Monday, February 15, 2010
The Great Wall of China – Facts & Information & History
#1) When was the Great Wall of China built?
The ancient Great Wall of China was built since the seventh century B.C. to protect the Chinese against the northern invaders. Initially it was just a few smaller walls with watchtowers, and during that time China was divided into many provinces.
#2) The magnificent architecture was built through a few dynasties at different times in Chinese history. The wall building was started since the Qin Dynasty, and different sections were added and combined during the Han Dynasty, Sui Dynasty, Five Dynasties & Ten Kingdoms Period until the Ming Dynasty.
#3) Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty (260-210 B.C), famous for his standing Terra-Cotta Warriors and Horses guarding his tomb, was the first emperor to unify China. He has built the first version of the Great Wall, but very little of those monuments remain today. Most of the walls that left behind are from the Ming Dynasty.
#4) How long is the Great Wall of China? The Great Wall is the world’s longest manmade object which is visible from the space. This ancient Great Wall of China stretches over 6,400km from the east at Shanhaiguan until Lop Nur at the west. The total length including all the branches and spurs adds up to over 6,700 km.
#5) The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the Medieval World. In1987, the UNESCO listed the Great Wall as one of the world’s cultural heritage sites.
#6) The one single, continuous Great Wall was attributed as “the longest cemetery on earth”. In the Great Wall of China history, over a million Chinese have died while constructing it
#7) Bandaling is the most popular section of the Great Wall. It has attracted the most visitors including President Nixon. The Beijing Summer Olympic in 2008 has marked its finishing line of the cycling event at the Bandaling Great Wall.
#8) It’s a myth that the Great Wall was actually built according to the course traced out by a powerful Chinese dragon. Dragon symbolizes divine protection and great energy.
#9) In 1986, David Copperfield made world headlines by walking through the Great Wall. What’s a great entertainment!
#10) After the death of Chairman Mao Zedong, the Great Wall has been regarded as a symbol to unify the Chinese nation.
#11) In the Great Wall of China history, One popular legend happened during the Qin Dynasty is the story of Meng JiangNu. When Fan Qiliang (the husband of Meng JiangNu) was taken away to build the Great Wall in the north of China, Meng JiangNu prepared and sewed winter clothing for her husband. She set off a long journey to the north to look for her husband. When she finally reached the Great Wall at Shanhaiguan and learnt that her husband died of exhaustion, she sat on the ground and cry. All of a sudden a long section of the Great Wall collapsed over her bitter weep. His bones was revealed.
#12) The width of the Great Wall of China is 15~30 feet, and the height is 25 feet. There are over 10,000 watch towers along the Great Wall. Watchtowers were built and staggered at certain interval for communication where flags, beacons and smoke were used to transmit messages.
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