Exploring the Secret of The Great Wall of China - Part 1

leisure

The Great Wall of China is a fascinating structure that speaks volumes about human endeavor. Such an architectural marvel was only possible through astute determination and intuitive thinking of its makers. That said, standing atop this fortification (yes, it’s the largest in the world), the sheer realization of this structure’s grandeur and size is enough to make you wonder, how is this Wall even possible? The fact that the Chinese were able to build such a wall along the rough terrains and uneven boundaries of the ancient Chinese Empire, with limited technology in hand, is truly mind-boggling. Of the various other secrets that surround this ancient wonder, we have described some of the most intriguing ones in the blog below.

What do the Historians Say about the Hidden Secrets of Great Wall of China?

The History of the Great Wall of China dates back to more than 2,000 years, into the times when China was a unified country. Historians believe that the Great Wall of China was mostly built under the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. It was, however, completed under the patronage of different dynasties through the years. The wall stretches from Dandong in the East to Lop Lake in the West. In contemporary border situation, the Wall extends from Sino-Russian Border in the North to Qinghai in the South, forming an arc delineating the edge of the Mongolian stretch of the Steppes. Overall, the wall comprises several structures made of actual brick and kiln, trenches and natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.

The Wall was Not Built Continuously in One Period

One of the secrets that the world knew only later, was that the wall is neither a single carving nor was made continuously. While many parts of the Wall date back to 7th Century BC, some were later added and fortified during the reign of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. Likewise, several other parts were later added to the string to make the structure more lasting and strong. The Chinese had mastered the technique of wall-building by the 8th and 5th Centuries BC and the fortifications were the result of that. In its entirety, the Wall stretches to a length of 20,000 km and spans across the entire northern border of unified China.

The Wall Took More Than 1800 Years to Build

[post_ads_2]
Building such large structural fortification along the uneven border territories was not an easy task. According to Chinese historians, the actual purpose of building such a structure was to dissuade the nomadic tribal armies from venturing into the Chinese mainland and cause destruction. Qin Shi Huang seized control of several neighboring principalities in 221 BCE and laid the foundation of the Qin Dynasty. He proposed to build the wall to keep the tribal armies at bay. With this intention, the fortification of approximately 5000 kilometers in length, started along the border. However, the fortification continued under other dynasties and it took a concerted effort lasting 1800 years to finally complete the structure.