“A long wall of 10,000 li” is what the Chinese themselves call this miracle of ancient engineering. For a huge country with a population of almost one and a half billion, it has become a source of national pride, a calling card that attracts travelers from all over the world. Today, the Great Wall of China is one of the most popular attractions - approximately 40 million people visit it every year. In 1987, the unique site was included by UNESCO in the list of world cultural heritage.
Local residents also like to repeat that anyone who does not climb the wall is not a real Chinese. This phrase, uttered by Mao Zedong, is perceived as a real call to action. Despite the fact that the height of the structure is approximately 10 meters with a width of 5-8 m in different areas (not to mention the not very comfortable steps), there are no fewer foreigners who want to feel like true Chinese, at least for a moment. In addition, from above, a magnificent panorama of the surrounding area opens up, which you can admire endlessly.
You can’t help but wonder how harmoniously this creation of human hands fits into the natural landscape, forming a single whole with it. The solution to the phenomenon is simple: the Great Wall of China was not laid across desert terrain, but next to hills and mountains, spurs and deep gorges, smoothly bending around them. But why did the ancient Chinese need to build such a large and extensive fortification? How did the construction proceed and how long did it last? These questions are asked by everyone who has been lucky enough to visit here at least once. Researchers have long ago received answers to them, and we will dwell on the rich historical past of the Great Wall of China. It itself leaves tourists with an ambiguous impression, since some areas are in excellent condition, while others are completely abandoned. Only this circumstance in no way detracts from the interest in this object - rather, on the contrary.
History of the construction of the Great Wall of China
In the 3rd century BC, one of the rulers of the Celestial Empire was Emperor Qing Shi Huang. His era fell on the Warring States period. It was a difficult and contradictory time. The state was threatened from all sides by enemies, especially the aggressive Xiongnu nomads, and it needed protection from their treacherous raids. Thus was born the decision to build an impregnable wall - high and extensive, so that no one could disturb the peace of the Qin Empire. At the same time, this structure was supposed to, in modern terms, demarcate the boundaries of the ancient Chinese kingdom and contribute to its further centralization. The wall was also intended to solve the issue of “purity of the nation”: by fencing off the barbarians, the Chinese would be deprived of the opportunity to enter into marriage relations with them and have children together.
The idea of building such a grandiose border fortification was not born out of the blue. There were already precedents. Many kingdoms - for example, Wei, Yan, Zhao and the already mentioned Qin - tried to build something similar. The State of Wei built its wall around 353 BC. BC: the adobe structure divided it with the Qin kingdom. Later, this and other border fortifications were connected to each other, and they formed a single architectural ensemble.
Construction of the Great Wall of China began along Yingshan, a mountain system in Inner Mongolia, in northern China. The emperor appointed commander Meng Tian to coordinate its progress. There was a lot of work to be done. Previously built walls needed to be strengthened, connected with new sections and extended. As for the so-called “internal” walls, which served as boundaries between individual kingdoms, they were simply demolished.
The construction of the first sections of this grandiose object took a total of a decade, and the construction of the entire Great Wall of China lasted for two millennia (according to some evidence, even for as long as 2,700 years). At its different stages, the number of people simultaneously involved in the work reached three hundred thousand. In total, the authorities attracted (more precisely, forced) about two million people to join them. These were representatives of many social strata: slaves, peasants, and military personnel. The workers worked in inhumane conditions. Some died from overwork as such, others became victims of severe and incurable infections.
The terrain itself was not conducive to comfort, at least relative. The structure ran along the mountain ranges, skirting all the spurs extending from them. The builders moved forward, overcoming not only high climbs, but also many gorges. Their sacrifices were not in vain - at least from the perspective today: It was precisely this landscape of the area that determined the unique appearance of the miracle structure. Not to mention its size: on average, the height of the wall reaches 7.5 meters, and this does not take into account the rectangular teeth (with them the entire 9 m is obtained). Its width is also uneven - at the bottom 6.5 m, at the top 5.5 m.
The Chinese popularly call their wall the “earth dragon.” And it is by no means accidental: at the very beginning, any materials were used during its construction, primarily compacted earth. It was done like this: first, shields were woven from reeds or twigs, and between them clay, small stones and other available materials were pressed in layers. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang got down to business, they began to use more reliable stone slabs, which were laid close to each other.
Surviving sections of the Great Wall of China
However, it was not only the variety of materials that determined the heterogeneous appearance of the Great Wall of China. The towers also make it recognizable. Some of them were built even before the wall itself appeared, and were built into it. Other elevations appeared simultaneously with the stone “border”. It is not difficult to determine which ones were before and which ones were built after: the first ones have a smaller width and are located at unequal distances, while the second ones fit organically into the building and are exactly 200 meters apart from each other. They were usually built rectangular, on two floors, equipped with upper platforms with loopholes. Observation of enemy maneuvers, especially when they were advancing, was carried out from signal towers located here on the wall.
When the Han Dynasty, which ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD, came to power, the Great Chinese wall expanded westward to Dunhuang. During this period, the object was equipped with a whole line of watchtowers that went deep into the desert. Their purpose was to protect caravans with goods, which often suffered from raids by nomads. Most of the sections of the wall that have survived to this day were built during the Ming Dynasty, which ruled from 1368 to 1644. They were built mainly from more reliable and durable materials - stone blocks and bricks. Over the three centuries of the reign of the said dynasty, the Great Wall of China “grew” significantly, stretching from the coast of Bohai Bay (Shanhaiguan Outpost) to the border of the modern Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and Gansu Province (Yumenguan Outpost).
Where does the wall begin and end?
Man-made border Ancient China originates in the north of the country, in the city of Shanghai-guan, located on the shores of the Bohai Bay of the Yellow Sea, which once had strategic importance on the borders of Manchuria and Mongolia. This is the easternmost point of the 10,000 Li Long Wall. The Laoluntou Tower is also located here, it is also called the “dragon’s head”. The tower is also notable for the fact that it is the only place in the country where the Great Wall of China is washed by the sea, and it itself goes as much as 23 meters into the bay.
The westernmost point of the monumental structure is located in the vicinity of the city of Jiayuguan, in the central part of the Celestial Empire. Here the Great Wall of China is best preserved. This site was built back in the 14th century, so it also might not stand the test of time. But it survived due to the fact that it was constantly strengthened and repaired. The westernmost outpost of the empire was built near Mount Jiayuoshan. The outpost was equipped with a moat and walls - internal and semicircular external. There are also main gates located on the western and eastern sides of the outpost. The Yuntai Tower stands proudly here, considered by many almost as a separate attraction. Inside, Buddhist texts and bas-reliefs of ancient Chinese kings are carved on the walls, which arouse the constant interest of researchers.
Myths, legends, interesting facts
For a long time it was believed that the Great Wall of China could be seen from space. Moreover, this myth was born long before flights into low-Earth orbit, in 1893. This is not even an assumption, but a statement made by The Century magazine (USA). Then they returned to this idea in 1932. The then famous showman Robert Ripley claimed that the structure could be seen from the moon. With the advent of the era of space flight, these claims were generally refuted. According to NASA experts, the object is barely visible from orbit, from which it is approximately 160 km from the Earth's surface. The wall, and then with the help of strong binoculars, was able to be seen by the American astronaut William Pogue.
Another myth takes us directly back to the construction of the Great Wall of China. An ancient legend says that powder prepared from human bones was allegedly used as a cementing solution that held the stones together. There was no need to go far to get the “raw materials” for it, given that many workers died here. Fortunately, this is just a legend, albeit a creepy one. Ancient masters actually prepared the adhesive solution from powder, but the base of the substance was ordinary rice flour.
There is a legend that a large fiery Dragon paved the way for the workers. He indicated in which areas the wall should be built, and the builders steadily followed in his footsteps. Another legend tells of a farmer's wife named Meng Jing Nu. Having learned about the death of her husband during construction, she came there and began to cry inconsolably. As a result, one of the plots collapsed, and the widow saw the remains of her loved one underneath, which she was able to take and bury.
It is known that the wheelbarrow was invented by the Chinese. But few people know that they were prompted to do this by the beginning of the construction of a grandiose project: the workers needed a convenient device with which they could transport building materials. Some sections of the Great Wall of China, which were of exceptional strategic importance, were surrounded by protective ditches, filled with water or left in the form of ditches.
Great Wall of China in winter
Sections of the Great Wall of China
Several sections of the Great Wall of China are open to tourists. Let's talk about some of them.
The outpost closest to Beijing, the modern capital of the People's Republic of China, is Badaling (it is also one of the most popular). It is located north of the Juyunguan Pass and only 60 km from the city. It was built during the era of the ninth Chinese emperor, Hongzhi, who reigned from 1487 to 1505. Along this section of the wall there are signal platforms and watchtowers, which offer a magnificent view if you climb to its highest point. At this location, the height of the object reaches an average of 7.8 meters. The width is sufficient for 10 pedestrians to pass or 5 horses to pass.
Another outpost quite close to the capital is called Mutianyu and is located 75 km from it, in Huairou, a municipal district of Beijing. This site was built during the reign of Emperors Longqing (Zhu Zaihou) and Wanli (Zhu Yijun), who belonged to the Ming Dynasty. At this point the wall takes a sharp turn towards the northeastern regions of the country. The local landscape is mountainous, with many steep slopes and cliffs. The outpost is notable for the fact that at its southeastern end three branches of the “great stone border” come together, and at a height of 600 meters.
One of the few areas where the Great Wall of China has been preserved almost in its original form is Symatai. It is located in the village of Gubeikou, which is 100 km northeast of Miyun County, which belongs to the municipality of Beijing. This section stretches for 19 km. In its southeastern part, impressive with its impregnable appearance even today, there are partially preserved observation towers (14 in total).
The steppe section of the wall originates from the Jinchuan Gorge - it is east of the county town of Shandan, in Zhangye County, Gansu Province. In this place, the structure stretches for 30 km, and its height varies between 4-5 meters. In ancient times, the Great Wall of China was supported on both sides by a parapet that has survived to this day. The gorge itself deserves special attention. At a height of 5 meters, if you count from its bottom, several carved hieroglyphs can be seen right on the rocky cliff. The inscription translates as "Jinchuan Citadel".
In the same Gansu province, north of the Jiayuguan outpost, at a distance of only 8 km, there is a steep section of the Great Wall of China. It was built during the Ming Empire. It received this appearance due to the specifics of the local landscape. The bends of the mountainous terrain, which the builders were forced to take into account, “lead” the wall to a steep descent straight into the crevice, where it runs smoothly. In 1988, Chinese authorities restored this site and opened it to tourists a year later. From the watchtower there is a magnificent panorama of the surroundings on both sides of the wall.
A steep section of the Great Wall of China
The ruins of the Yanguan outpost are located 75 km southwest of the city of Dunhuang, which in ancient times served as the gateway to the Celestial Empire on the Great Silk Road. In ancient times, the length of this section of the wall was approximately 70 km. Here you can see impressive piles of stones and earthen ramparts. All this leaves no doubt: there were no sentinel or signal towers here. less than a dozen. However, they have not survived to this day, except for the signal tower north of the outpost, on Mount Dundong.
The section known as the Wei Wall originates in Chaoyuandun (Shaanxi Province), located on the west coast of the Changjian River. Not far from here is the northern spur of one of the five sacred mountains of Taoism - Huashan, which belongs to the Qinling Range. From here, the Great Wall of China moves towards the northern regions, as evidenced by its fragments in the villages of Chennan and Hongyan, of which the first is best preserved.
Measures to preserve the wall
Time has not been kind to this unique architectural object, which many call the eighth wonder of the world. The rulers of the Chinese kingdoms did everything in their power to counteract the destruction. However, from 1644 to 1911 - the period of the Manchu Qing dynasty - the Great Wall was practically abandoned and suffered even greater destruction. Only the Badaling section was maintained in order, and that was because it was located near Beijing and was considered the “front gate” to the capital. History, of course, does not tolerate the subjunctive mood, but if not for the betrayal of the commander Wu Sangui, who opened the gates of the Shanhaiguan outpost to the Manchus and let the enemy through, the Ming dynasty would not have fallen, and the attitude towards the wall would have remained the same - careful.
Deng Xiaoping, the founder of economic reforms in the PRC, paid great attention to preserving the country's historical heritage. It was he who initiated the restoration of the Great Wall of China, the program of which started in 1984. It was financed from a variety of sources, including funds from foreign business structures and donations from individuals. To raise money in the late 80s, an art auction was even held in the capital of the Celestial Empire, the progress of which was widely covered not only in the country itself, but also by leading television companies in Paris, London and New York. A lot of work was done with the proceeds, but sections of the wall remote from tourist centers are still in poor condition.
On September 6, 1994, the Great Wall of China Thematic Museum was inaugurated in Badaling. Behind the building, which resembles a wall with its appearance, she herself is located. The institution is designed to popularize the great historical and cultural heritage of this, without exaggeration, unique architectural object.
Even the corridor in the museum is stylized like it - it is distinguished by its tortuousness, along its entire length there are “passages”, “signal towers”, “fortresses”, etc. The excursion makes you feel as if you are traveling along the real Great Wall of China: it’s so here everything is thought out and realistic.
Note to tourists
On the Mutianyu section, the longest of the fully restored fragments of the wall, located 90 km north of the capital of the People's Republic of China, there are two funiculars. The first is equipped with closed cabins and is designed for 4-6 people, the second is an open lift, similar to ski lifts. Those suffering from acrophobia (fear of heights) are better off not taking risks and prefer a walking tour, which, however, is also fraught with difficulties.
Climbing the Great Wall of China is quite easy, but descending can turn into real torture. The fact is that the height of the steps is not the same and varies between 5-30 centimeters. You should go down them with extreme care and it is advisable not to stop, because after a pause it is much more difficult to resume the descent. One tourist even calculated: climbing the wall at its lowest section involves climbing 4 thousand (!) steps.
Time to visit, how to get to the Great Wall of China
Excursions to the Mutianyu site from March 16 to November 15 are held from 7:00 to 18:00, in other months - from 7:30 to 17:00.
The Badaling site is open to visitors from 6:00 to 19:00 in summer and from 7:00 to 18:00 in winter.
You can get acquainted with the Symatai site in November-March from 8:00 to 17:00, in April-November - from 8:00 to 19:00.
A visit to the Great Wall of China is provided both as part of excursion groups and on an individual basis. In the first case, tourists are delivered by special buses, which usually depart from Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Yabaolu and Qianmen streets; in the second, curious travelers are offered public transport or a private car with a driver hired for the whole day.
The first option is suitable for those who find themselves in the Celestial Empire for the first time and do not know the language. Or, on the contrary, those who know the country and speak Chinese, but at the same time want to save money: group excursions are relatively inexpensive. But there are also costs, namely the significant duration of such tours and the need to focus on other members of the group.
Public transport to get to the Great Wall of China is usually used by those who know Beijing well and speak and read at least a little Chinese. A trip by regular bus or train will cost less than even the most attractively priced group tour. There is also time savings: a self-guided tour will allow you not to be distracted, for example, by visiting numerous souvenir shops, where guides love to take tourists in the hope of earning their commissions from sales.
Renting a driver and a car for the whole day is the most comfortable and flexible way to get to the section of the Great Wall of China that you choose. The pleasure is not cheap, but it is worth it. Wealthy tourists often book a car through the hotel. You can simply catch one on the street, like an ordinary taxi: this is how many residents of the capital earn money, readily offering their services to foreigners. Just don’t forget to get the driver’s phone number or take a photo of the car itself, so you don’t have to look for it for a long time if the person leaves or drives off somewhere before you return from the excursion.
The Great Wall of China is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it passes near Beijing. The construction process of this structure is amazing in its scale. We will tell you about the most interesting facts and events from the history of the Wall.
First, let's delve a little into the history of the great structure. It is difficult to imagine how much time and human resources are required to build a structure of this scale. It is unlikely that anywhere else in the world there will be a building with such a long, great and at the same time tragic history. Construction of the Great Wall of China began in the 3rd century BC during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin dynasty, during the Warring States period (475-221 BC). In those days, the state was in dire need of protection from attacks by enemies, in particular the nomadic Xiongnu people. A fifth of China's population was involved in the work; at that time it was about a million people.
The wall was supposed to become the northernmost point of the planned expansion of the Chinese, as well as protect the subjects of the “Celestial Empire” from being drawn into a semi-nomadic lifestyle and assimilation with the barbarians. It was planned to clearly define the boundaries of the great Chinese civilization and to promote the unification of the empire into a single whole, since China was just beginning to form from many conquered states. Here are the boundaries of the Chinese Wall on the map:
During the Han Dynasty (206 - 220 BC), the structure was expanded westward to Dunhuang. They built many watchtowers to protect trade caravans from attacks by warring nomads. Almost all sections of the Great Wall that have survived to this day were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, they built mainly from bricks and blocks, thanks to which the structure became stronger and more reliable. During this time, the Wall ran from east to west from Shanhaiguan on the shores of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost on the border of Gansu provinces and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Qing Dynasty of Manchuria (1644–1911) broke the resistance of the Wall defenders due to the betrayal of Wu Sangui. During this period, the structure was treated with great disdain. During the three centuries that the Qing remained in power, the Great Wall was practically destroyed under the influence of time. Only a small section of it, passing near Beijing - Badaling - was preserved in order - it was used as the “gateway to the capital”. Nowadays, this section of the wall is the most popular among tourists - it was the very first open to the public back in 1957, and also served as the finishing point of the cycling race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. US President Nixon visited it. In 1899, newspapers in the US wrote that the wall would be dismantled and a highway would be built in its place.
In 1984, on the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a restoration program was organizedChinese wall, financial assistance from Chinese and foreign companies was attracted. A collection was also held among individuals; anyone could donate any amount.
The total length of the Great Wall of China is 8 thousand 851 kilometers and 800 meters. Just think about this figure, isn’t it impressive?
Nowadays, a 60-kilometer section of the wall in the Shanxi region in northwestern China is undergoing active erosion. The main reason This is due to the country's intensive farming practices, which have seen groundwater gradually dry up since the 1950s and the region become the epicenter of extremely violent sandstorms. More than 40 kilometers of the wall have already been destroyed, and only 10 kilometers are still in place, but the height of the wall has partially been reduced from five to two meters.
The Great Wall was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as one of China's greatest historical sites. In addition, this is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists come here every year.
There are many myths and legends surrounding such a large-scale structure. For example, the fact that this is a solid, continuous wall, built in one approach is a real myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of individual segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern border.
During construction, the Great Wall of China was nicknamed the longest cemetery on the planet, as a large number of people died during construction. According to rough estimates, the construction of the wall cost the lives of more than one million people.
It is logical that such a giant has broken and still holds many records. The most significant of them is the longest structure ever built by man.
The Great Wall was built as many separate elements at different times. Each province built its own wall and gradually they were united into a single whole. In those days, protective structures were simply necessary and were built everywhere. In total, more than 50,000 kilometers of defensive walls have been built in China over the past 2,000 years.
Because the Chinese Wall was broken in some places, the Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan had little difficulty in raiding China, and they subsequently conquered the northern part of the country between 1211 and 1223. The Mongols ruled China until 1368, when they were driven out by the Ming dynasty, described above.
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space. This pervasive myth was born in 1893 in the American magazine The Century and then discussed again in 1932, on the Robert Ripley Show, which claimed that the wall was visible from the moon - even though the first flight into space was still very far away. Nowadays, it has been proven that it is quite difficult to notice a wall from space with the naked eye. Here's a NASA shot from space, see for yourself.
Another legend says that the substance used to hold the stones together was mixed with powder from human bones, and that those killed at the construction site were buried right in the wall itself to make the structure stronger. But this is not true, the solution was made from ordinary rice flour - and there are no bones or dead in the wall structure.
For obvious reasons, this miracle was not included in the 7 ancient wonders of the world, but the Great Wall of China is quite rightly included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world.Another legend says that a large fire dragon paved the way for workers, indicating where to build a wall. The builders subsequently followed his tracks.
While we are talking about legends, one of the most popular is about a woman named Meng Jing Nu, the wife of a farmer working on the construction of the Great Wall. When she learned that her husband had died at work, she went to the wall and cried on it until it collapsed, revealing the bones of her loved one, and her wife was able to bury them.
There was a whole tradition of burying those who died during the construction of the wall. Family members of the deceased carried the coffin, which had a cage with a white rooster on it. The crowing of a rooster was supposed to keep the dead man's spirit awake until the procession recounted the Great Wall. Otherwise, the spirit will forever wander along the wall.
During the Ming Dynasty, more than one million soldiers were called upon to defend the country's borders against enemies on the Great Wall. As for the builders, they were recruited from the same defenders in peacetime, peasants, simply the unemployed and criminals. There was a special punishment for all those convicted and the verdict was the same - to build a wall!
The Chinese invented a wheelbarrow especially for this construction project and used it throughout the construction of the Great Wall. Some particularly dangerous parts of the Great Wall were surrounded by protective ditches, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. The Chinese used advanced weapons for defense such as axes, hammers, spears, crossbows, halberds, and a Chinese invention: gunpowder.
Observation towers were built along the entire Great Wall in uniform areas and could be up to 40 feet high. They were used to monitor the territory, as well as fortresses and garrisons for troops. They contained supplies necessary products and water. In case of danger, a signal was given from the tower, torches, special beacons or simply flags were lit. The western section of the Great Wall, with a long chain of observation towers, served to protect the caravans that moved along the Silk Road, a famous trade route.
The last battle at the wall took place in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War. There are many bullet marks left in the wall from those times. The highest point of the Great Wall of China is at an altitude of 1534 meters, near Beijing, while the lowest point is at sea level near Lao Long Tu. The average height of the wall is 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 8 meters, but in general it ranges from 5 to 7 meters.
The Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride, centuries-old struggle, and greatness. The country's government spends enormous amounts of money on the preservation of this architectural monument, amounting to billions of US dollars per year, hoping to preserve the wall for future generations.
The Chinese Wall is an amazing structure that took almost 2000 years to build and is 4 thousand kilometers long! Such long-term construction is not bad... Traditionally it is believed that the Great Wall of China began to be built in the 3rd century BC. For protection from northern nomads. On this occasion N.A. Morozov wrote:
“One thought is that the famous Chinese Wall, from 6 to 7 meters high, and up to three thick, stretching for THREE THOUSAND KILOMETERS, began construction back in 246 BC by Emperor Chi Hoang Ti and WAS COMPLETED ONLY AFTER 1866 YEARS, BY 1620 AD, is so absurd that it can only cause annoyance to a serious historian-thinker.
After all, every large construction has a predetermined practical purpose... Who would have the idea of starting a huge construction that can only be completed in 2000 years, and until then will only be a useless burden for the population...
They will tell us that the wall has been repaired for two thousand years. Doubtful. It only makes sense to repair a building that is not very old, otherwise it will become hopelessly outdated and simply fall apart. This is what we are seeing, by the way, in Europe.
Old defensive walls were dismantled and new, more powerful ones were built in their place. For example, many military fortifications in Rus' were rebuilt in the 16th century.
But we are told that the Chinese Wall, as it was built, stood for TWO THOUSAND YEARS. They don’t say that “a modern wall was recently built on the site of an ancient one.”
No, they say that we see exactly the wall that was built two thousand years ago. In our opinion this is extremely strange, to say the least.
When and against whom was the wall built? We cannot answer for sure. This requires additional research. However, let us express the following thought.
The Great Wall of China was built primarily as a structure marking the BORDER between two countries: China and Russia.
It is doubtful that it was built as a military defensive structure. And it is unlikely that it has ever been used in this capacity. Defending a 4,000-kilometer wall from enemy attack is SPOILESS.
L.N. Gumilyov quite rightly wrote: “The wall stretched for 4 thousand km. Its height reached 10 meters, and watchtowers rose every 60-100 meters.
But when the work was completed, it turned out that all of China’s armed forces were not enough to organize an effective defense on the wall
In fact, if you place a small detachment on each tower, the enemy will destroy it before the neighbors have time to gather and send help.
If large detachments are spaced out less frequently, gaps will form through which the enemy can easily and unnoticed penetrate deep into the country. A FORTRESS WITHOUT DEFENDERS IS NOT A FORTRESS
How does our point of view differ from the traditional one? We are told that the Wall separated China from the nomads in order to secure the country from their raids. But as Gumilev correctly noted, such an explanation does not stand up to criticism.
If the nomads wanted to cross the Wall, they could easily do so. And more than once. And anywhere. We offer a completely different explanation.
We believe that the Wall was built primarily to MARK THE BORDER BETWEEN TWO STATES. And it was built when an agreement was reached on this border. Apparently in order to eliminate border disputes in the future.
And there probably were such disputes. Today, the parties to the agreement draw the border ON THE MAP (that is, on paper). And they think that this is enough.
And in the case of Russia and China, the Chinese, apparently, attached such importance to the agreement that they decided to immortalize it not only on paper, but also “on the ground,” by drawing the Wall along the agreed border.
This was more reliable and, as the Chinese thought, would eliminate border disputes for a long time. The length of the Wall itself speaks in favor of this assumption. Four, or one or two thousand kilometers is normal for the border between two states. But for a purely military structure it makes no sense. But the political border
China has changed many times over its supposedly more than two thousand-year history. This is what the historians themselves tell us. China united, then fell apart into separate regions, lost and gained some lands, etc.
On the one hand, this seems to make it difficult to verify our reconstruction. But on the other hand, on the contrary, we are given the opportunity not only to check it, but also to DATE the construction of the Wall.
If we manage to find a political-geographical map on which the BORDER OF CHINA WILL GO EXACTLY ALONG THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, this will mean that EXACTLY AT THIS TIME THE WALL WAS BUILT.
Today the Chinese Wall is INSIDE China. Was there a time when it marked the BORDER OF THE COUNTRY? And when did this happen? It is clear that if it was being built as a BORDER WALL, then IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EXACTLY ALONG THE POLITICAL BORDER OF CHINA at that time.
This will allow us to date the construction of the Wall. Let's try to find a GEOGRAPHICAL MAP on which the Chinese Wall runs EXACTLY ALONG THE POLITICAL BORDER OF CHINA. It is important that SUCH CARDS EXIST. And there are many of them. These are maps of the 17th-18th centuries.
Let's take a map of Asia from the 18th century made by the Royal Academy in Amsterdam: . We took this map from a rare atlas of the 18th century.
On this map we find two states: Tartary - Tartarie and China - Chine. China's northern border runs approximately along the 40th parallel. THE CHINA WALL GOES EXACTLY ALONG THIS BORDER.
Moreover, on the map this Wall is MARKED as a thick line with the inscription Muraille de la Chine, that is, “the high wall of China” translated from French.
We see the same Chinese Wall, and with the same inscription on it, on another map of 1754 - Carte de l’Asie, which we took from a rare atlas of the 18th century. Here the Chinese Wall also roughly follows the border between China and Great Tartary, that is, Mongol-Tatary = Russia.
We see the same thing on another map of Asia in the 17th century, in the famous Blau atlas. The Chinese Wall runs exactly along the border of China, and only a small western section of the Wall is inside China.
Our idea is also supported by the fact that cartographers of the 18th century PLACED THE CHINA WALL ON THE POLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLD.
Therefore, this Wall HAD THE MEANING OF A POLITICAL BORDER. After all, cartographers did not depict other “wonders of the world” on this map, for example, the Egyptian pyramids.
And they painted the Chinese Wall. The same Wall is depicted on the color map of the Qing Empire of the second half of the 17th-18th centuries in the academic 10-volume World History
This map shows the Great Wall in detail, with all its small curves in the terrain. Almost along its entire length it runs EXACTLY ALONG THE BORDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE, with the exception of the small westernmost section of the Wall, no more than 200 kilometers long. Apparently
THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA WAS BUILT IN THE 16th-17th CENTURIES AS A POLITICAL BORDER BETWEEN CHINA AND RUSSIA = “MONGOL-TATARIA”.
It is impossible to admit that the “ancient” Chinese had such an amazing gift of foresight that they accurately predicted exactly how the border between China and Russia would go in the 17th-18th centuries of the NEW ERA, that is, in two thousand years.
We may be objected: on the contrary, the border between Russia and China in the 17th century was drawn along ancient Wall. However, in this case, the Wall would have to be mentioned in a written Russian-Chinese treaty. We found no such references.
When was the Wall = Border between Russia = “Mongol-Tataria” and China built? Apparently, it was in the 17th century. No wonder it is believed that its construction was “completed” only in 1620. And maybe even later. See below about this.
In this regard, we immediately remember that EXACTLY at this time there were BORDER WARS between Russia and China. Probably, only at the end of the 17th century they agreed on the border. And then they built a wall to FIX THE AGREEMENT.
Was this Wall before the 17th century? Apparently not. Scaligerian history tells us that China was conquered by the “MONGOLS” in the 13th century AD. e. More precisely, in 1279. And became part of the huge “Mongolian” = Great Empire.
According to the new chronology, the correct dating of this conquest is the end of the 14th century, that is, a hundred years later. In the Scaligerian history of China, this event was noted in the 14th century as the coming to power of the MING dynasty in 1368, that is, the SAME MONGOLS.
As we now understand, in the XIV-XVI centuries Rus' AND CHINA STILL CONSTITUTED ONE EMPIRE. Therefore, there was no need to build a Wall = Border.
Most likely, such a need arose after the unrest in Rus', the defeat of the Russian Horde dynasty and the seizure of power by the Romanovs. As you know, the Romanovs abruptly changed Russia’s political course, trying to subordinate the country to Western influence.
This pro-Western orientation of the new dynasty led to the collapse of the Empire. Türkiye separated, and heavy wars began with it. China also separated. And, in fact, control over a large part of America was lost. Relations between China and the Romanovs became tense, and border conflicts began. It was necessary to build a Wall, which was done.
Apparently, it is possible to even more accurately indicate the time of construction of the Great Wall of China. As we have already said, the Wall was apparently built as a border between China and Russia during the border disputes of the 17th century. ARMED COLLISIONS flared up from the middle of the 17th century. The wars went on with varying degrees of success. Descriptions of these wars were preserved in Khabarov’s notes.
The treaty FIXING THE NORTHERN BORDER OF CHINA WITH RUSSIA was concluded in 1689 in Nerchinsk. Perhaps there were earlier attempts to conclude a Russian-Chinese treaty.
It should be expected that the Chinese Wall was built between 1650 and 1689. This expectation is justified. It is known that the Emperor = Bogdykhan Kangxi “began the implementation of his plan to oust the RUSSIANS FROM AMUR.
HAVING BUILT A CHAIN OF FORTIFICATIONS IN MANZHURIA, Bogdykhan sent the Manzhur army to the Amur in 1684.” What kind of CHAIN OF FORTENTS did Bogdykhan build by 1684? He most likely built the Great Wall of China. That is, a CHAIN OF FORTIFIED TOWERS CONNECTED BY A WALL
Clickable 2500 px
“There are roads that are not taken; there are armies that are not attacked; there are fortresses over which they do not fight; there are areas over which people do not fight; There are orders from the sovereign that are not carried out.”
"Art of War". Sun Tzu
In China, they will definitely tell you about the majestic monument stretching several thousand kilometers and about the founder of the Qin dynasty, thanks to whose command the Great Wall of China was built in China more than two thousand years ago.
However, some modern scholars very much doubt that this symbol of the power of the Chinese empire existed before the mid-20th century. So what do they show tourists? - you say... And tourists are shown what was built by the Chinese communists in the second half of the last century.
According to the official historical version, the Great Wall, intended to protect the country from attacks by nomadic peoples, began to be built in the 3rd century BC. by the will of the legendary emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, the first ruler who united China into one state.
It is believed that the Great Wall, built mainly during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), has survived to this day, and in total there are three historical periods of active construction of the Great Wall: the Qin era in the 3rd century BC, the Han era in III century and Ming era.
Essentially under the name " The great Wall of China“combine at least three large projects in different historical eras, which, according to experts, total a total length of walls of at least 13 thousand km.
With the fall of the Ming and the establishment of the Manchu Qin dynasty (1644-1911) in China, construction work ceased. Thus, the wall, whose construction was completed in the mid-17th century, has largely been preserved.
It is clear that the construction of such a grandiose fortification structure required the Chinese state to mobilize enormous material and human resources to the limit of its capabilities.
Historians claim that at the same time up to a million people were employed in the construction of the Great Wall and the construction was accompanied by monstrous human casualties (according to other sources, three million builders were involved, that is, half of the male population of ancient China).
It is not clear, however, what the ultimate meaning was seen by the Chinese authorities in the construction of the Great Wall, since China did not have the necessary military forces, not only to defend, but at least to reliably control the wall along its entire length.
Probably due to this circumstance, nothing specific is known about the role of the Great Wall in the defense of China. However, Chinese rulers stubbornly built these walls for two thousand years. Well, it must be that we are simply unable to understand the logic of the ancient Chinese.
But this is not the front door. These remains of the Wall are located in Jiayuguan, a city district in the Gansu province of the People's Republic of China. Photo taken October 11, 2005. (Photo by Greg Baker | AP):
However, many sinologists are aware of the weak persuasiveness of the rational motives proposed by researchers of the subject that must have prompted the ancient Chinese to create the Great Wall. And to explain the more than strange history of the unique structure, philosophical tirades are uttered with approximately the following content:
“The wall was supposed to serve as the extreme northern line of the possible expansion of the Chinese themselves; it was supposed to protect the subjects of the “Middle Empire” from transitioning to a semi-nomadic way of life, from merging with the barbarians. The wall was supposed to clearly fix the boundaries of Chinese civilization and contribute to the consolidation of a single empire, just made up of a number of conquered kingdoms.”
Scientists were simply amazed by the blatant absurdity of this fortification. The Great Wall cannot be called an ineffective defensive object; from any sane military point of view, it is blatantly absurd. As you can see, the wall runs along the ridges of hard-to-reach mountains and hills.
Why build a wall in the mountains, where not only nomads on horseback, but also a foot army are unlikely to reach?!.. Or were the strategists of the Celestial Empire afraid of an attack by tribes of wild climbers? Apparently, the threat of invasion by hordes of evil climbers really frightened the ancient Chinese authorities, since with the primitive construction technology available to them, the difficulties of constructing a defensive wall in the mountains increased incredibly.
And the crown of fantastic absurdity, if you look closely, you can see that the wall in some places where mountain ranges intersect branches, forming mockingly meaningless loops and forks.
It turns out that tourists are usually shown one of the sections of the Great Wall, located 60 km northwest of Beijing. This is the area of Mount Badaling, the length of the wall is 50 km. The wall is in excellent condition, which is not surprising - its reconstruction in this area was carried out in the 50s of the 20th century. In fact, the wall was built anew, although it is claimed that it was on old foundations.
The Chinese have nothing more to show; there are no other credible remains from the allegedly existing thousands of kilometers of the Great Wall.
A section of the Wall west of Yinchuan City, June 25, 2007. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images):
Let's return to the question of why the Great Wall was built in the mountains. There are reasons here, except for those that may have recreated and extended, perhaps, the old fortifications of the pre-Manchu era that existed in the gorges and mountain defiles.
Building an ancient historical monument in the mountains has its advantages. It is difficult for an observer to ascertain whether the ruins of the Great Wall really extend for thousands of kilometers along mountain ranges, as he is told.
In addition, in the mountains it is impossible to determine how old the foundations of the wall are. Over several centuries, stone buildings on ordinary soil, carried by sedimentary rocks, inevitably sink several meters into the ground, and this is easy to check.
But on rocky ground this phenomenon is not observed, and a recent building can easily be passed off as very ancient. And besides, there is no large local population in the mountains, a potential inconvenient witness to the construction of a historical landmark.
It is unlikely that initially the fragments of the Great Wall north of Beijing were built on a significant scale; even for China at the beginning of the 19th century this is a difficult task.
Tourist part
It seems that those several tens of kilometers of the Great Wall that are shown to tourists were, for the most part, first erected during Great Helmsman Mao Zedong. Also a Chinese emperor of his kind, but still it cannot be said that he is very ancient
Here is one opinion: you can falsify something that exists in the original, for example, a banknote or a painting. There is an original and you can copy it, which is what forger artists and counterfeiters do. If a copy is made well, it can be difficult to identify a fake and prove that it is not the original. And in the case of the Chinese wall, it cannot be said that it is fake. Because there was no real wall in ancient times.
Therefore, the original product of modern creativity of hardworking Chinese builders has nothing to compare with. Rather, it is a kind of quasi-historically based grandiose architectural creation. A product of the famous Chinese desire for order. Today it is Great tourist attraction worthy of being included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Remains of a 14th-century fortress in Jiayuguan, September 15, 2009. (Photo by Sigismund von Dobschutz):
These are the questions I asked Valentin Sapunov
1. Who, exactly, was the Wall supposed to protect from? The official version - from nomads, Huns, Vandals - is unconvincing. At the time of the creation of the Wall, China was the most powerful state in the region, and perhaps in the whole world. His army was well armed and trained. This can be judged very specifically - in the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, archaeologists unearthed a full-scale model of his army. Thousands of terracotta warriors in full equipment, with horses and carts, were supposed to accompany the emperor in the next world. The northern peoples of that time did not have serious armies; they lived mainly in the Neolithic period. They could not pose a danger to the Chinese army. One suspects that from a military point of view the Wall was of little use.
2. Why was a significant part of the wall built in the mountains? It passes along ridges, over cliffs and canyons, and meanders along inaccessible rocks. This is not how defensive structures are built. In the mountains and without protective walls, the movement of troops is difficult. Even in our time in Afghanistan and Chechnya, modern mechanized troops do not move over mountain ridges, but only along gorges and passes. To stop troops in the mountains, small fortresses dominating the gorges are enough. To the north and south of the Great Wall lie plains. It would be more logical and many times cheaper to build a wall there, and the mountains would serve as an additional natural obstacle to the enemy.
3. Why does the wall, despite its fantastic length, have a relatively small height - from 3 to 8 meters, rarely up to 10? This is much lower than most European castles and Russian kremlins. A strong army, equipped with assault technology (ladders, mobile wooden towers), could, by choosing a vulnerable spot on a relatively flat piece of terrain, overcome the Wall and invade China. This is what happened in 1211, when China was easily conquered by the hordes of Genghis Khan.
4. Why is the Great Wall of China oriented on both sides? All fortifications have battlements and curbs on the walls on the side facing the enemy. They don’t put the teeth towards their own. This is pointless and would complicate the maintenance of soldiers on the walls and the supply of ammunition. In many places, the battlements and loopholes are oriented deep into their territory, and some towers are moved there, to the south. It turns out that the builders of the wall assumed the presence of the enemy on their side. Who were they going to fight in this case?
His personality was extraordinary and in many ways typical of an autocrat. He combined brilliant organizational talent and statesmanship with pathological cruelty, suspicion and tyranny. At a very young age of 13, he became the prince of the state of Qin. It was here that the technology of ferrous metallurgy was first mastered. It was immediately applied to the needs of the army. Possessing more advanced weapons than their neighbors, equipped with bronze swords, the army of the Principality of Qin quickly conquered a significant part of the country. From 221 BC a successful warrior and politician became the head of a united Chinese state - an empire. From that time on, he began to bear the name Qin Shihuang (in another transcription - Shi Huangdi). Like any usurper, he had many enemies. The emperor surrounded himself with an army of bodyguards. Fearing assassins, he created the first magnetic weapon control in his palace. On the advice of experts, he ordered an arch made of magnetic iron ore to be placed at the entrance. If the person entering had an iron weapon hidden, magnetic forces would tear it out from under his clothes. The guards immediately kept up and began to find out why the person entering wanted to enter the palace armed. Fearing for his power and life, the emperor fell ill with persecution mania. He saw conspiracies everywhere. He chose the traditional method of prevention - mass terror. At the slightest suspicion of disloyalty, people were captured, tortured and executed. The squares of Chinese cities were constantly resounding with the cries of people who were cut into pieces, boiled alive in cauldrons, and fried in frying pans. Severe terror pushed many to flee the country.
Constant stress and poor lifestyle undermined the emperor’s health. A duodenal ulcer developed. After 40 years, symptoms of early aging appeared. Some wise men, or rather charlatans, told him a legend about a tree growing across the sea in the east. The fruits of the tree supposedly cure all diseases and prolong youth. The emperor ordered to immediately supply the expedition for the fabulous fruits. Several large junks reached the shores of modern Japan, founded a settlement there and decided to stay. They rightly decided that the mythical tree did not exist. If they return empty-handed, the cool emperor will swear a lot, and maybe come up with something worse. This settlement later became the beginning of the formation of the Japanese state.
Seeing that science was unable to restore health and youth, he brought down his anger on the scientists. The “historical”, or rather hysterical decree of the emperor read: “Burn all books and execute all scientists!” Some of the specialists and works related to military affairs and agriculture, the emperor, under public pressure, nevertheless granted an amnesty. However, most of the priceless manuscripts were burned, and 460 scientists, who constituted the then flower of the intellectual elite, ended their lives in cruel torture.
It was this emperor, as noted, who came up with the idea of the Great Wall. Construction work did not start from scratch. There were already defensive structures in the north of the country. The idea was to combine them into a single fortification system. For what?
This photo was taken in 1998 in the Yinshan Mountains. A 200-kilometer section of the Great Wall of China, built during the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), was discovered by archaeologists in (Photo by Wang Yebiao, Xinhua | AP):
The simplest explanation is the most realistic
Let's resort to analogies. The Egyptian pyramids had no practical meaning. They demonstrated the greatness of the pharaohs and their power, the ability to force hundreds of thousands of people to do any action, even a meaningless one. There are more than enough such structures on Earth, with the sole purpose of exalting power.
Likewise, the Great Wall is a symbol of the power of Shi Huang and other Chinese emperors who picked up the baton of grandiose construction. It should be noted that, unlike many other similar monuments, the Wall is picturesque and beautiful in its own way, harmoniously combined with nature. Talented fortifiers who knew a lot about the Eastern understanding of beauty were involved in the work.
There was a second need for the Wall, a more prosaic one. Waves of imperial terror and the tyranny of feudal lords and officials forced peasants to flee en masse in search of a better life.
The main route was north, to Siberia. It was there that Chinese men dreamed of finding land and freedom. Interest in Siberia as an analogue of the Promised Land has long excited ordinary Chinese, and for a long time it has been common for this people to spread throughout the world.
Historical analogies suggest themselves. Why did Russian settlers go to Siberia? For a better life, for land and freedom. They were fleeing from the royal wrath and lordly tyranny.
To stop uncontrolled migration to the north, which undermined the unlimited power of the emperor and nobles, the Great Wall was created. It would not have held a serious army. However, the Wall could block the path of peasants walking along mountain paths, burdened with simple belongings, wives and children. And if men further away, led by a sort of Chinese Ermak, went to break through, they were met by a rain of arrows from behind the battlements facing their own people. There are more than enough analogues of such sad events in history. Let's remember the Berlin Wall. Officially built against Western aggression, its goal was to stop the flight of the inhabitants of the GDR to where life was better, or at least it seemed so. For a similar purpose, in Stalin’s times they created the most fortified border in the world, which was nicknamed the “Iron Curtain,” over tens of thousands of kilometers. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the Great Wall of China has acquired a double meaning in the minds of the peoples of the world. On the one hand, it is a symbol of China. On the other hand, it is a symbol of Chinese isolation from the rest of the world.
This is also part of the Great Wall of China in Jiayuguang City, built during the Ming Dynasty (1372) Photo from 2003. (Photo by Goh Chai Hin | AFP | Getty Images):
There is even an assumption that the “Great Wall” is the creation not of the ancient Chinese, but of their northern neighbors.
Back in 2006, the President of the Academy of Basic Sciences, Andrei Aleksandrovich Tyunyaev, in his article “The Great Wall of China was built... not by the Chinese!”, made an assumption about the non-Chinese origin of the Great Wall. In fact, modern China has appropriated the achievement of another civilization. In modern Chinese historiography, the purpose of the wall was also changed: initially it protected the North from the South, and not the Chinese south from the “northern barbarians.” Researchers say that the loopholes of a significant part of the wall face south, not north. This can be seen in works of Chinese drawings, a number of photographs, and in the most ancient sections of the wall that have not been modernized for the needs of the tourism industry.
According to Tyunyaev, the last sections of the Great Wall were built similarly to Russian and European medieval fortifications, the main task of which was protection from the impact of guns. The construction of such fortifications began no earlier than the 15th century, when cannons became widespread on the battlefields. In addition, the wall marked the border between China and Russia. At that period of history, the border between Russia and China passed along the “Chinese” wall.” On the 18th-century map of Asia produced by the Royal Academy in Amsterdam, two geographical formations are marked in this region: Tartarie was located in the north, and China was in the south, the northern border of which ran approximately along the 40th parallel, that is, exactly along the Great Wall. On this Dutch map, the Great Wall is indicated by a thick line and labeled "Muraille de la Chine". From French this phrase is translated as “Chinese wall”, but can also be translated as “wall from China”, or “wall delimiting from China”. In addition, other maps confirm the political significance of the Great Wall: on the 1754 map “Carte de l’Asie” the wall also runs along the border between China and Great Tartary (Tartaria). The academic 10-volume World History contains a map of the Qing Empire of the second half of the 17th - 18th centuries, which shows in detail the Great Wall, which runs exactly along the border between Russia and China.
We are located 180 km north of Beijing. Unlike most other areas around the capital that have been restored for tourism, this part of the Wall, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (circa 1368), has been left in its original condition. May 24, 2006. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images):
The ARCHITECTURAL style of the wall, now located in China, is imprinted with the “handprints” of its creators by the construction features. Elements of the wall and towers, similar to fragments of the wall, in the Middle Ages can only be found in the architecture of ancient Russian defensive structures of the central regions of Russia - “northern architecture”.
Andrey Tyunyaev proposes to compare two towers - from the Chinese Wall and from the Novgorod Kremlin. The shape of the towers is the same: a rectangle, slightly narrowed at the top. There is an entrance leading into both towers from the wall, which is blocked round arch, made of the same brick as the wall with the tower. Each of the towers has two upper “working” floors. On the first floor of both towers there are round-arched windows. The number of windows on the first floor of both towers is 3 on one side and 4 on the other. The height of the windows is approximately the same - about 130–160 centimeters.
There are loopholes on the top (second) floor. They are made in the form of rectangular narrow grooves approximately 35–45 cm wide. The number of such loopholes in the Chinese tower is 3 deep and 4 wide, and in the Novgorod one - 4 deep and 5 wide. On the top floor of the “Chinese” tower there are square holes along its very edge. There are similar holes in the Novgorod tower, and the ends of the rafters sticking out of them, on which the wooden roof is supported.
The situation is the same in comparing the Chinese tower and the tower of the Tula Kremlin. The Chinese and Tula towers have the same number of loopholes in width - there are 4 of them. And the same number of arched openings - 4 each. On the upper floor between the large loopholes there are small ones - in the Chinese and in the Tula towers. The shape of the towers is still the same. The Tula tower, like the Chinese one, uses white stone. The vaults are made in the same way: at the Tula one there are gates, at the “Chinese” one there are entrances.
For comparison, you can also use the Russian towers of the Nikolsky Gate (Smolensk) and the northern fortress wall of the Nikitsky Monastery (Pereslavl-Zalessky, 16th century), as well as the tower in Suzdal (mid-17th century). Conclusion: the design features of the towers of the Chinese Wall reveal almost exact analogies among the towers of Russian Kremlins.
What does a comparison of the surviving towers of the Chinese city of Beijing with the medieval towers of Europe say? The fortress walls of the Spanish city of Avila and Beijing are very similar to each other, especially in the fact that the towers are located very often and have practically no architectural adaptations for military needs. The Beijing towers have only an upper deck with loopholes, and are laid out at the same height as the rest of the wall.
Neither the Spanish nor the Beijing towers show such a high similarity with the defensive towers of the Chinese Wall, as do the towers of Russian kremlins and fortress walls. And this is something for historians to think about.
Time spares no one and nothing. These hills are actually also the remains of the Wall in Yinchuan City, China. (Photo by Kim Siefert):
The chronicles say that the wall took two thousand years to build. In terms of defense, construction is absolutely pointless. Is it that while the wall was being built in one place, in other places nomads walked around China unhindered for two thousand years? But the chain of fortresses and ramparts can be built and improved within two thousand years. Fortresses are needed to defend garrisons from superior enemy forces, as well as to house mobile cavalry detachments in order to immediately go in pursuit of a detachment of robbers who have crossed the border.
I thought for a long time, who and why built this senseless cyclopean structure in China? There is simply no one except Mao Zedong! With his characteristic wisdom, he found an excellent means of adapting to work tens of millions of healthy men who had previously fought for thirty years and knew nothing but how to fight. It is unthinkable to imagine what kind of chaos would begin in China if so many soldiers were demobilized at the same time!
And the fact that the Chinese themselves believe that the wall has stood for two thousand years is explained very simply. A battalion of demobilizers comes to an open field, the commander explains to them: “Here, in this very place, the Great Wall of China stood, but the evil barbarians destroyed it, we have to restore it.” And millions of people sincerely believed that they did not build, but only restored the Great Wall of China. In fact, the wall is made of smooth, clearly sawn blocks. Is it that in Europe they didn’t know how to cut stone, but in China they were able to? In addition, they sawed soft stone, and it was better to build fortresses from granite or basalt, or from something no less hard. But they learned to cut granites and basalts only in the twentieth century. Along its entire length of four and a half thousand kilometers, the wall is made of monotonous blocks of the same size, but over two thousand years the methods of stone processing inevitably had to change. And construction methods have changed over the centuries.
Almost nothing remains of this part of the Great Wall of China in Jiayuguang, built in the 16th century, but it was restored in 1987. (Photo by Greg Baker | AP):
Of particular interest is the version of A. Galanin, a famous botanist who made dozens of expeditions, including to China.
This researcher believes that the Great Wall of China was built to protect the Ala Shan and Ordos deserts from sandstorms. He noticed that on the map compiled at the beginning of the twentieth century by the Russian traveler P. Kozlov, one can see how the Wall runs along the border of shifting sands, and in some places it has significant branches. But it was near the deserts that researchers and archaeologists discovered several parallel walls. Galanin explains this phenomenon very simply: when one wall was covered with sand, another was built. The researcher does not deny the military purpose of the Wall in its eastern part, but the western part of the Wall, in his opinion, served the function of protecting agricultural areas from natural disasters.
The western edge of the Great Wall of China near Jiayuguang County, May 30, 2007. ( Photo Michael Goodine):
FIGHTERS OF THE INVISIBLE FRONT
Perhaps the answers lie in the beliefs of the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom themselves? It is difficult for us, people of our time, to believe that our ancestors would erect barriers to repel the aggression of imaginary enemies, for example, ethereal otherworldly entities with evil intentions. But the whole point is that our distant predecessors considered evil spirits to be completely real beings.
Residents of China (both today and in the past) are convinced that the world around them is inhabited by thousands of demonic creatures that are dangerous to humans. One of the names of the wall sounds like “the place where 10 thousand spirits live.”
Another interesting fact: the Great Wall of China does not stretch in a straight line, but in a winding one. And the features of the relief have nothing to do with it. If you look closely, you will find that even in flat areas it “winds” around. What was the logic of the ancient builders?
The ancients believed that all these creatures could move exclusively in a straight line and were unable to avoid obstacles along the way. Perhaps the Great Wall of China was built to block their path?
Meanwhile, it is known that Emperor Qin Shihuang Di constantly conferred with astrologers and consulted with fortunetellers during construction. According to legend, the soothsayers told him that a terrible sacrifice could bring glory to the ruler and provide reliable defense to the state - the bodies of the unfortunate people buried in the wall who died during the construction of the structure. Who knows, perhaps these nameless builders are still standing eternally guarding the borders of the Celestial Empire...
Of course, these are not all versions, but which one do you adhere to?
Let's look at the photo of the wall:
The old part of the Wall in Longkou City County (Shandong Province). (Photo by Kim Siefert):
The wall northeast of Beijing, December 29, 1999. Time has not been kind to this part either. (Photo by Greg Baker | AP):
And this is the “tourist” part of the Great Wall of China near Beijing. (Photo by Saad Akhtar):
A section of the Wall on the outskirts of Beijing called "Badaling", June 1, 2010. (Photo by Liu Jin | AFP | Getty Images):
China's Department of Culture periodically takes measurements of the Great Wall of China, March 14, 2006. (Photo by China Photos | Getty Images):
A well-preserved part of the Wall near the village of Dongjiakou. (Photo by Kim Siefert):
Some sections of the Great Wall of China have been swallowed up by nature...(Photo by Kim Siefert):
A relatively new photograph of the Wall from Hebei Province, July 17, 2012. (Photo by Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images):
Some tourists set up tents right on the Wall. Badaling Site, September 24, 2010. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images):
Another section of the Wall, merged with nature. 80 km from Beijing, September 30, 2012. (Photo by David Gray | Reuters):
Because the Wall goes through mountains, deserts and rivers, there are sections where it rises almost vertically upward. Hebei Province, July 17, 2012. (Photo by Ed Jones | AFP | Getty Images):
The “tourist” part of the Great Wall of China, 80 km from the center of Beijing, May 7, 2011. (Photo by Jason Lee | Reuters):
Autumn landscapes near the Great Wall of China. (Photo by Kim Siefert):
Old photo. This is US President Richard Nixon standing on the Great Wall of China near Beijing on February 24, 1972. (AP Photo):
Section of the Wall near Beijing. (Photo by Kim Siefert):
Section of the Badaling Wall and mountains, September 24, 2010. (Photo by Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images):
Merging with nature, Qinhuangdao city district. (Photo by Kim Siefert):
A watchtower rally to mark International Drug Day in Beijing on June 26, 2006. (Photo by China Photos | Getty Images):
Section of the Great Wall of China Simatai. In 1987 it was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Photo by Bobby Yip | Reuters):
Let's finish today's review interesting area The Great Wall of China with the title "Old Dragon's Head" from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). This is where the Wall meets the sea. Located in Hebei Province, July 9, 2009. (Photo by Andrew Wong | Getty Images):
And here The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -
It was suggested that in fact the “Chinese” wall was built for defense against the Chinese, who subsequently simply appropriated the achievements of other ancient civilizations. Here, to confirm our scientific correctness, it is enough to cite only one fact. THE LOOPS on a significant part of the wall ARE NOT DIRECTED TO THE NORTH, BUT TO THE SOUTH! And this is clearly visible not only in the most ancient, unreconstructed sections of the wall, but even in recent photographs and works of Chinese drawing.
Architecture and defensive structures on the territory of modern China
The “Chinese” wall is made similarly to European and Russian medieval walls, the main direction of action of which is protection from firearms. The construction of such structures began no earlier than the 15th century, when cannons and other siege weapons appeared on the battlefields. Before the 15th century, naturally, the so-called “northern nomads” did not have guns.
From the experience of constructing structures of this kind it follows: the “Chinese” wall was built as a military-defensive structure marking the border between two countries - China and Russia, after an agreement was reached on this border. And this can be confirmed by a map of the time when the border between Russia and China passed along the “Chinese” wall.
Today, the “Chinese” wall is located inside China and demonstrates the illegality of the presence of Chinese citizens in the territories located north of the wall.
The name of the "Chinese" wall
The 18th century map of Asia produced by the Royal Academy in Amsterdam shows two geographical formations: from the north - Tartarie, from the south - China (Chine), the northern border of which runs approximately along the 40th parallel, that is, exactly along "Chinese" wall. On this map, the wall is marked with a bold line and signed “Muraille de la Chine”, now often translated from French as “Chinese Wall”. However, literally we have the following: muraille “wall” in a nominal construction with the preposition de (noun + preposition de + noun) la Chine expresses the object and its accessory, that is, “the wall of China”.
But in other variants of the same construction we find different meanings of the phrase “Muraille de la Chine”. For example, if it denotes an object and its name, then we get the “wall of China” (similar, for example, to place de la Concorde - Place de la Concorde), that is, a wall built not by China, but named in its honor - the reason for its formation was the presence of a nearby wall of China. A clarification of this position is found in another version of the same construction, that is, if “Muraille de la Chine” denotes the action and the object to which it is directed, then it means “the wall (from) China.” We get the same thing with another translation option for the same construction - the object and its location (similarly, appartement de la rue de Grenelle - apartment on Grenelle Street), that is, “a wall (in the neighborhood) of China.” The cause-and-effect construction allows us to translate the phrase “Muraille de la Chine” literally as “wall from China” (similarly, for example, rouge de fièvre - red with heat, pâle de colère - pale with anger).
Compare, in an apartment or in a house we call the wall that separates us from our neighbors the neighbor’s wall, and the wall that separates us from the outside - outer wall. We have the same thing when naming borders: Finnish border, “on the Chinese border,” “on the Lithuanian border.” And all these borders were built not by the states after which they are named, but by the state (Russia) that defends itself from the named states. In this case, the adjectives indicate only the geographical location of Russian borders.
Thus, the phrase “Muraille de la Chine” should be translated as “wall from China”, “wall delimiting from China”.
Images of the "Chinese" wall on maps
Cartographers of the 18th century depicted on maps only those objects that were related to the political delimitation of countries. On the mentioned map of Asia from the 18th century, the border between Tartarie and China runs along the 40th parallel, that is, exactly along the “Chinese” wall. On the 1754 map “Carte de l’Asie” the “Chinese” wall also runs along the border between Great Tartary and China. The academic 10-volume World History presents a map of the Qing Empire of the second half of the 17th - 18th centuries, which depicts in detail the “Chinese” wall, running exactly along the border between Russia and China.
Time of construction of the "Chinese" wall
According to Chinese scientists, the construction of the Great Wall of China began in 246 BC. Emperor Chi Hoang Ti. The height of the wall is from 6 to 7 meters.
Sections of the "Chinese" wall, built at different times
L.N. Gumilyov wrote: “The wall stretched for 4 thousand km. Its height reached 10 meters, and every 60 – 100 meters there were watchtowers.” The purpose of its construction is protection from northern nomads. However, the wall was built only by 1620 AD, that is, after 1866 years, clearly overdue for the purpose stated at the start of construction.
From European experience it is known that ancient walls, more than several hundred years old, are not repaired, but rebuilt - due to the fact that both the materials and the construction itself cost more than long time They get tired and just fall apart. Thus, many military fortifications in Rus' were rebuilt in the 16th century. But representatives of China continue to claim that the “Chinese” wall was built exactly 2000 years ago and now appears before us in its original form.
L.N. Gumilev also wrote:
“When the work was completed, it turned out that all of China’s armed forces were not enough to organize an effective defense on the wall. In fact, if you place a small detachment on each tower, the enemy will destroy it before the neighbors have time to gather and send help. If large detachments are spaced out less frequently, gaps will form through which the enemy can easily and unnoticed penetrate deep into the country. A fortress without defenders is not a fortress.”
But let's use Chinese dating and see who built different sections of the wall and against whom.
Early Iron Age
It is extremely interesting to trace the stages of construction of the “Chinese” wall, based on data from Chinese scientists. It is clear from them that the 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 another 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° northern latitude and at the same time along some sections of the river. Yellow River.
At this time, naturally, there were no Mongol-Tatars. Moreover, the first unification of peoples within China took place only in 221 BC. under the kingdom of Qin. And before that there was the Zhanguo period (5th – 3rd centuries BC), in which eight states existed on Chinese territory. Only in the middle of the 4th century. BC. The Qin began to fight against other kingdoms and by 221 BC. e. conquered some of them.
Sections of the “Chinese” wall at the beginning of the creation of the Qin state
Sections of the “Chinese” wall at the beginning of the creation of the Qin state (by 222 BC).
The figure shows that the western and northern border of the Qin state by 221 BC. began to coincide with that section of the “Chinese” wall, which began to be built back in 445 BC. and was built precisely in 222 BC.
Thus, we see that this section of the “Chinese” wall was built not by the Chinese of the Qin state, but by its 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 Qin state, which stopped the spread of its subjects to the north and west. In addition, at the same time, 100 - 200 km west and north of the first, a second line of defense against Qin was built - the second “Chinese” wall of this period.
Sections of the "Chinese" wall during the Han era
Sections of the "Chinese" wall during the Han era (206 BC - 220 AD).
The next period of construction covers the time from 206 BC. to 220 AD During this period, sections of the wall were built, located 500 km west and 100 km north of the previous ones.
Early Middle Ages
In 386 - 535 17 non-Chinese kingdoms that existed in northern China united into one state - Northern Wei.
Through their efforts, and precisely during this period, the next part of the wall was erected (386 - 576), one part of which was built along the previous section (probably destroyed over time), and the second part - 50 - 100 km to the south - along the border with China.
Advanced Middle Ages
In the period from 618 to 907. China was ruled by the Tang dynasty, which did not mark itself with victories over its northern neighbors.
Sections of the “Chinese” wall at the beginning of the Tang dynasty
Sections of the “Chinese” wall, built at the beginning of the Tang dynasty.
In the next period, from 960 to 1279. The Song Empire established itself in China. At this time, China lost dominance over its vassals in the west, in the northeast (on the Korean Peninsula) and in the south - in northern Vietnam. The Song Empire lost a significant part of the territories of the Chinese proper in the north and northwest, which went to the Khitan state of Liao (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 Ningxia-Hui autonomous region).
Sections of the "Chinese" wall during the reign of the Song Dynasty
Sections of the "Chinese" wall, built during the reign of the Song Dynasty.
In 1125, the border between the non-Chinese Jurchen kingdom and China ran along the river. Huaihe is 500 - 700 km south of the site where the wall was built. And in 1141, a peace treaty was signed, according to which the Chinese Song Empire recognized itself as a vassal of the non-Chinese state of Jin, pledging to pay it a large tribute.
However, for now 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, runs through Russian territory north of the village of Borzya next to the river. Argun. At the same time, 1500 - 2000 km north of China, another section of the wall was built, located along the Greater Khingan.
Late Middle Ages
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, the southernmost and the deepest penetrating into Chinese territory.
Sections of the "Chinese" Wall built during the Ming Dynasty
Sections of the "Chinese" wall, built during the reign of the Ming dynasty.
China was ruled by the Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644) at this time. At the beginning of the 15th century, this dynasty pursued not a defensive policy, but external expansion. For example, in 1407, Chinese troops captured Vietnam, that is, territories located outside the eastern section of the “Chinese” wall, built in 1368 - 1644. In 1618, Russia managed to agree with China on the border (mission of I. Petlin).
At the time of the construction of this section of the wall, the entire Amur region belonged to Russian territories. By the middle of the 17th century, Russian fortresses (Albazinsky, Kumarsky, etc.), peasant settlements and arable lands already existed on both banks of the Amur. In 1656, the Daurian (later Albazinsky) voivodeship was formed, which included the valley of the Upper and Middle Amur on both banks.
On the Chinese side, the Qing dynasty began to rule in China in 1644. In the 17th century, the border of the Qing Empire ran just north of the Liaodong Peninsula, that is, exactly along this section of the “Chinese” wall (1366 - 1644).
In the 1650s and later, the Qing Empire attempted to seize Russian possessions in the Amur basin by military force. Christians also supported China. China demanded not only the entire Amur region, but all the lands east of the Lena. As a result, according to the Treaty of Nerchinsk (1689), Russia was forced to cede its possessions along the right bank of the river to the Qing Empire. Argun and on parts of the left and right banks of the Amur.
Thus, during the construction of the last section of the “Chinese” wall (1368 – 1644), it was the Chinese side (Ming and Qing) that waged wars of conquest against Russian lands. Therefore, Russia was forced to wage defensive border wars with China (see S.M. Solovyov, “History of Russia since ancient times,” volume 12, chapter 5).
The “Chinese” wall, built by the Russians in 1644, ran exactly along the Russian border with Qing China. In the 1650s, Qing China invaded Russian lands to a depth of 1,500 km, which was secured by the Aigun (1858) and Beijing (1860) treaties.
conclusions
The name "Chinese" wall means "wall demarcating from China" (similar to the Chinese border, Finnish border, etc.).
At the same time, the origin of the word “China” itself comes from the Russian “whale” - a string of poles that were used in the construction of fortifications; Thus, the name of the Moscow district “China City” was given in a similar way back in the 16th century (that is, before the official knowledge of China), the building itself consisted of a stone wall with 13 towers and 6 gates;
The construction time of the “Chinese” wall is divided into several stages, in which:
The non-Chinese began building the first section in 445 BC, and having built it by 221 BC, they stopped the advance of the Qin Chinese to the north and west;
The second section was built by non-Chinese from Northern Wei between 386 and 576;
The third section was built by non-Chinese between 1066 and 1234. two rapids: one at 2100 - 2500 km, and the second at 1500 - 2000 km north of the borders of China, passing at that time along the river. Yellow River;
The fourth and final section was built by the Russians between 1366 and 1644. along the 40th parallel - the southernmost section - it represented the border between Russia and China of the Qing Dynasty.
In the 1650s and later, the Qing Empire captured Russian possessions in the Amur basin. The “Chinese” wall ended up inside Chinese territory.
All of the above is confirmed by the fact that the loopholes of the “Chinese” wall face the south – that is, the Chinese.
The “Chinese” wall was built by Russian settlers on the Amur and in Northern China to protect against the Chinese.
Old Russian style in the architecture of the Chinese Wall
In 2008, at the First International Congress “Pre-Cyrillic Slavic Writing and Pre-Christian Slavic Culture” at Leningrad State University named after A.S. Pushkin (St. Petersburg) a report was made “China - the younger brother of Rus'”, in which fragments of Neolithic ceramics from the territory of the eastern part of Northern China were presented. It turned out that the signs depicted on the ceramics have nothing in common with the Chinese “hieroglyphs”, but show an almost complete coincidence with the Old Russian runic - up to 80% [Tyunyaev, 2008].
Another article - “In the Neolithic, Northern China was inhabited by Russians” - based on the latest archaeological data, it is shown that in the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, the population of the western part of Northern China was not Mongoloid, but Caucasian. These geneticists made a clarification: this population was of Old Russian origin and had the Old Russian haplogroup R1a1 [Tyunyaev, 2010a]. Mythological data says that the movements of the ancient Rus in the eastern direction were led by Bogumir and Slavunya and their son Skif [Tyunyaev, 2010]. These events are reflected in the Book of Veles, whose people in the 1st millennium BC. partially went to the west [Tyunyaev, 2010b].
In the work “The Chinese Wall - the Great Barrage from the Chinese,” we came to the conclusion that all sections of the Chinese Wall were not built by the Chinese, since the Chinese were simply not present in the places where the wall was built at the time of construction. In addition, the last section of the wall was most likely built by the Russians between 1366 and 1644. along the 40th parallel. This is the southernmost section. And it represented the official border between Russia and China under the control of the Qing dynasty. That is why the name “Chinese Wall” literally means “wall demarcating from China” and has the same meaning as “Chinese border”, “Finnish border”, etc.
http://www.organizmica.org/arc…
A comparison of these two streams may indicate that there were two massive civilizations of antiquity: northern and southern. The Kremlins and the Chinese Wall were built by the northern civilization. The fact that the walls of the structures of the northern civilization are better suited for combat indicates that in most cases the aggressors were representatives of the southern civilization.
On November 7, 2006, an article by V.I. was published in the journal Organizmica. Semeiko “The Great Wall of China was built... not by the Chinese!”, in which the President of the Academy of Basic Sciences Andrei Aleksandrovich Tyunyaev expressed his thoughts about the non-Chinese origin of the “Chinese” wall:
– As you know, to the north of the territory of modern China there was another, much larger ancient civilization. This has been repeatedly confirmed by archaeological discoveries made, in particular, in Eastern Siberia. The impressive evidence of this civilization, comparable to Arkaim in the Urals, not only has not yet been studied and comprehended by world historical science, but has not even received proper assessment in Russia itself. As for the so-called “Chinese” wall, it is not entirely legitimate to talk about it as an achievement of ancient Chinese civilization.
Here, to confirm our scientific correctness, it is enough to cite only one fact. THE LOOPS on a significant part of the wall ARE NOT DIRECTED TO THE NORTH, BUT TO THE SOUTH! And this is clearly visible not only in the most ancient, unreconstructed sections of the wall, but even in recent photographs and works of Chinese drawings. It has also been suggested that in fact the “Chinese” wall was built for defense against the Chinese, who subsequently they simply appropriated the achievements of other ancient civilizations.
After the publication of this article, its data was used by many media outlets. In particular, on November 22, 2006, Ivan Koltsov published the article “History of the Fatherland. Rus' began in Siberia,” in which he spoke about the discovery made by researchers from the Academy of Basic Sciences. After this, interest in reality in relation to the “Chinese” wall grew significantly.
Literature:
Solovyov, 1879. Solovyov S.M., History of Russia since ancient times, volume 12, chapter 5. 1851 - 1879.
Tyunyaev, 2008.
Tyunyaev, 2010. Tyunyaev A.A. Ancient Rus', Svarog and Svarog’s grandchildren // Studies of ancient Russian mythology. – M.: 2010.
Tyunyaev, 2010a. Tyunyaev. In the Neolithic, Northern China was inhabited by Russians.
Tyunyaev, 2010b. About the journey of the people of VK.
The Chinese Wall is a great barrier against the Chinese, built by the Russians...
DEMAND CHINESE TOUR OPERATORS TO TRAVEL IN THE GREAT CREATION OF NON-CHINESE! AND THEY WILL SHOW YOU, BUT WHAT?..
