The Great Wall of China is one of the most outstanding buildings in the world. Being the longest on the planet, it impresses with its massiveness and grandeur. Stretching across virtually the entire country, the wall runs through steep mountains and rugged terrain.
Story
221 BC eh... considered the beginning of the construction of the Great Wall of China. If you believe the legends, initially the imperial army of more than 300 thousand people participated in the construction of the structure. In addition to this, the work was carried out by the peasants. At that time, Emperor Qin ruled in China, on whose orders the grandiose construction was carried out. Thanks to this fact of his biography, he became famous for centuries.
Interesting! Initially, the wall was an earthen mound of straw and clay, but later they began to be replaced by brick and stone, tied together with adhesive mortar.
The Chinese and the Great Wall of China
Considered the world's grandest defensive structure, the Great Wall of China is the most popular piece of architecture in the world. Made of several sections, its length is more than 8 thousand km Included in the cultural heritage of UNESCO, the Wall of China is considered important and valuable not only for the people of China, but for the whole world.
There is an opinion that it was not the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom who tried to build the structure, but their neighbors, who guarded their borders. This is indicated by the fact that the loopholes are directed "inside" the wall. It is worth noting that the "non-Chinese" version of the origin of the structure has a large number of supporters. But in fact, their purpose is still not entirely clear. In addition, the northern walls are well below the southern sides of the structure.
The word "Great Wall" is the absolute champion in the number of different Chinese goods. Under such a trademark the following products are produced:
- clothes;
- shoes;
- cars;
- tea;
- all kinds of food and much more.
Important! An exception is made only for tobacco products. It is forbidden to be released under the name "Great Wall".
Where the wall begins and ends
The most popular are photographs of the middle part of the grandiose building. The frames of the starting area are rare. The official beginning of the building is located on the coast of the Yellow Sea, and is made in such a way that a foot warrior or horseman could not go around it on the water - this is the so-called "edge of the Celestial Empire". This architectural nuance was thought out by engineers to protect it from outside invaders. And they tried to build on this site as deeply as possible in the water.
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In fact, its ending must be sought in the western part of the country, the Tszyu-chuan province. On its lands, watchtowers were discovered, which, thanks to research, received confirmation of their belonging to the wall - 2 centuries BC. e. This location was not chosen by the ancient builders by chance. There is an ancient stronghold, the so-called "Jade Gate" through which the Great Silk Road passed. In this place, merchants were charged in the form of a tax for traveling through the territory of the God-like emperor.
Wall parameters: width, height and length
Almost all sources indicate the length of the Great Wall of China - 8 851.8 km. But if we take into account the data that are in China, then this figure is very different - 21,196.18 km. Where does this information come from and why is it so different? The answer lies in the fact that a large figure is obtained in the case of summing up all the branches, of which there are a huge number along the entire length of the wall.
The thickness of the structure is uneven along the entire length, but it is kept on average in the area 5-8 m. The height in some areas exceeds 9 m, although along the entire length it varies within 6-7 m.
Interesting fact! In China, the local people gave the nickname to the monument "Wall of 10,000 li". If we translate this indicator into a known measurement system, then 1 whether is equal to 0.5 km.
What the Great Wall was built of
In the beginning, the construction of the wall was carried out with very primitive means. Special shields were installed, made of rods and reeds, and between them, clay, crushed stone and other available materials were tamped down in layers. In some places, a stone was laid, which was dried in the sun.
Several centuries later, slabs cut from stone were used for construction. They were placed tightly to each other on a compressed piece of land that had been harvested earlier.
Plots that were erected during the reign of the Ming dynasty have survived to our time. Their reign fell on 1368-1644 years... At that time, construction was carried out from blocks and bricks, in connection with which the structure turned out to be reliable and strong. During this period of time, it increased in size and reached the Gansu border.
How many bricks were used
Nobody knows how many bricks were used during the construction of the Great Wall of China. Local residents plundered the building and used parts of it for their own purposes. One thing is clear - the grandiose monument can disappear without a trace in the next 15-20 years. According to the latest research, the section of the wall located in Gansu province will be destroyed within 5 years. And this period is not indicated by chance, since bad weather conditions, inaction of the authorities are already leading to this. In addition to the indigenous people, tourists also contribute. Until 2005, it was a fairly popular tradition to bring home from a trip a piece of the Great Wall of China.
Attention! At present, officials strictly monitor its safety, and if foreigners try to pull out a brick "for memory", it will be considered an administrative violation, for which a fine of 5,000 yuan (more than $ 700) is imposed.
Reasons for the construction of the Great Wall of China
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There are many different versions of the construction of the Great Wall of China. In addition to the Chinese, they are trying to attribute its origin to:
- aliens;
- Russian;
- Atlanteans;
- to the ancient gods and many others.
But the most important and historically established reason for the construction of a structure is considered to be protection from enemies. Conflicts of scattered principalities, attacks from neighbors - all this led to the fact that the emperor needed to strengthen the borders of his country. The raids from the nomads led to the decline of the economy, which means that it was required to protect yourself from them and their impact on your culture.
Who participated in the construction
In 210 BC. the construction of the wall was started, and this continued until the 1640s, with short interruptions. During this time, the methods of fortification erection changed, the old sections were reconstructed. For example, rough and rough stones in different parts were replaced by more advanced stone slabs and clay bricks.
It is impossible to count how many people built the wall, as well as how many of them died here. In China, there is a belief that "the death toll is equal to the number of bricks in the entire structure." Researchers estimate that more than 1 million people were involved in the grandiose construction. Those who died during work, or were executed as punishment, were buried at the base of the earthen rampart. Over the years, archaeologists conducting excavations at the construction site have found a large number of human remains.
There is also a legend that Emperor Shi Huang (259-210 BC e.) at one time received a prediction from a court magician.It said that the construction of the Great Wall of China would be completed after 10 thousand inhabitants of the Celestial Empire were buried at its base. But also all this could have been avoided by dispensing with the burial of a person named Wang. The Emperor did just that. A man with a suitable name was found and then walled up in a wall. But deciding for sure to fulfill the prediction, they were ordered to subsequently bury all the people who died during the construction in the monument.
Interesting fact! Considered the most popular monument in China, the Great Wall of China is not depicted in the country's currency. Why this was done is not known for certain, but there is an opinion that in this way the authorities wanted to attract tourists here. And this scheme works.
What separates the Great Wall of China
The geographical position of the wall is of great interest to researchers. With its help, China is divided into 2 parts - southern and northern. Nomads who raided from the north brought inconvenience to farmers, which essentially caused the construction of a defensive structure. Scientists are now confirming this theory.
In addition, the wall was used for other purposes. First of all, it was the so-called "frontier post". Then, at various sites, there were special units that dealt with migration problems. In the event of a war, a flame was ignited on the watchtowers, and thus information was transmitted over long distances in a very short time.
How many years and how the wall was built
Blood and cruelty come to mind when talking about the construction of the Great Wall of China. No wonder it is considered the largest mass grave in the world. If you believe the records of the chroniclers "from the bones of the dead people made a special solution to fix bricks and stones." But in reality, the binding element was rice flour and lime, mixed in certain proportions.
The first mention of the construction of the wall dates back to the 7th century BC. e., when the princes began to build earthen ramparts near their territories. If we take into account all the time that was spent on the construction of the monument, then its period will be more than 2 thousand years.
Destruction and restoration of the wall
Almost all monarchs tried to preserve the wall and give it greatness, but there were also those in which it collapsed. The Qing Dynasty 1644-1911 years, left the saddest mark in the history of the grandiose construction. Time and weather conditions, lack of restoration led to the fact that it almost disappeared from the face of the earth. Special attention only deserved a site called "the gates to the capital" and the main square, which were located next to the main city of the country and therefore were kept in order.
Nowadays, places far from tourist destinations continue to be in a disgusting state. Highways and railways are being built on some of them. The local population continues to use parts of the monument as building material for their own needs. The walls also suffer from the tricks of vandals - they spoil the coating with their graffiti. Therefore, some areas may come to an end. To partially prevent this, the government has allocated certain areas of the wall for graffiti lovers. To get an image on them, you need to be a member of a local artists club.
Interesting fact! There is a market in China where bricks from the Great Wall of China are sold clandestinely. The cost varies around RMB 50, but you can even bargain. But no one gives guarantees of its originality. You can also make such a purchase online.
View of the wall from space or the moon - myth or reality
The most common myth is that the Great Wall of China is visible from space. But he easily breaks down on harsh realities. According to interrogations of cosmonauts who were in airless space, they were unable to see her through the windows. Even in low Earth orbit, this proved impossible to do. Also, to such a fiction, you can add the history of the astronauts of the Apollo mission. According to their stories, being on the moon, they saw a wall from its surface.
Chris Hadfield, who is a Canadian astronaut, has confirmed this fact. “She cannot be seen from space, no matter how hard I try. It is unrealistic to do this with the naked eye, ”the scientist said in his profile on the social network. "It follows the contours of the terrain and the color of the terrain, and is too narrow." In addition, the first astronaut from China, Yang Liwei, in 2003, after visiting the ISS, made the following comment: "This is complete nonsense, I could not see the wall from the window of the space station, no matter how I tried."
Interesting! The wall has been used more than once in various actions. ADIDAS filmed here its legendary advertising campaigns, and many popular performers used it as a stage for filming videos.
Museum of the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall Museum is located in Badaling County, Yanqing County, Beijing. Its opening took place in 1994 September 6... It presents a demonstration of the history of construction, the entire path of creating the wall from antiquity to the present day. Visually, it resembles part of the Great Wall, and fully characterizes it as a serious work of art. The museum has winding corridors that follow the curves of the monument. There are also observation towers, loopholes and much more.
The exhibition presents household items that were found during archaeological excavations that were carried out near the wall. All of them are of historical and cultural value.
In addition, there is a modern hall, inside of which, using modern technologies, scenes of battles that took place on the wall at one time are recreated. An exhibition hall is also available to visitors, where the map with all branches and parameters of the structure is located.
The grandiose scope and splendor of the creators amaze the imagination of almost any person who is near this historical monument. The most recognizable symbol of the country, it intertwines with their culture, and makes you admire this wonder of the world. Despite the age of the people who visited it, the Great Wall of China opens up for each person in its own way. Currently, the People's Republic of China is making every effort to preserve the monument, which has become their national calling card.
