Great Wall of China stretch. Who built the Great Wall of China and why?

Business card of the Middle Kingdom - Great Chinese Wall- Since 1987, it has been under the protection of UNESCO as a historical heritage of the whole world. According to the decision of the public, it is considered one of the new wonders of the world. There is no other defensive structure of this length on the planet.

Parameters and architecture of the "wonder of the world"

Contemporaries calculated the length of the grandiose Chinese fence. Taking into account the sections that have not been preserved, it is 21,196 km. According to some studies, 4000 km have been preserved, others give a figure - 2450 km, if you connect the starting and ending points of the ancient wall with a straight line.

In some places, its thickness and height reaches 5 m, in others it grows up to 9–10 m. Rectangles of 1.5-meter battlements complement the wall from the outside. The widest section of the wall reaches 9 m, the highest from the ground is 7.92 m.

Real fortresses were built at the outposts. On the most ancient sections of the wall, every 200 m of fences there are towers made of bricks or stones of the same style. They contain platforms for observation and loopholes with rooms for storing weapons. The farther from Beijing, the more common towers of other architectural styles.

Many of them have signal towers without interior spaces. From them, sentinels kindled a fire, signaling danger. For that time it was the most fast way warnings. According to legend, during the reign of the Tang clan, women were planted as sentinels on the towers, who were deprived of their legs so that they would not leave the post without permission.

"The longest cemetery in the world"

The beginning of the construction of a grandiose Chinese structure dates back to the 7th century BC, the end - to the 17th century. According to historians, at least 10 rulers of small Chinese provinces made efforts to build it. They fenced their possessions with high mounds of earth.

Qin Shi Huang united the lands of small principalities into a single empire, ending the two-hundred-year era of the Warring States. With the help of defensive fortifications, he decided to ensure reliable protection of the state from the raids of nomads, especially the Huns. He ruled China from 246-210 BC. In addition to defense, the wall fixed the borders of the state.

According to legend, the idea was born after the prediction of the court soothsayer about the destruction of the country by nomads who would come from the north. Therefore, they originally planned to build a wall on the northern borders of the country, but then continued to build in the west, turning China into an almost impregnable possession.

According to legend, the direction and place of the construction of the wall was indicated to the emperor by a dragon. In his footsteps, the border was laid. Some researchers claim that the view of the wall from above resembles a soaring dragon.

Qin Shi Huang appointed the most successful general Meng Tian to lead the work. Combining the already existing earthen ramparts, they were strengthened and completed by more than half a million slaves, peasants, prisoners of war and prisoners. The emperor was an opponent of the teachings of Confucius, so he shackled all the Confucian scientists and sent them to the construction site.

One of the legends says that he ordered them to be immured in the wall as a sacrifice to the spirits. But archaeologists have not found confirmation of the rituality of single burials found in the towers. Another legend tells of a farmer's wife, Meng Jiang, who brought clothes to her husband, who was mobilized to work on a construction site. But by then he had died. No one could say where he was buried.

The woman lay down against the wall and cried for a long time until a stone fell out, revealing the remains of her husband. Meng Jiang brought them to her native province and buried them in the family cemetery. It is possible that workers who participated in the construction were buried in the wall. Therefore, the people called it the "wall of tears."

A two-millennium building

The wall was completed and rebuilt in parts, from various materials- earth, bricks, stones. Active construction was continued in 206-220 by the Han emperors. They were forced to strengthen the defense of China from the raids of the Huns. Earth ramparts were strengthened with stones to protect them from destruction by nomads. All the rulers of China monitored the safety of defensive structures, except for the emperors of the Mongolian Yuan clan.

Most of the grandiose structures that have survived to the present day were built by the emperors of the Ming family, who ruled China in 1368-1644. They were actively engaged in the construction of new fortifications and the repair of defensive structures, because the new capital of the state - Beijing - was only 70 kilometers away, so the high walls were a guarantor of its security.

During the reign of the Manchu Qing clan, the defensive structures lost their relevance, because the northern lands were under its control. They stopped paying attention to the grandiose structure, the wall began to collapse. Its restoration began at the direction of Mao Zedong in the 50s of the twentieth century. But during the Cultural Revolution most of was destroyed by opponents of ancient art.

Description of the Great Wall of China

The height of the wall is 10 m, width 5-8 m. It originates from the city of Shanhaiguan and from there stretches like a giant snake along the ledges of mountain ranges to the west, ending in Central China, at the borders of the Gobi desert.
In some places, other fortifications and earthworks stretch parallel to it. At the gates and passages, additional fortresses and casemates were built for protection.

The length of the wall is over 21,000 km. To date, only 8.2% of the total length of the wall erected during the Ming Dynasty retains its original appearance, while over 74% has received serious damage. This huge structure is clearly visible even from space, from Earth's orbit. Although not all astronauts agree with this.

Satellite image of the Great Wall of China
On a section of 750 km, the wall is used not only as a fortification, but also as a convenient road.

Construction

The construction of the wall began in 221 BC. It is believed that it was built by the 300,000-strong imperial army and a huge number of peasants. The Great Wall of China was built over several centuries, but its main part was built under Emperor Qing in 10 years. When laying the stone blocks of the wall, glutinous rice porridge with an admixture of slaked lime was used.
One can only guess how many human lives were put into its construction. No wonder the Great Wall of China is called the "wall of tears" and "the longest cemetery in the world." The remains of workers who died of exhaustion were often immured directly into the wall, sometimes they are already found in our time.
After Qin's death, the wall lost its significance for a long time. During the Han Dynasty (206-220 AD), it was renovated and extended by 100 km. In 607, the emperors of the Sui dynasty (589-618) began its reconstruction. Subsequently, the wall was subjected to reconstruction more than once.

The wall acquired its modern appearance under the emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In many areas it was rebuilt, earthen embankments were replaced with brick and stone structures. Of the 25,000 watchtowers 12 meters high, standing at a distance of two arrow flights, many have survived to this day. From their upper platforms, in the event of an enemy attack, an alarm was transmitted: at night with the help of fire, and during the day with a smoke signal.
In the XV century. under the Wanli emperor, huge work was carried out to reconstruct this structure, so huge that until the beginning of the 20th century. many believed that it was he who built the wall.
Despite the huge expenditure of manpower and resources, the effectiveness of the wall as a defensive structure turned out to be extremely low - it turned out to be a weak defense against foreign invaders. But on the other hand, it kept the population of China from fleeing from a country where cruel orders reigned.
As China's borders expanded beyond the wall, its role as a frontier was reduced to zero. For decades, peasants dismantled the wall for building materials, so that in some places it disappeared altogether. Only in 1977 did the authorities begin to punish with a large fine for damaging the wall.

From the school history course, many of us know that the Great Wall of China is the largest architectural monument. Its length is 8.851 km. The height of the grand structure varies from 6 to 10 meters, and the width varies between 5 and 8 meters.

Chinese wall on the map of China

History of the Great Wall of China

In Northern China, as early as the 3rd century BC, there were frequent clashes between the Chinese people and the Xiongnu. This period of history has been called the Warring States era.

At the same time, the construction of the Great Wall of China began. The main role assigned to the stone structure was that it had to mark the borders of the Chinese Empire, and unite the disparate provinces and regions into a single territory.

In the center of the Chinese plains, new trading posts and cities continually arose. And the neighboring peoples, warring among themselves and with others, robbed and ruined them with enviable regularity. In the construction of the wall, the rulers of that era saw the solution to this problem.

During the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty, it was decided to throw all their efforts into continuing the construction of the wall. Most of the population, and even the emperor's army, participated in this large-scale historical project.

The Chinese wall was built during the reign of this emperor for 10 years. Slaves, peasants, middle-class people gave their lives to build a structure of clay and stone. The construction work itself was complicated by the lack of entrances and roads to some construction sites. People experienced shortages of drinking water and food, died from epidemics without doctors and healers. But construction work did not stop.

At first, the wall was built by 300 thousand people. But at the end of its construction, the number of workers reached 2 million. There were many legends and tales around the Chinese Wall. One day, Emperor Qin was informed that the construction of the wall would stop after the death of a man named Wano. The emperor ordered to find such a person and kill him. The poor worker was walled up in the base of the wall. But construction continued for a very long time.

The Wall of China divides China into a south of farmers and a north of nomads. During the reign of the Ming Dynasty, the wall was reinforced with bricks, and watchtowers were erected on it. Under the Wanli Emperor, many parts of the wall were rebuilt or rebuilt. People called this wall the “earth dragon”. Because its foundations were high earthen mounds. And its colors corresponded to such a name.

The Great Wall of China begins in the city of Shanghai-guan, one of its sections passes near Beijing, and ends in the city of Jiayu-guan. This wall in China is not only a national treasure, but also a real cemetery. The bones of people buried there are still found today.

As a defensive structure, this wall proved to be not better side. Its empty sections could not stop the enemy. And for those places that were guarded by people, its height was not enough to repel attacks with high quality. Its small height could not fully protect the area from barbarian raids. And the width of the structure was clearly not enough to place on it a sufficient number of soldiers capable of fully fighting.

Senseless for defense, but useful for trade, the wall continued to be built. For its construction, people were forcibly taken to work. Families broke up, men lost their wives and children, and mothers lost their sons. They could be sent to the wall for the slightest offense. To recruit people there, special calls were made, similar to how soldiers are recruited for the army. People grumbled, sometimes riots were organized, which were suppressed by the army of the emperor. The last rebellion was the last. After all, after him, the reign of the Ming dynasty came to an end, and construction stopped.

The current Chinese government has introduced a number of fines for damaging landmarks. This had to be done due to the fact that many tourists sought to take a piece of the Chinese wall with them. AND natural processes its destruction was only accelerated by such barbaric acts. Although in the 70s it was proposed to destroy the wall on purpose. Due to the then political outlook, the wall was perceived as a relic of the past.

What was the Great Wall made of?

Before the reign of the Qin Dynasty, primitive building materials were used for the wall: clay, earth, pebbles. After this period, they began to build from bricks baked in the sun. And also from large boulders. Building materials were taken from the same place where the construction took place. The stone mortar was made from rice flour. This gluten reliably fastened lumps of various shapes to each other.

The Chinese wall was even used as a road. Its structure is heterogeneous. It has a different height, borders on mountain gorges and hills. The height of its steps in some places reaches 30 cm. Other steps are only 5 cm high. Climbing the Chinese Wall is quite convenient, but descending can be a risky adventure. And all because of such a device steps.

Many tourists who visited the wall noted this feature of it. It would seem that there is nothing easier than going down the stairs. But the paradox is that going down steps of different heights takes more time than going up them.

The attitude of the Chinese to this building

During different periods of construction and reconstruction of the wall, people raised uprisings, as their forces were running out. The guards easily passed the enemy through the wall. And in some places they willingly took bribes so as not to lose their lives during the raids of opponents.

People raised riots, not wanting to build a useless structure. Today in China, the wall is given a completely different meaning. Despite all the failures, difficulties and failures that arose during construction, the wall is considered a symbol of the resilience of the Chinese people.

Modern Chinese people treat the wall in different ways. Someone feels awe at the sight of her, someone can easily throw garbage near this attraction. Most have a moderate interest in it. But the Chinese go on group excursions to the wall just as willingly as foreign tourists.

Mao Zedong wrote in his book that one who has not visited the Great Wall cannot call himself a true Chinese. On small sections of the wall, marathons of runners are organized annually, excursions are held, research work and reconstruction.

Chinese wall: facts, myths and beliefs

Among the abundance of information about the main Chinese attraction, the myth that the Chinese Wall is visible even from the moon is quite popular. In fact, this myth has long been debunked. Not a single astronaut has been able to clearly see this wall with any orbital station, nor from a night satellite of the earth.

In 1754, the first mention appeared that the Great Wall of China is so large that it is the only one visible from the moon. But the astronauts did not manage to see this structure of stones and earth in the pictures.

In 2001, Neil Armstrong also denied rumors that the Wall of China could be seen from Earth's orbit. He stated that none of the other astronauts could clearly see this design on Chinese territory.

In addition to disputes about the visibility of the wall from orbit, there are many rumors and legends around this attraction. The terrible legend that the building mortar was mixed from crushed human bones was also not confirmed. Rice flour served as the basis for the solution.

Another myth says that when a farmer died while building the wall, his wife cried on it for so long that part of the structure collapsed, revealing the remains of the deceased. And the woman was able to bury her husband with all honors.

There were various rumors about the construction of this facility. Some claimed that a real fire-breathing dragon who, with his flame, melted the space to facilitate construction works On him.

Among other things, there is a legend about the construction itself. It says that when the chief architect was approached and asked how many bricks to make. He named the number "999999". After the construction work was completed, one brick remained, and the cunning architect ordered it to be mounted above one of the entrances to the watchtower to attract good luck. And he pretended that everything was meant to be.

Consider reliable facts about the Great Wall of China:

The object is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List;
Some sections of the wall were destroyed by contemporaries, because there was a need for places for new construction;
This man-made structure is the longest in the world;
The attraction is not classified as a wonder of the Ancient World;
Another name for the Wall of China is the "Purple Border";
For the entire world community, the wall was opened in 1605 by the European Bento de Gois;
In addition to protective functions, the design was used to introduce state duties, control the migration of peoples and record foreign trade;
Many famous politicians and actors have visited this attraction;
The guard posts of the wall were used as beacons;
Even today, night and evening excursions are organized on the wall;
This structure can be climbed on foot and by funicular;
In 2004, 41.8 million foreign tourists visited the wall;
A simple wheelbarrow, commonly used at the construction site, was invented while building the wall;
The final battle on this structure took place in 1938 between the Chinese and the Japanese;
The highest point of the wall is located near the city of Beijing, 5000 meters above sea level;
This object is the most popular tourism destination in China;
The construction of the legendary wall was completed in 1644.

Maintaining such a huge architectural object in a presentable form is almost impossible. What influences the Great Wall of China today?

Why is the legacy of the ancestors destroyed?

For three consecutive imperial "kingdoms" in a row, the Chinese Wall was built and rebuilt several times. It was erected during the reign of the Qin, Han and Ming dynasties. Each dynasty brought something new to the appearance of the structure, giving the construction of the structure a new meaning. Construction was completed during the Ming era. The construction of the wall was one of the reasons for a large-scale uprising, during which the last representative of the dynasty was overthrown from the throne.

Today, even modern building technology and innovation cannot stop the destruction of a huge structure. Some sections of the wall collapse on their own due to exposure to rain, sun, winds and time.

Others are dismantled by local residents to use the materials to build villages. Tourists also damage the wall. Often there are segments of the wall painted with graffiti. Stones and other parts are pulled out of the structure.

In addition, some segments of the Great Wall of China are located so far from cities and towns that there is simply no one to monitor their condition. And the costly business for the economy does not fit into the modern Chinese budget.

Great Wall gives the impression of a structure organically inscribed in the landscape. It seems to merge with the trees, hills and steppes around, without disturbing the beauty of the places where it lies. Her colors are shades of earth and sand. When viewed from the side, it seems that the structure, like a chameleon, adapts to all the shades of greenery around, and dissolves among the woody palettes of the local vegetation.

This attraction has many channels and branches. Her story is full of secrets, tragedies and mysteries. And the design itself is not distinguished by engineering refinements. But the meaning that is embedded in this symbol today allows us to say that the Chinese people know no equal in work and perseverance. Indeed, for the construction of this structure, it took millennia and millions of human hands, erecting a wall stone by stone.

In China, there is another material evidence of the presence in this country of a highly developed civilization, to which the Chinese have nothing to do. Unlike the Chinese pyramids, this evidence is well known to everyone. This is the so-called The great Wall of China.

Let's see what orthodox historians say about this largest architectural monument, which in Lately has become a major tourist attraction in China. The wall is located in the north of the country, stretching from the sea coast and going deep into the Mongolian steppes, and, according to various estimates, has a length, taking into account the branches, from 6 to 13,000 km. The thickness of the wall is several meters (on average 5 meters), the height is 6-10 meters. The wall is said to have included 25,000 towers.

A brief history of the construction of the wall today looks like this. The construction of the wall allegedly began yet in the 3rd century BC during the dynasty Qin to defend against the raids of nomads from the north and clearly define the border of Chinese civilization. The initiator of the construction was the famous "collector of Chinese lands" Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di. He drove about half a million people to the construction, which, with a total population of 20 million, is a very impressive figure. Back then, the wall was a structure made mostly of earth – a huge earthen rampart.

During the reign of the dynasty Han(206 BC - 220 AD) the wall was expanded to the west, strengthened with stone and built a line of watchtowers that went deep into the desert. Under the dynasty Min(1368-1644) the wall continued to be built further. As a result, it stretched from east to west from the Bohai Bay in the Yellow Sea to the western border of the modern provinces of Gansu, entering the territory of the Gobi Desert. It is believed that this wall was already built by the efforts of a million Chinese from bricks and stone blocks, which is why these sections of the wall have survived to this day in the form in which a modern tourist is already accustomed to seeing it. The Ming dynasty was replaced by the Manchu dynasty Qing(1644-1911), who did not build the wall. She limited herself to maintaining in relative order a small area near Beijing, which served as the "gateway to the capital."

In 1899, American newspapers started a rumor that the wall would soon be demolished and a highway built in its place. However, no one was going to demolish anything. Moreover, in 1984, a wall restoration program initiated by Deng Xiaoping and led by Mao Tse Tung was launched, which is still being carried out and financed by Chinese and foreign companies, as well as individuals. How many drove Mao to restore the wall is not reported. Several sections were repaired, in some places they were erected altogether anew. So we can assume that in 1984 the construction of the fourth wall of China began. Usually, tourists are shown one of the sections of the wall, located 60 km northwest of Beijing. This is the area of Mount Badaling (Badaling), the length of the wall is 50 km.

The wall makes the greatest impression not in the Beijing region, where it was erected on not very high mountains, but in remote mountainous regions. There, by the way, it is very clearly seen that the wall, as a defensive structure, was made very thoughtfully. Firstly, five people in a row could move along the wall itself, so it was also a good road, which is extremely important when it is necessary to transfer troops. Under cover of the battlements, the guards could stealthily approach the area where the enemies planned to attack. The signal towers were located in such a way that each of them was within sight of the other two. Some important messages were transmitted either by drumming, or by smoke, or by the fire of bonfires. Thus, the news of the enemy's invasion from the most distant frontiers could be transmitted to the center per day!

During the restoration process, the walls were opened Interesting Facts. For example, its stone blocks were fastened together with adhesive rice porridge with an admixture of slaked lime. Or what loopholes on its fortresses looked towards China; that on the north side the height of the wall is small, much less than on the south, and there are stairs. The latest facts, for obvious reasons, are not advertised and are not commented on by official science - neither Chinese nor world. Moreover, when reconstructing towers, they try to build loopholes in the opposite direction, although this is not always possible. These photos show the south side of the wall - the sun is shining at noon.

However, on this oddity with Chinese wall do not end. Wikipedia has a full map of the wall, which shows in different colors the wall we are told each Chinese dynasty built. As you can see, the great wall is not alone. Northern China is often and densely dotted with "great Chinese walls" that go into the territory of modern Mongolia and even Russia. Shed light on these oddities A.A. Tyunyaev in his work "The Chinese Wall - a great barrier from the Chinese":

“It is extremely interesting to trace the stages of the construction of the “Chinese” wall, based on the data of Chinese scientists. It can be seen from them that Chinese scientists who call the wall “Chinese” are not very concerned about the fact that the Chinese people themselves did not take any part in its construction: every time the next section of the wall was built, the Chinese state was far from the construction sites.

So, the first and main part of the wall was built in the period from 445 BC. to 222 BC It runs along 41-42 ° north latitude and simultaneously along some sections of the river. Huanghe. At that time, of course, there were no Mongol-Tatars. Moreover, the first unification of peoples within China took place only in 221 BC. under the reign of Qin. And before that, there was the Zhangguo period (5-3 centuries BC), in which eight states existed on the territory of China. Only in the middle of the 4th c. BC. Qin began to fight against other kingdoms, and by 221 BC. conquered some of them.

The figure shows that the western and northern border of the state of Qin by 221 BC. began to coincide with that section of the "Chinese" wall, which began to be built even in 445 BC and was built in 222 BC

Thus, we see that this section of the "Chinese" wall was built not by the Chinese of the Qin state, but northern neighbors, but precisely from the Chinese spreading to the north. In just 5 years - from 221 to 206. BC. - a wall was built along the entire border of the state of Qin, which stopped the spread of his subjects to the north and west. In addition, at the same time, 100-200 km west and north of the first, the second line of defense from Qin was built - the second "Chinese" wall of this period.

The next construction period covers the time from 206 BC to 220 AD During this period, sections of the wall were built, located 500 km to the west and 100 km to the north of the previous ones ... from 618 to 907 China was ruled by the Tang dynasty, which did not mark itself as victorious over its northern neighbors.

In the next period from 960 to 1279 The Song Empire was established in China. At this time, China lost dominance over its vassals in the west, in the northeast (on the territory of the Korean Peninsula) and in the South - in northern Vietnam. The Sung empire lost a significant part of the territories of the Chinese proper in the north and northwest, which went to the Khitan the Liao State(part of the modern provinces of Hebei and Shanxi), the Tangut kingdom of Xi-Xia (part of the territories of the modern province of Shaanxi, the entire territory of the modern province of Gansu and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region).

In 1125, the border between the non-Chinese kingdom of the Jurchens and China passed along the river. Huaihe is 500-700 km south of the places where the wall was built. And in 1141, a peace treaty was signed, according to which the Chinese Sung Empire recognized itself as a vassal of the non-Chinese state of Jin, pledging to pay him a large tribute.

However, while China itself huddled south of the river. Hunahe, 2100-2500 km north of its borders, another section of the "Chinese" wall was erected. This part of the wall built from 1066 to 1234, passes through Russian territory north of the village of Borzya near the river. Argun. At the same time, another section of the wall was built 1500-2000 km north of China, located along the Greater Khingan...

The next section of the wall was built between 1366 and 1644. It runs along the 40th parallel from Andong (40°), just north of Beijing (40°), through Yinchuan (39°) to Dunhuang and Anxi (40°) in the west. This section of the wall is the last, southernmost and most deeply penetrating into the territory of China ... During the construction of this section of the wall, the entire Amur region belonged to Russian territories. By the middle of the 17th century, on both banks of the Amur, there were already Russian fortresses-prisons (Albazinsky, Kumarsky, etc.), peasant settlements and arable lands. In 1656, the Daurskoye (later Albazinskoye) voivodship was formed, which included the valley of the Upper and Middle Amur along both banks ... The “Chinese” wall built by the Russians by 1644 ran exactly along the border of Russia with Qing China. In the 1650s, Qing China invaded Russian lands to a depth of 1500 km, which was confirmed by the Aigun (1858) and Beijing (1860) treaties ... "

Today the Wall of China is inside China. However, there was a time when the wall meant country border.

This fact is confirmed by the extant vintage cards. For example, a map of China by the famous medieval cartographer Abraham Ortelius from his geographical atlas of the world Theatrum Orbis Terrarum 1602. On the map, north is on the right. It clearly shows that China is separated from the northern country - Tartary by a wall.

On the map of 1754 "Le Carte de l'Asie" it is also clearly seen that the border of China with Great Tartaria runs along the wall.

And even the 1880 map shows the wall as China's border with its northern neighbor. It is noteworthy that part of the wall goes far enough into the territory of China's western neighbor - Chinese Tartary...

Interesting illustrations for this article are collected on the Food of RA website ...

False antiquity of China

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 controversy among various researchers.

The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been precisely established. It is only known that it stretched from Jiayuguan, located in the province of Gansu, to (Liaodong Bay).

Wall length, width and height

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 end points. However, it must be borne in mind that the wall does not go straight anywhere: 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 is on average 6-7 meters, reaching 10 meters in some areas. Width - 6 meters, that is, 5 people can walk along the wall in a row, even a small car can easily pass. On its outer side there are "teeth" made of large bricks. interior wall protects the barrier, the height of which is 90 cm. Previously, there were drains in it, made through equal sections.

Start of construction

The beginning of the Great Wall of China was laid during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He ruled the country from 246 to 210. BC e. With the name of this creator of a single Chinese state - the famous emperor - it is customary to associate 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 build it after one court soothsayer 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 grand structure as the Great Wall of China.

Evidence suggests that the rulers of various principalities located in northern China erected similar walls along their borders even before the reign of Qin Shi Huang. 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 united them. This is how the Great Wall of China was formed. 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, watchtowers 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 there were not enough workers, mass mobilization of peasants also began. Emperor Shi Huangdi, according to one of the legends, ordered to make a sacrifice to the spirits. He ordered that a million people be immured in the wall under construction. This is not confirmed by archaeological data, although single burials were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is still unclear whether they were ritual sacrifices, or whether they simply buried the dead workers, those who built the Great Wall of China, in this way.

Completion of construction

Shortly before Shi Huangdi'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 for the construction of defensive fortifications. Through deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along cities, across the whole of China, the Great Wall stretched, turning the state into an almost impregnable fortress.

Protective function of the wall

Many called its later construction meaningless, since there would not have been soldiers for the defense of such 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 steppes. For example, these are the Trajan's Wall built by the Romans in the 2nd century, as well as the Serpent's Walls, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large detachments of cavalry could not overcome the wall, since the cavalry needed to make a breach or destroy a large area in order to pass. And without special tools, this was not easy to do. Genghis Khan managed to do this in the 13th century with the help of military engineers from the Chudji, the kingdom he conquered, as well as local infantry in huge numbers.

How different dynasties took care of the wall

All subsequent rulers took care of the safety of the Great Wall of China. Only two dynasties were an exception. These are the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty, as well as the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about a little later). They controlled the lands north of the wall, so they didn't need it. The history of the construction knew different periods. There were times when the garrisons guarding it 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 underway 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 wall.

During the reign, women were used as sentries on the towers, watching the surrounding area and, if necessary, giving an alarm signal. This was motivated by the fact that they treat their duties more conscientiously and are more attentive. There is a legend according to which the legs of the unfortunate guards were cut off so that they could not leave their post without an order.

folk tradition

We continue to reveal the topic: "The Great Wall of China: interesting facts." The photo of the wall below will help you imagine its greatness.

The folk legend tells about the terrible hardships that the builders of this structure had to endure. A woman named Meng Jiang came here from a remote province to bring warm clothes for her husband. However, when she reached the wall, she learned that her husband had already died. The woman was unable to find his remains. She lay down near this wall and cried for several days. Even the stones were touched by the woman's grief: one of the sections of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing the bones of Meng Jiang's husband. The woman took the remains of her husband home, where she buried them in the family cemetery.

Invasion of "barbarians" and restoration work

The wall did not save from the last large-scale invasion of the "barbarians". The overthrown aristocracy, fighting with the rebels representing the Yellow Turban movement, let numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - Qin. The Great Wall from that moment lost its defensive significance. She finally fell into disrepair. Only after 1949 did the restoration work. 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" (Hongweibings), 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 attacked by the enemy.

Now not only forced laborers or soldiers were sent here. 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 cannot be called a good fellow, which Mao Zedong turned into a slogan, became a new saying just then.

Great Wall of China today

Not a single description of China is complete without mentioning the Great Wall of China. Locals say that its history is half of the history of the whole country, which cannot be understood without visiting the structure. Scientists have calculated that from all the materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty in its construction, it is possible to fold a wall that is 5 meters high and 1 meter thick. It is enough to encircle the entire globe.

The Great Wall of China has no equal in grandeur. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scale still amazes today. Everyone can purchase 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 view has recently been refuted. Yang 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 at the time of the first space flights, the air over Northern China was much cleaner, and therefore the Great Wall of China was visible earlier. The history of creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with many traditions and legends, which this majestic building is still surrounded by today.