GREAT WALL OF CHINA

THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE , SYMBOL OF CHINA AND IT'S LONG AND VIVID HISTORY.  THERE ARE NUMEROUS WALLS AND FORTS WITH MANY RUNNING!

THE WALL WAS ORIGINALLY CONCEIVED BY EMPEROR QUIN SHI HUANG ABOUT 260 B.C. TO PREVENT THE BARBARIANS ANS NOMADS INTO THE CHINESE EMPIRE.  THE BEST KNOWN PRESERVED SECTION OF THE GREAT WALL WAS BUILT IN  14TH AND 17TH CENTURIES DURING MING DYNASTY.  IT WAS NEVER EFFECTIVE IN PREVENTING INVADERS FROM ENTERING.  IT WAS MORE OF A PSYCHOLOGICAL  BARRIER.

ABOUT 220 B.C. CHINA WAS DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL KINGDOMS. QIN SHI HUANG THE FIRST IS EMPEROR OF A UNIFIED CHINA ORDERED THAT SOME EXISTING WALLS BE REMOVED.

HE WANTED SOME WALLS TO BE JOINED INTO  SYSTEM EXTENDING 1/3 MILES LONG FROM PROTECTION FROM THE NORTH.  CONSTRUCTION OF ONE OF THE MOST AMBITIOUS BUILDING PROJECTS EVER UNDERTAKEN BY ANY UNDERTAKEN BY ANY CIVILIZATION.  THEY USED A MASSIVE ARMY OF SOLDIERS AND WORKERS.  IT WAS MADE OF EARTH AND STONE.  THE WALL STRETCHED INTO THE GANSU PROVINCE.  FROM A BASE OF 15 - 50 ' HIGH IT WAS TOPPED BY RAMPARTS 12' HIGH.  GUARD TOWERS WERE INCLUDED AT INTERVALS ALONG IT.  MANY FOLKS WHO BUILT THE WALL WERE SOLDIERS AND CONVICTS.  THERE WERE 400,000 FOLKS WHO DIED DURING THE WALL CONSTRUCTION IT EXTENDED FROM CHINA SEA PORT OVER 3000 MILES WEST.

WITH THE DEATH OF THE LEADER OF THE QIN DYNASTY WENT WITH THE DISREPAIR OF THE GREAT WALL.  AFTER THE FALL  OF THE HANE DYNASTYIN 206 B.C. - 220 A.D. TRIBES CONTROLLED NORTH CHINA.  THE MOST POWERFUL TRIBE IN 390 A.D.  REPAIRED THE WALL TO DEFEND AGAINST ATTACKS.  IN 550 ANOTHER KINGDOM REPAIRED OVER 900 MILES OF WALLS.

DURING 618 A.D. THE GREAT WALL LOST ITS IMPORTANCE AS CHINA DEFEATED A TRIBE TO THE NORTH AND EXPANDED PAST THE WALL  DURING 960 A.D.THE CHINESE WITHDREW UNDER THREAT FROM JIN FOLKS IN THE NORTH.  THE POWERFUL YUAN DYNASTY 1206 - 1400 A,D, BUILT BY GENGHIS KHAN CONTROLLED SOME OF CHINA AND ASIA.  THE WALL DID NOT HAVE MILITARY FORTIFICATION BUT SOLDIERS MANNED THE WALL TO PROTECT MERCHANTS ALONG THE TRDE ROUTE BUILT IN THIS PERIOD.  

THE MING EMPEROR SAID THAT  THE CAPITOL WAS BEIJING.  CHINESE CULTURE FLOURISHED AND IT WAS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF CONSTRUCTION, BRIDGES, AND PAGOCLAS.  MING RULER TOOK A DEFENSIVE STANCE AND EXTENDED THE GREAT WALL.  

IN THE MID 17TH CENTURY THE MANCHUS FROM CENTRAL AND SOUTH MANCHRIA BROKE THROUGH THE GREAT WALL TO BEIJING FORCED THE FALL OF MING DYNASTY AND BEGINNING OF QUIN DYNASTY IN 1644.  THE GREAT WALL EMERGED AS THE MOST COMMON EMBLEM CHINA  FOR THE WESTERN WORLD.  IT IS A SYMBOL OF PHYSICAL STRENGTH.

TODAY THE UNESCO DESIGNATED THE WALL AS A HERITAGE SITE,  IT IS ONLY MAN MADE STRUCTURE VISIBLE FROM THE MOON!    THE BEST KNOWN SECTION 43 MILES NORTHWEST 43 MILES NORTHWEST OF BEIJING  WAS REBUILT IN LATE 1950'S AND ATTRACTS 1000'S OF NATIONAL AND FOREIGN TOURISTS PER DAY.


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