Today we will go to China. The Great Wall of China - the structure, which will be discussed in this article. In 1987, it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Great Wall of China, interesting facts about which you will learn very soon, is a grandiose monument of Ancient China, its symbol. It is called the "eighth wonder of the world." The longest defensive structure in the world is the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about her today are very numerous. This masterpiece of architecture is fraught with many mysteries. It causes fierce debate of various researchers.
The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been determined exactly. It is only known that it stretched from the Jansayuguan located in the Gansu province to the Yellow Sea (Liaodong Bay).
The length, width and height of the wall
The length of the structure is about 4 thousand km, according to some sources, and according to others - more than 6 thousand km. 2450 km - the length of a straight line drawn between its final points. However, it must be borne in mind that the wall does not go anywhere directly: it either bends or turns. The length of the Great Wall of China, therefore, should be at least 6 thousand km, and possibly more. The height of the structure averages 6-7 meters, reaching 10 meters in some areas. Width - 6 meters, that is, 5 people can walk along a wall in a row, even a small car will calmly pass. From its outer side there are “teeth” made of large brick. The inner wall is protected by a barrier, the height of which is 90 cm. Previously, there were gutters made through equal sections.
Start of construction
The Great Wall of China began during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He ruled the country from 246 to 210 years. BC e. With the name of this creator of a single Chinese state - the famous emperor - it is customary to connect the history of the construction of such a structure as the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about it include a legend according to which it was decided to erect it after one court diviner predicted (and the prediction came true many centuries later!) That the country would be destroyed by barbarians who came from the north. In order to protect the Qin empire from nomads, the emperor ordered the construction of defensive fortifications, unprecedented in scale. They subsequently turned into such a grandiose structure as the Great Wall of China.
Facts indicate that the rulers of various principalities located in Northern China erected similar walls along their borders even before the era of Qin Shihuangdi. By the time of his accession to the throne, about 2 thousand km was the total length of these ramparts. The emperor at first only strengthened and connected them. Thus formed a single Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about its construction, however, do not end there.
Who built the wall?
Real fortresses were built at checkpoints. Intermediate military camps for patrolling and garrison service, watch towers were also built. "Who built the Great Wall of China?" - you ask. Hundreds of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war and criminals were rounded up for its construction. When the workers became scarce, mass mobilization of peasants also began. Emperor Shihuandi, according to one legend, ordered a sacrifice to be made to the spirits. He ordered a million people to be walled up in the wall under construction. This is not confirmed by archaeological data, although isolated burials were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is still unclear whether they were ritual victims, or whether they simply buried the dead workers, those who built the Great Wall of China, in this way.
Completion of construction
Shortly before Shihuangdi's death, the construction of the wall was completed. According to scientists, the reason for the impoverishment of the country and the turmoil that followed the death of the monarch was precisely the huge costs of building defensive fortifications. Through the deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along cities, through all of China, the Great Wall stretched, turning the state into an almost impregnable fortress.
Wall protective function
Many later called its construction meaningless, since there would have been no soldier to defend such a long wall. But it should be noted that it served to protect various nomadic tribes from the light cavalry. In many countries, similar structures were used against the steppe. For example, this is the Trajan’s rampart built by the Romans in the 2nd century, as well as the Zmiev’s ramparts, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large cavalry detachments could not overcome the wall, since the cavalry needed to breach or destroy a large section for the passage. And without special devices, it was not easy to do. Genghis Khan in the 13th century managed to do this with the help of military engineers from Zhujrj, the kingdom he had conquered, as well as local infantry in huge quantities.
How different dynasties took care of the wall
All subsequent rulers took care of the Great Wall of China. Only two dynasties made an exception. This is the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty, as well as the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about later). They controlled the lands located north of the wall, so they did not need it. Different periods knew the history of the structure. There were times when the garrisons guarding him were recruited from pardoned criminals. The tower, located on the Golden Terrace of the wall, was decorated in 1345 with bas-reliefs depicting Buddhist guards.
After the Yuan dynasty was defeated , during the reign of the next (Ming) in 1368-1644, work was going on to strengthen the wall and maintain the defensive structures in good condition. Beijing, the new capital of China, was only 70 kilometers away, and its security depended on the safety of the wall.
During the reign of the Tang Dynasty, women were used as sentinels on the towers to monitor the surrounding area and, if necessary, give an alarm. This was motivated by the fact that they relate to duties more conscientiously and are more attentive. There is a legend according to which the legs of unfortunate guards were chopped off so that they could not leave their post without orders.
Folk tradition
We continue to expand on the theme: "The Great Wall of China: Interesting Facts." The photo of the wall below will help you imagine its greatness.
The terrible hardships that the builders of this building had to endure are narrated by folk tradition. A woman named Meng Jiang came here from a remote province to bring warm clothes to her husband. However, reaching the wall, he found out that her husband had already died. The woman could not find his remains. She lay down near this wall and cried for several days. Even the stones touched the woman’s grief: one of the sections of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing the bones of her husband Meng Jiang. The woman took the remains of her husband home, where she buried them in the family cemetery.
The invasion of the "barbarians" and restoration work
The wall did not save from the last large-scale invasion of the "barbarians". The ousted aristocracy, fighting with the rebels representing the Yellow Armbands movement, allowed numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - the Qin. The Great Wall from this moment lost its defensive significance. She finally fell into decay. Only after 1949 did restoration work begin. The decision to start them was made by Mao Zedong. But during the "cultural revolution" that took place from 1966 to 1976, the "red guards" (hunweibins), who did not recognize the value of ancient architecture, decided to destroy some sections of the wall. She looked, according to eyewitnesses, as if she was subject to the assault of the enemy.
Not only bonded laborers or warriors were sent here now. A matter of honor, as well as a strong career incentive for young people from noble families, was the wall service. The words that one who was not at her cannot be called well done, which he turned into a slogan by Mao Zedong, became a new saying just then.
Great Wall of China today
Without mentioning the Great Wall of China, not a single description of China is complete. Local residents say that its history is half the history of the whole country, which cannot be understood without having been to the building. Scientists estimate that of all the materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty during its construction, it is possible to fold a wall whose height is 5 meters and its thickness is 1 meter. It is enough to encircle the entire globe.
The Great Wall of China is unparalleled in grandeur. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scope is amazing today. Anyone who wishes can buy a certificate right on the spot, which indicates the time of visiting the wall. The Chinese authorities were even forced to restrict access here in order to ensure the best preservation of this great monument.
Is the wall visible from space?
For a long time it was believed that this is the only man-made object visible from space. However, this opinion has recently been refuted. Yang Li Wen, the first Chinese astronaut, admitted with sadness that he could not make out this monumental structure, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps the whole point is that during the first space flights, the air over Northern China was much cleaner, and therefore the Great Wall of China was previously visible. The history of creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with the many legends and legends that today this magnificent building is growing around.