced to seek refuge after the Liao and Jin tribe took over many regions around the Great Wall of China. Everything changed during the Yuan/Mongol Dynasty during the rule of Genghis Khan who appeared as the new power for China.

They did not only rule the nation but also built expanded their empires across Europe and Asia which is surprisingly four times the size of the empire conquered by Alexander the Great.

Despite the wall did not act as a defense fortress, patrollers are placed there to monitor the safety of the trader that passes the Silk Road. However, the Great Wall of China that we knew today only started to be constructed during the Ming Dynasty. Similar to the Mongols, from the start, this dynasty did not show any interest in the wall.

But it was after they realized the need for protection against incoming invaders, this project was initiated in 1474. The new wall was built from the Yalu River in the Liaoning region to the Taolai River in Gansu. Today, the Great Wall of China can be seen from other cities in China including Beijing, Hebei, Tianjin, Gansu, and Shanxi.

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Bunkers and gates are placed along the wall. For instance, in Beijing, three bunkers that formed a garrison near the city will be in Juyong, Darma, and Zijing. Whereas in Yanmen, Nigwu and Piantou form a defense garrison for the west side.

With that being said, during the 17th century, the Manchu tribe managed to penetrate the wall and conquered Beijing. It did not just mark the end of the Ming Dynasty but also the start of the final royal Dynasty in China, the Qing Dynasty.

This dynasty remains strong until the 20th century. In that period of time, the Great Wall of China is looked upon by the Chinese and the West as a symbol of the nation's power. But the wall also plays a role to control the safety of its people and prevent outside influence.

Realizing the Great Wall of China was a great achievement, UNESCO listed it as one of the World Heritage Sites in 1987. But only certain parts of the wall like in Badaling still remain strong to this day.

Some parts of the wall were demolished to make way for the construction of roadways. During the 20th century, there have been claimed that the Great Wall of China is one of the infrastructures that can be seen from outer space.

But this claim was denied twice by NASA and the first Chinese astronomer, Yang Liwei. While Liwei was on a mission in outer space in 2003, he told the media that he did not even see the Great Wall from orbit.

Source:

• History. (2019, 5 November). Great Wall of China

• Man, J. (2020, 5 Ogos). 10 facts about the Great Wall of China. History Extra.

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