The Great Wall of China: interesting facts and the history of erection

Today we will go to China. The Great Wall of China is a construction, which will be discussed in this article. In 1987, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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 world's longest defensive structure is the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about it today are very numerous. This masterpiece of architecture is fraught with many mysteries. It causes fierce arguments among various researchers.

The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been established accurately. It is only known that it stretches from the Gyeongsu Province of Jiayuguan to the Yellow Sea (the Liaodong Gulf).

Length, width and height of the wall

The length of the structure is about 4 thousand km, according to one data, and according to others - more than 6 thousand km. 2450 km - the length of a straight line drawn between its end points. However, one must take into account that the wall does not go anywhere directly: it then bends, then turns. The length of the Great Wall of China, therefore, should not be less than 6 thousand km, and, possibly, more. The height of the building is on average 6-7 meters, reaching 10 meters in some sections. Width - 6 meters, that is, on the wall in a row can go 5 people, even a small car will pass quietly. From its outer side there are "teeth" made of large bricks. The inner wall is protected by a barrier, whose height is 90 cm. In the past, there were gutters made through equal sections.

Start of construction

The beginning of the Great Wall of China was laid during the reign of Qin Shihuandi. He ruled the country from 246 to 210 years. BC. E. With the name of this creator of the unified Chinese state - the famous emperor - it is customary to relate the history of the construction of such a structure as the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about her include the legend, according to which it was decided to erect it after one court prophet predicted (and the prediction came true many centuries later!) That the barbarians coming from the north would destroy the country. In order to protect the empire from the Qin empire, the emperor ordered to build defensive fortifications, unprecedented in scale. They subsequently turned into such a grandiose structure as the Great Wall of China.

Facts show that the rulers of various principalities in northern China built similar walls along their borders before the Qin Shihuandi era. At the time of his accession to the throne, about 2,000 km was the total length of these shafts. The Emperor at first only strengthened and joined them. Thus, a single Great Wall of China was formed. Interesting facts about its construction, however, do not end here.

Who built the wall?

Real fortresses were built at checkpoints. Also, intermediate military towns were built for patrolling and garrison service, watchtowers. "Who built the Great Wall of China?" - you ask. Hundreds of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war and criminals were driven to erect it. When the workers were in short supply, mass mobilization of peasants also began. Emperor Shihuandi, according to one of the legends, ordered to perform a sacrifice to the spirits. He ordered to wall in the building of a million people. This is not confirmed by archaeological data, although single graves were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is not clear until now whether they were ritual victims, or in this way they simply buried the dead workers, those who built the Great Wall of China.

Completion of construction

Shortly before the death of Shihuandi, 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 the enormous costs of building defensive fortifications. Through the deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along the cities, through the whole of China the Great Wall stretches, turning the state practically into an impregnable fortress.

Wall protective function

Many later called its construction meaningless, since there would not have been soldiers to defend such a long wall. But it should be noted that it served to protect against the light cavalry of various nomadic tribes. In many countries similar structures were used against the steppe. For example, it was built by the Romans in the 2nd century Trayanov Val, as well as the Zmiev Walls, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large cavalry units could not cross the wall, as cavalry for the passage needed to breach or destroy a large area. And without special adaptations it was not easy to do. Genghis Khan in the 13th century managed to do this with the help of military engineers from Zhudrzei, the conquered kingdom, and also the local infantry in huge numbers.

How different dynasties cared about the wall

The safety of the Great Wall of China was taken care of by all the subsequent rulers. Only two dynasties made an exception. This is the Yuan, the Mongolian dynasty, and also the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about a little later). They controlled the lands north of the wall, so they did not need it. Different periods knew the history of the structure. There were times when garrisons guarding it were recruited from pardoned criminals. The tower, located on the Golden Terrace wall, in 1345 was decorated with bas-reliefs, which depicted the Buddhist guards.

After the Yuan dynasty was defeated, under the rule of the following (Min) in the years 1368-1644 there were works to strengthen the wall and maintain the defensive structures in proper condition. Beijing, the new capital of China, was only 70 kilometers away, and its security depended on the security of the wall.

In the era of the Tang Dynasty, women were used as watchmakers on the watch towers, monitoring the surrounding terrain and, if necessary, giving alarm signals. This was motivated by the fact that they are more diligent in their duties and are more attentive. There is a tradition that cuts off the legs of unfortunate guardians so that they can not without an order to leave their post.

Folk tradition

We continue to disclose the theme: "The Great Wall of China: interesting facts." A photo of the wall below will help you imagine her greatness.

About the terrible privations that had to survive the builders of this structure, narrates the folk tradition. A woman named Meng Jiang came here from a remote province in order to bring warm clothes to her husband. However, reaching the wall, he learned that her husband had already died. The woman could not find his remains. She lay down by this wall and cried for days. Even the stones touched the grief of the woman: 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.

Invasion of "barbarians" and reconstruction work

The wall did not save the last large-scale invasion of the "barbarians". The overthrown aristocracy, fighting with the rebels, representing the movement of the Yellow Bandages, let in numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - Qin. From this moment the Great Wall has lost its defensive significance. She finally fell into decay. Only after 1949 began the restoration work. Mao Zedong made a decision about their beginning. But during the "cultural revolution" that took place from 1966 to 1976, the "red guards" (the Red Guards), 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 had been subjected to an assault on the enemy.

Now they sent not only forced laborers or soldiers. The service on the wall became a matter of honor, as well as a strong career incentive for young people from noble families. The words that the one who was not on it can not be called a good man, which turned into the slogan of Mao Zedong, became a new saying just then.

Great Wall of China today

Without mentioning the Great Wall of China, there is not a single description of China. Local residents say that its history is half the history of the whole country, which can not be understood without visiting the structure. Scientists have calculated that of all materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty during its construction, it is possible to lay down a wall whose height is 5 meters and a thickness of 1 meter. It is enough to gird the entire globe.

The Great Wall of China on grandiosity has no equal. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scale is still admired today. Anyone wishing to go directly to the site can purchase a certificate that indicates the time of visiting the wall. The Chinese authorities were even forced to limit access here in order to ensure better 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 view was recently refuted. Jan Li Wen, the first Chinese astronaut, admitted with sadness that he could not see this monumental structure, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps the whole point is that in the time of the first space flights, the air over North China was much cleaner, and therefore the Great Wall of China was visible earlier. The history of the creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with a lot of legends and legends, which today is overgrown by this magnificent structure.