Extending 13,170 miles from east to west, the Great Wall of China is one of the greatest wonders of the world. The wall that stretches up and down between plateaus, grasslands, deserts and mountains was included in 1987 as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Great Wall includes many walls, some of which run parallel to each other. The Great Wall has a history of over 2,000 years, but some of its sections have disappeared or are now in ruins. Nevertheless, the Great Wall of China remains one of the most fascinating attractions in the world due to its historical significance and architectural magnificence.
History of the Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China was built for a long time and not all at once. Between the 6th and 7th centuries BC, there were frequent wars fought between the different dynasty of the belligerent states and the spring-autumn states. The walls and towers were built along the borders to serve in self-defense. The state of Chu was the first to build the wall. During the reign of the Qin dynasty, different parts of the empire were combined into one. For the empire to protect itself from the northern invaders, Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered that all the walls that had been built to be connected become the Great Wall of China. Since the wall was not only rebuilt and modified, but also extended in the history of the Republic. For over 2,000 years, millions of Chinese have helped to remodel and rebuild the wall. The main objective of the construction of the wall was to always defend the empire from invaders like the Mongols, among others. A huge part of the Great Wall of China was built during the Ming dynasty somewhere between the years of 1368 and 1644.
The reasons behind the construction of the Great Wall of China
The wall was built to protect China from its enemies and the northern invaders probably the Mongols who were a tribal group who made forays into the region. Although the wall was built, the region was however conquered by the Mongols. The Great Wall has also been used to prevent Chinese citizens from leaving the country. Historically, China is not the only country to build a wall along its borders, other countries including Korea, the Roman Empire, Athens and Denmark build walls. All these walls were built to defend their territories. However, the Great Wall of China was perhaps the extreme project for military defense in history, and also guaranteed the peace and stability of old-fashioned agriculture.
Who built the Great Wall of China?
For over 2,000 years the wall has been a powerful means of protection in the history of China following the battles between nomadic and agricultural economies. The Great Wall has protected both cultural progress and economic development through the security of commercial routes such as the Silk Road and transport security along with the transmission of information. Millions of people have built the Great Wall of China over time. The labor force that worked on the wall included prisoners of war, slaves, workers, soldiers, prisoners and peasants who had been recruited by force. Emperor Qin Shu Huang is believed to have ordered about one million people to join the construction of the Great Wall. According to the laws of the Qin Dynasty, prisoners had to work on the wall for four years.
