The most grandiose defensive structure on the planet is the Great Wall of China, the Eighth Wonder of the World. This fortification is considered the longest and widest. There are still disputes how many kilometers is the wall of china stretches. You can find a lot of interesting facts about this structure in the literature and on the Internet. Even its location is of interest - this wall divides China into north and south - the land of nomads and the land of farmers.
History of the Chinese Wall
Before the advent of the Great Wall of China, there were a lot of scattered defensive structures in China from nomadic raids. In the third century BC, when Qin Shi Huang began to rule, small kingdoms and principalities united. And the emperor decided to build one big wall.
They started building the wall in 221 BC. There is a legend that construction of the Chinese wall abandoned the whole imperial army - about three hundred thousand people. The peasants were also attracted. At first, the wall was in the form of ordinary earthen mounds, and after that they began to be replaced with brick and stone.
By the way, this building can be called the longest not only wall, but also a cemetery. After all, a lot of builders were buried here - they were buried in the wall, and then structures were built directly on the bones.
Since the construction of the wall, they have repeatedly tried to destroy, and then restore. This building received its modern look during the Ming Dynasty. From 1368 to 1644, construction towers were erected, bricks were laid instead of earth embankments, and some sections were rebuilt.
There are many interesting facts about the Wall of China, which is considered the longest man-made structure in the world. Here is some of them:
- when laying blocks of stone, glutinous rice porridge was used, into which slaked lime was mixed;
- its construction took the lives of more than a million people;
- this wall is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as one of the greatest historical sights;
- in 2004, more than forty million foreign tourists visited the Wall of China.
Most of the controversy is around the numbers, how many kilometers is the Great Wall of China. Previously, it was believed that its length is 8.85 thousand. But then it turned out that archaeologists measured only those sections of the structure that were erected in the era of the Ming Dynasty.
But if we talk about everything Chinese wall, length it is 21.196 thousand kilometers. These data were announced by employees of the State Administration for Cultural Heritage Affairs. They began research in 2007, and announced the results in 2012. Thus, the length of the Chinese wall turned out to be 12 thousand kilometers longer than the original data.
The longest defensive structure in the world is the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about her today are very numerous. This masterpiece of architecture is fraught with many mysteries. It causes fierce controversy among various researchers.
The length of the Great Wall of China has not yet been precisely established. It is only known that it stretched from Jiayuguan, located in the province of Gansu, to (Liaodong Bay).
Wall length, width and height
The length of the structure is about 4 thousand km, according to some sources, and according to others - more than 6 thousand km. 2450 km - the length of a straight line drawn between its end points. However, it must be borne in mind that the wall does not go straight anywhere: it either bends or turns. The length of the Great Wall of China, therefore, should be at least 6 thousand km, and possibly more. The height of the structure is on average 6-7 meters, reaching 10 meters in some areas. Width - 6 meters, that is, 5 people can walk along the wall in a row, even a small car can easily pass. On its outer side there are "teeth" made of large bricks. The inner wall is protected by a barrier, the height of which is 90 cm. Previously, there were drains in it, made through equal sections.
Start of construction
The beginning of the Great Wall of China was laid during the reign of Qin Shi Huang. He ruled the country from 246 to 210. BC e. With the name of this creator of a single Chinese state - the famous emperor - it is customary to associate the history of the construction of such a structure as the Great Wall of China. Interesting facts about it include a legend according to which it was decided to build it after one court soothsayer predicted (and the prediction came true many centuries later!) That the country would be destroyed by barbarians who came from the north. In order to protect the Qin empire from nomads, the emperor ordered the construction of defensive fortifications, unprecedented in scale. They subsequently turned into such a grand structure as the Great Wall of China.
Evidence suggests that the rulers of various principalities located in northern China erected similar walls along their borders even before the reign of Qin Shi Huang. By the time of his accession to the throne, about 2 thousand km was the total length of these ramparts. The emperor at first only strengthened and united them. This is how the Great Wall of China was formed. Interesting facts about its construction, however, do not end there.
Who built the wall?
Real fortresses were built at checkpoints. Intermediate military camps for patrolling and garrison service, watchtowers were also built. "Who built the Great Wall of China?" - you ask. Hundreds of thousands of slaves, prisoners of war and criminals were rounded up for its construction. When there were not enough workers, mass mobilization of peasants also began. Emperor Shi Huangdi, according to one of the legends, ordered to make a sacrifice to the spirits. He ordered that a million people be immured in the wall under construction. This is not confirmed by archaeological data, although single burials were found in the foundations of towers and fortresses. It is still unclear whether they were ritual sacrifices, or whether they simply buried the dead workers, those who built the Great Wall of China, in this way.
Completion of construction
Shortly before Shi Huangdi's death, the construction of the wall was completed. According to scientists, the reason for the impoverishment of the country and the turmoil that followed the death of the monarch was precisely the huge costs for the construction of defensive fortifications. Through deep gorges, valleys, deserts, along cities, across the whole of China, the Great Wall stretched, turning the state into an almost impregnable fortress.
Protective function of the wall
Many called its later construction pointless, since there would be no soldiers to defend such a long wall. But it should be noted that it served to protect against the light cavalry of various nomadic tribes. In many countries, similar structures were used against the steppes. For example, these are the Trajan's Wall built by the Romans in the 2nd century, as well as the Serpent's Walls, built in the south of Ukraine in the 4th century. Large detachments of cavalry could not overcome the wall, since the cavalry needed to make a breach or destroy a large area in order to pass. And without special tools, this was not easy to do. Genghis Khan managed to do this in the 13th century with the help of military engineers from the Chudji, the kingdom he conquered, as well as local infantry in huge numbers.
How different dynasties took care of the wall
All subsequent rulers took care of the safety of the Great Wall of China. Only two dynasties were an exception. These are the Yuan, the Mongol dynasty, as well as the Manchu Qin (the latter, which we will talk about a little later). They controlled the lands north of the wall, so they didn't need it. The history of the construction knew different periods. There were times when the garrisons guarding it were recruited from pardoned criminals. The tower, located on the Golden Terrace of the wall, was decorated in 1345 with bas-reliefs depicting Buddhist guards.
After it was defeated during the reign of the next (Ming) in 1368-1644, work was underway to strengthen the wall and maintain the defensive structures in proper condition. Beijing, the new capital of China, was only 70 kilometers away, and its security depended on the wall.
During the reign, women were used as sentries on the towers, watching the surrounding area and, if necessary, giving an alarm signal. This was motivated by the fact that they treat their duties more conscientiously and are more attentive. There is a legend according to which the legs of the unfortunate guards were cut off so that they could not leave their post without an order.
folk tradition
We continue to reveal the topic: "The Great Wall of China: interesting facts." The photo of the wall below will help you imagine its greatness.
The folk legend tells about the terrible hardships that the builders of this structure had to endure. A woman named Meng Jiang came here from a remote province to bring warm clothes for her husband. However, when she reached the wall, she learned that her husband had already died. The woman was unable to find his remains. She lay down near this wall and cried for several days. Even the stones were touched by the woman's grief: one of the sections of the Great Wall collapsed, revealing the bones of Meng Jiang's husband. The woman took the remains of her husband home, where she buried them in the family cemetery.
Invasion of "barbarians" and restoration work
The wall did not save from the last large-scale invasion of the "barbarians". The overthrown aristocracy, fighting with the rebels representing the Yellow Turban movement, let numerous Manchu tribes into the country. Their leaders seized power. They founded a new dynasty in China - Qin. The Great Wall from that moment lost its defensive significance. She finally fell into disrepair. Only after 1949 did restoration work begin. The decision to start them was made by Mao Zedong. But during the "cultural revolution" that took place from 1966 to 1976, the "red guards" (Hongweibings), who did not recognize the value of ancient architecture, decided to destroy some sections of the wall. She looked, according to eyewitnesses, as if she had been attacked by the enemy.
Now not only forced laborers or soldiers were sent here. Service on the wall became a matter of honor, as well as a strong career incentive for young people from noble families. The words that the one who was not on it cannot be called a good fellow, which Mao Zedong turned into a slogan, became a new saying just then.
Great Wall of China today
Not a single description of China is complete without mentioning the Great Wall of China. Locals say that its history is half of the history of the whole country, which cannot be understood without visiting the structure. Scientists have calculated that from all the materials that were used during the Ming Dynasty in its construction, it is possible to fold a wall that is 5 meters high and 1 meter thick. It is enough to encircle the entire globe.
The Great Wall of China has no equal in grandeur. This building is visited by millions of tourists from all over the world. Its scale still amazes today. Everyone can purchase a certificate right on the spot, which indicates the time of visiting the wall. The Chinese authorities were even forced to restrict access here in order to ensure the best preservation of this great monument.
Is the wall visible from space?
For a long time it was believed that this is the only man-made object visible from space. However, this view has recently been refuted. Yang Li Wen, the first Chinese astronaut, admitted with sadness that he could not see this monumental structure, no matter how hard he tried. Perhaps the whole point is that at the time of the first space flights, the air over Northern China was much cleaner, and therefore the Great Wall of China was visible earlier. The history of creation, interesting facts about it - all this is closely connected with many traditions and legends, which this majestic building is still surrounded by today.
The Great Wall of China is one of the largest and oldest architectural monuments in the world. Its total length is 8851.8 km, in one of the sections it runs near Beijing. The construction process of this structure is amazing in its scale. We will tell you about the most interesting facts and events from the history of the Wall.
To begin with, let's delve a little into the history of the great building. It is hard to imagine how much time and human resources it takes to build a structure of this magnitude. It is unlikely that anywhere else in the world there is a building with such a long, great and at the same time tragic history. The construction of the Great Wall of China began as early as the 3rd century BC during the reign of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty, during the Warring States period (475-221 BC). In those days, the state was in dire need of protection from the attacks of enemies, in particular the nomadic people of the Xiongnu. A fifth of the population of China was involved in the work, at that time it was about a million people.
The wall was supposed to be the extreme northern point of the planned expansion of the Chinese, as well as to protect the subjects of the “Celestial Empire” from being drawn into a semi-nomadic lifestyle, and assimilation with the barbarians. It was planned to clearly define the boundaries of the great Chinese civilization, to promote the unification of the empire into a single whole, since China was just beginning to form from a multitude of conquered states. Here are the boundaries of the Wall of China on the map:
During the Han Dynasty (206 - 220 BC), the building was expanded to the west to Dunhuang. Many watchtowers were built to protect trade caravans from attacks by warring nomads. Almost all sections of the Great Wall that have come down to our times were built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). During this period, they built mainly from bricks and blocks, due to which the structure became stronger and more reliable. During this time, the Wall ran from east to west from Shanhaiguan on the coast of the Yellow Sea to the Yumenguan outpost on the border of the provinces of Gansu and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The Qing Dynasty of Manchuria (1644-1911) broke the resistance of the defenders of the Wall due to the betrayal of Wu Sangui. During this period, the building was treated with great disdain. During the three centuries of the Qing in power, the Great Wall was almost destroyed by the influence of time. Only a small section of it, passing near Beijing - Badaling - was kept in order - it was used as a "gateway to the capital". Nowadays, this section of the wall is the most popular among tourists - it was the very first open to the public back in 1957, and also served as the finish point for the cycling race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. US President Nixon visited him. In 1899, newspapers in the United States wrote that the wall would be dismantled, and a highway would be laid in its place.
In 1984, at the initiative of Deng Xiaoping, a program was organized to restoreChinese wall, financial assistance from Chinese and foreign companies was attracted. A collection was also held among private individuals, everyone could donate any amount.
The total length of the Great Wall of China is 8,851 kilometers and 800 meters. Just think about this figure, is it really impressive?
In our time, a 60-kilometer section of the wall in the Shanxi region in northwest China is undergoing active erosion. The main reason for this is the intensive farming practices in the country, when, starting in the 1950s, groundwater gradually dried up, and the region became the epicenter of the onset of extremely severe sandstorms. More than 40 kilometers of the wall have already been destroyed, and only 10 kilometers are still in place, but the height of the wall has partially decreased from five to two meters.
The Great Wall was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as one of China's greatest historical landmarks. In addition, this is one of the most visited attractions in the world - about 40 million tourists visit here every year.
A lot of myths and legends roam around such a large-scale structure. For example, the fact that this is a solid, continuous wall built in one go is a real myth. In reality, the wall is a discontinuous network of separate segments built by various dynasties to protect China's northern border.
During construction, the Great Wall of China was nicknamed the longest cemetery on the planet, as a large number of people died at the construction site. According to approximate calculations, the construction of the wall cost the lives of more than one million people.
It is logical that such a whopper has broken and still holds many records. The most significant of them is the longest structure ever built by man.
The Great Wall was built as many separate elements at different times. Each province built its own wall and gradually they united into a single whole. In those days, protective structures were simply necessary, and were built everywhere. In total, more than 50,000 kilometers of defensive walls have been erected in China over the past 2,000 years.
Since the Wall of China was interrupted in some places, it was not difficult for the Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan to raid China, and they subsequently conquered the northern part of the country between 1211 and 1223. The Mongols ruled China until 1368, when they were driven out by the Ming Dynasty described above.
Contrary to popular belief, the Great Wall of China cannot be seen from space. This pervasive myth was born in 1893 in the American magazine The Century and then re-discussed in 1932, in the Robert Ripley show, who claimed that the wall was visible from the moon - this despite the fact that the first flight into space was still very far away. In our time, it has been proven that it is quite difficult to notice a wall from space with the naked eye. Here's a NASA shot from space, see for yourself.
Another legend says that the substance used to hold the stones together was mixed with human bone powder, and that those who died at the construction site were buried right in the wall itself to make the structure stronger. But this is not true, the solution was made from ordinary rice flour - and there are no bones or dead in the wall structure.
For obvious reasons, this miracle was not included in the 7 ancient wonders of the world, but the Great Wall of China is rightfully included in the list of 7 new wonders of the world.Another legend says that a large fire dragon paved the way for the workers, indicating where to build the wall. Builders subsequently followed in his footsteps.
Since we are talking about legends, one of the most popular is about a woman named Meng Jing Niu, the wife of a farmer working on the construction of the Great Wall. When she learned that her husband had died at work, she went to the wall and wept on it until it collapsed, revealing the bones of her lover, and the wife was able to bury them.
There was a whole tradition of burying those who died on the construction of the wall. Members of the family of the deceased carried the coffin, on which was a cage with a white rooster. The crowing of a rooster was supposed to keep the spirit of a dead person awake until the procession had crossed the Great Wall. Otherwise, the spirit will forever wander along the wall.
During the Ming Dynasty, more than one million soldiers were called upon to defend the country's borders from enemies on the Great Wall. As for the builders, they were drawn from the same defenders in peacetime, peasants, simply unemployed and criminals. There was a special punishment for all the convicts and there was only one verdict - to build a wall!
Especially for this construction, the Chinese invented a wheelbarrow and used it everywhere in the construction of the Great Wall. Some of the most dangerous parts of the Great Wall were surrounded by defensive ditches, which were either filled with water or left as ditches. The Chinese used advanced defense weapons such as axes, hammers, spears, crossbows, halberds, and a Chinese invention: gunpowder.
Observation towers were built along the length of the Great Wall in even sections and could be up to 40 feet high. They were used to monitor the territory, as well as fortresses and garrisons for troops. They had supplies of necessary food and water. In case of danger, a signal was given from the tower, torches, special beacons or just flags were lit. The western section of the Great Wall, with a long chain of watchtowers, served to protect caravans that traveled along the Silk Road, a famous trade route.
The last battle at the wall took place in 1938 during the Sino-Japanese War. There are many traces of bullets from those times in the wall. The highest point of the Great Wall of China is at an altitude of 1534 meters, near Beijing, while the lowest point is at sea level near Laolongtu. The average height of the wall is 7 meters, and the width in some places reaches 8 meters, but in general it varies from 5 to 7 meters.
The Great Wall of China is a symbol of national pride, centuries of struggle, and greatness. The country's government spends a huge amount of money on the preservation of this architectural monument, estimated at billions of US dollars a year, hoping to save the wall for future generations.
The Chinese wall is an amazing structure built for almost 2000 years and its length is 4 thousand kilometers! Such a long-term construction is not bad ... It is traditionally believed that the Great Wall of China began to be built in the 3rd century BC. For protection from northern nomads. On this occasion, N.A. Morozov wrote:
“One thought that the famous Chinese Wall, from 6 to 7 meters high and up to three meters thick, stretching for THREE THOUSAND KILOMETERS, was started by the construction back in 246 BC by Emperor Shi-Hoangti and WAS FINISHED ONLY THROUGH 1866 YEARS, TO 1620 AD, is so absurd that it can only annoy a serious historian-thinker.
After all, every large building has a predetermined practical purpose ... Who would have thought of starting a huge building, which can only be completed in 2000 years, and until then it will be only a useless burden for the population ...
We will be told, - The Wall has been repaired for two thousand years. Doubtful. It makes sense to repair only a not very old building, otherwise it will become hopelessly outdated and simply fall apart. What we observe, by the way, in Europe.
The old defensive walls were dismantled and new, more powerful ones were built in their place. For example, many military fortifications in Russia were rebuilt in the 16th century.
But we are told that the Chinese Wall, as it was built, stood for TWO THOUSAND YEARS. They do not say that "the modern wall was built recently on the site of the ancient one."
No, they say that we see exactly the wall that was erected two thousand years ago. In our opinion, this is extremely strange, to say the least.
When and against whom was the wall built? We cannot give an exact answer. This requires additional research. However, let us express the following thought.
The Great Wall of China was built primarily as a structure marking the BORDER between two countries: China and Russia.
It is doubtful that it was built as a military defense facility. And hardly ever used in this capacity. Defending a 4,000-kilometer wall from an enemy attack is POSSIBLE.
LN Gumilyov quite rightly wrote: “The wall stretched for 4 thousand km. Its height reached 10 meters, and watch towers rose every 60-100 meters.
But when the work was completed, it turned out that all the armed forces of China were not enough to organize an effective defense on the wall.
In fact, if a small detachment is placed on each tower, then the enemy will destroy it before the neighbors have time to gather and give help.
If, however, large detachments are spaced less often, then gaps are formed through which the enemy will easily and imperceptibly penetrate deep into the country. A FORTRESS WITHOUT DEFENDERS IS NOT A FORTRESS
What is the difference between our point of view and the traditional one? We are told that the Wall separated China from the nomads in order to secure the country from their raids. But, as Gumilyov rightly noted, such an explanation does not stand up to scrutiny.
If the nomads wanted to cross the Wall, they would have easily done so. And not just once. And anywhere. We offer a completely different explanation.
We believe that the Wall was built primarily to DESIGNATE THE BORDER BETWEEN THE TWO STATES. And it was built when they reached an agreement on this border. Apparently in order to exclude border disputes in the future.
And such disputes, probably, were. Today, the agreed parties draw the border ON THE MAP (that is, on paper). And they think that this is enough.
And in the case of Russia and China, the Chinese, apparently, attached such importance to the treaty that they decided to perpetuate it not only on paper, but also “on the ground”, by drawing the Wall along the agreed border.
This was more reliable and, as the Chinese thought, would eliminate border disputes for a long time. The length of the Wall itself speaks in favor of our assumption. Four or one or two thousand kilometers is normal for a border between two states. But for a purely military structure - it makes no sense. But the political border
China for its supposedly more than two thousand years of history has changed many times. This is what historians tell us. China united, then fell apart into separate regions, lost and acquired some land, and so on.
On the one hand, this seems to make it difficult to verify our reconstruction. But on the other hand, on the contrary, we are given the opportunity not only to check it, but also to DATE the construction of the Wall.
If we manage to find a political-geographical map on which the BORDER OF CHINA WILL PASS EXACTLY ALONG THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA, this will mean that EXACTLY AT THIS TIME THE WALL WAS BUILT.
Today the Wall of China is INSIDE China. Was there a time when it marked the BORDER OF THE COUNTRY? And when did it happen? It is clear that if it was built as a BORDER WALL, then at that time IT HAD TO GO EXACTLY ON THE POLITICAL BORDER OF CHINA.
This will allow us to date the construction of the Wall. Let's try to find a GEOGRAPHICAL MAP on which the Wall of China runs EXACTLY ON THE POLITICAL BORDER OF CHINA. It is important that SUCH CARDS EXIST. And there are many. These are maps of the 17th-18th centuries.
We take a map of Asia of the XVIII century, made by the Royal Academy in Amsterdam:. This map was taken by us from a rare atlas of the 18th century.
On this map we find two states: Tartaria - Tartarie and China - Chine. China's northern border runs roughly along the 40th parallel. EXACTLY THIS BORDER GOES THE WALL OF CHINA.
Moreover, on the map this Wall is DESIGNATED as a thick line with the inscription Muraille de la Chine, that is, “the high wall of China” in French.
The same Chinese Wall, and with the same inscription on it, we see on another map of 1754 - Carte de l'Asie, taken by us from a rare atlas of the 18th century. Here the Chinese Wall also runs roughly along the border between China and Great Tataria, that is, Mongol-Tataria = Russia.
We see the same thing on another map of Asia in the 17th century, in the famous Blaeu atlas. The Chinese Wall runs exactly along the border of China, and only a small western section of the Wall is inside China.
Our idea is also supported by the fact that the cartographers of the 18th century GENERALLY PUT THE CHINA WALL ON THE POLITICAL MAP OF THE WORLD.
Therefore, this Wall MAKES THE SENSE OF A POLITICAL BORDER. After all, the cartographers did not depict other “wonders of the world” on this map, for example, the Egyptian pyramids.
And the Chinese Wall was painted. The same Wall is depicted on a color map of the Qing Empire in the second half of the 17th-18th centuries in the academic 10-volume World History
This map shows the Great Wall in detail, with all of its little twists and turns in the terrain. For almost its entire length, it goes EXACTLY ON THE BORDER OF THE CHINESE EMPIRE, with the exception of a small westernmost section of the Wall no more than 200 kilometers long. Apparently
THE CHINESE GREAT WALL WAS BUILT IN THE XVI-XVII CENTURIES AS A POLITICAL BORDER BETWEEN CHINA AND RUSSIA = “MONGOLO-TATARIA”.
It is impossible to admit that the “ancient” Chinese had such an amazing gift of foresight that they accurately predicted exactly how the border between China and Russia would pass in the 17th-18th centuries of the NEW ERA, that is, in two thousand years.
We may be objected: on the contrary, the border between Russia and China in the 17th century was drawn along the ancient Wall. However, in this case, the Wall would have to be mentioned in a written Russian-Chinese treaty. We did not find such references.
When was the Wall = Border between Russia = “Mongol-Tataria” and China built? Apparently, it was in the XVII century. No wonder it is believed that its construction was “completed” only in 1620. And maybe even later. See more about it below.
In this regard, it is immediately remembered that EXACTLY at this time there were BORDER WARS between Russia and China. Probably, only at the end of the 17th century they agreed on the border. And then they built a wall to fix the CONTRACT.
Was this Wall earlier than the 17th century? Apparently not. Scaligerian history tells us that China was conquered by the “MONGOLS” in the 13th century AD. e. More precisely, in 1279. And he became part of the huge “Mongolian” = Great Empire.
According to the new chronology, the correct dating of this conquest is the end of the 14th century, that is, a hundred years later. In the Scaligerian history of China, this event is noted in the XIV century as the coming to power of the MING dynasty in 1368, that is, THE SAME MONGOLS.
As we now understand, in the XIV-XVI centuries, RUSSIA AND CHINA STILL MADE ONE EMPIRE. Therefore, there was no need to build the Wall = Border.
Most likely, such a need arose after the unrest in Russia, the defeat of the Russian Horde dynasty and the seizure of power by the Romanovs. As you know, the Romanovs abruptly changed the political course of Russia, trying to subordinate the country to Western influence.
Such a pro-Western orientation of the new dynasty led to the collapse of the Empire. Turkey separated, and heavy wars began with it. China also separated. And, in fact, control over a significant part of America was lost. China's relations with the Romanovs became tense, and border conflicts began. It was necessary to build the Wall, which was done.
Apparently, it is even possible to more accurately indicate the time of the construction of the Great Wall of China. As we have said, the Wall was apparently erected as a border between China and Russia during the border disputes of the 17th century. ARMED COLLISIONs flared up from the middle of the 17th century. The wars went on with varying success. Descriptions of these wars were preserved in the notes of Khabarov.
The agreement that fixed the NORTHERN BORDER OF CHINA WITH RUSSIA was concluded in 1689 in Nerchinsk. Perhaps there were earlier attempts to conclude a Russo-Chinese treaty.
It is to be expected that the China Wall was built between 1650 and 1689. This expectation is justified. It is known that the emperor = Bogdykhan Kangxi “began to implement his plan of FORCING THE RUSSIANS FROM THE AMUR.
BUILDING A CHAIN OF FORTIFICATIONS IN MANZHURIA Bogdykhan sent the Manzhur army to the Amur in 1684” What kind of CHAIN OF FORTIFICATIONS did Bogdykhan build by 1684? Most likely, he built the Great Wall of China. That is, a CHAIN OF FORTIFIED TOWERS CONNECTED BY A WALL
If you ask a person anywhere in the world to name the first thing that is associated with China, there is a high probability that it will be the Wall of China. No wonder - this is really a huge, majestic structure that deserves to be mentioned. Many readers would certainly like to know what is the length of the Chinese Wall in km, when it was built, by whom, for what purpose. We will try to answer these questions briefly, but meaningfully.
Where is it?
It would seem that the answer is obvious - the Great Wall of China should be located in China. However, he is only partly true. Of course, most of it is really in the Middle Kingdom. But not all! Several hundred kilometers of the wall are in the south of Mongolia, and some segment is in the northeast of the same country. Many will probably be surprised by the fact that a small piece of the same segment runs along the southernmost border of the Chita region. Some of the most ancient sites can be found in North Korea.
The wall itself has a very complex structure - individual pieces were built tens and even hundreds of kilometers from others. Because of this, the wall is located not only in the northern part of China, but also in the central, and even eastern.
What is its length
Not only ordinary readers, but also many experts would like to know how long the Great Wall of China is. Alas, the data on this is very different. Judging by the annals, the length was the same, some modern commissions present completely different data, and other groups of specialists - the third.
So, what is the length of the Chinese Wall in km?
The Chinese themselves call it the "Wall 10,000 li long". If we take into account that "li" is an ancient Chinese measure of length, equal to approximately 570 meters, then we can calculate the length - we get 5,700,000 meters, or 5,700 kilometers. A very impressive number. However, in ancient times, problems often arose when counting. Therefore, it is better to turn to modern research, since they are carried out regularly.
In 2012, a special commission was assembled to determine exactly how long the Great Wall of China is in km. They counted 21,196 kilometers - just mind-boggling. After all, the length of the planet Earth at the equator is a little more than 40 thousand kilometers. It turns out that the wall could encircle the Earth by more than half? Very doubtful. It is more likely that Chinese scientists, wanting to impress the whole world, to attract even more tourists, simply "slightly" overestimated the length of their main pride. All sites were taken into account - both existing to this day and destroyed many centuries ago. They even included in the calculations the parameters of structures erected in Mongolia during the Qing Dynasty, although they were never part of the Great Wall of China.
The official length is 8852 kilometers. Also very impressive! Especially when you consider the rest of its dimensions. The thickness in different areas varies from 5 to 8 meters, and the height is approximately 6-7 meters. However, there are also places where it rises by as much as 10 meters.
Even with the use of modern technology and materials, it would be very difficult to create such a colossus. But here the construction was carried out using manual labor, natural materials and the most primitive tools. So you definitely cannot refuse the Chinese in diligence.
Why is it so difficult to calculate its length?
After reading, the reader may have a question: why are there such problems and discrepancies when trying to determine what is the length of the Great Wall of China in km?
The answer is simple. The fact is that it was built not one or two years, but almost two millennia. As a result, when some sections were just completed, others were already destroyed - under the influence of rains, floods, and human activity.
When they find two segments of the wall several tens of kilometers long, between which there are no buildings, many guesses arise as to why this happened. Maybe the Chinese engineers didn't want to build anything here? Or did not have time? Or maybe the wall was here, but just collapsed over time? Therefore, some experts, trying to understand how long the Chinese Wall is, count only the sections that exist today. Others, in an effort to get more impressive numbers, take into account both destroyed and hypothetically existing ones. Of course, the discrepancies are more than serious.
So, if we talk about the parameters of such a building as the Great Wall of China, it is not possible to unambiguously name its length in kilometers.
Why was it built
Speaking about the global nature of the construction, one cannot help but wonder why it was built at all. The most obvious and popular answer is to protect Chinese lands from the enemy from the north. But it does not withstand any criticism - we will return to this later.
There is a version that she was supposed to prevent the enemy, who had captured slaves and wealth in China, to freely leave back to the north. But this version is not too plausible.
But another option has been tested by practice - it was used as a road. Wide enough for two carts to pass freely, it was not afraid of rain and mudslides. On the wall, even in the autumn slush, it was dry. Merchants and simple peasants carrying goods to the markets could quickly move from one province to another.
Also, the wall could be used as a customs post. After all, the military was on duty all the time in the towers, who checked whether all the duties were paid by the merchants. The Great Silk Road alone is crossed by the wall three times.
Some experts advocate a completely different version. When the wall began to be built, China was a bunch of fragmented, warring states and peoples. What was needed was a single great goal that would make yesterday's enemies work together, helping each other. That was the purpose of the construction of the Great Wall of China.
Useless from a military point of view
Now let's think about why it could not be used as a military facility? Everything is simple - precisely because of its length. In those days, the army of China was very small, and it defended not so much the border from the attacks of enemies, but the emperor and his entourage, as well as other feudal lords from ordinary peasants.
If you split up the entire available army, planting a small detachment in each tower, then they would not be able to resist - even a small enemy army, choosing a good direction for a strike, would easily capture a section of the fortress, killing the guards. And if you collect small detachments into large armies, then they would be at a great distance from each other - it would not be possible to control the entire length of the wall.
In addition, as mentioned above, the wall is not a straight, continuous construction, but a chain of separate sections, between which there are often gaping gaps of tens and hundreds of kilometers. What prevented the enemies from breaking through the wall, but calmly bypassing it, choosing a route through such a hole?
So the fact that she could not, with all her desire, perform a military function is quite obvious.
How many years did it take to build
Well, the question of how long the Chinese Wall is, how many kilometers it stretches, is more or less disclosed. How many years was it built? Fortunately, many written sources have been preserved that allow a fairly accurate answer to this question.
Construction began in the third century BC. Then China as such did not exist - only numerous scattered and constantly warring kingdoms. According to the chronicles, almost immediately 20% of the population - about a million people - were thrown into the construction.
The construction was completed in 1644, when the powerful Ming dynasty already ruled the united China.
Of course, construction was not carried out constantly. Sometimes they forgot about it for decades and even centuries, in order to eventually return to the construction of this amazing object.
Human losses during construction
To say how many people died during construction is even more difficult than to unambiguously answer how long the Chinese wall is. The fact is that people were crippled and died constantly: poor nutrition, primitive mechanisms, inhuman working conditions - all this affected life expectancy. But it never occurred to anyone to record or otherwise mark the deaths of people at work. Just from time to time more and more new workers were brought here.
There is a legend that for every kilometer of wall built, there was one fatal accident. But it is possible that in fact there were much more victims than 9 thousand.
The dead were treated quite simply - they were walled up in the base of the walls so as not to dig graves for them. So the Wall of China is not just an impressive building, but also a very unusual cemetery.
Legends associated with her
By the way, one of the legends is connected with the people buried in the wall. It says that one man - a simple farmer who was forced to build a wall - died and was walled into the foundation of the building. His wife - Meng Jiang Nu - was heartbroken and cried terribly. So terrible that the part of the wall where the husband was buried simply crumbled, exposing the remains and allowing them to be buried according to customs. Rumor has it that a monument was even erected on the wall in honor of this.
Another interesting legend is connected with the dragon - well, what is China without it? Allegedly, the location of the Great Wall of China was not chosen by chance. The wise dragon crawled across the earth, showing the place where it should be erected. Well, the legend is really beautiful and quite in oriental style.
Vandalism and fraud
At various times, the Great Wall was often used as ... a source of building materials. Landed peasants, not thinking too much about the value of the building, calmly dismantled it into bricks for their needs. And it began many centuries ago and continues to this day. Only in the middle of the 20th century, the authorities caught on and imposed a fine for such sabotage - 5,000 yuan (about 48,000 rubles). True, in remote provinces this stops people weakly - many do not even know about such a ban and punishment.
In many places you can even buy such a brick - it is quite inexpensive, about 50 yuan (less than 500 rubles). However, when exporting from the country, serious problems may well arise. And what prevents scammers from slipping an ordinary brick made a few days ago under the guise of an ancient artifact? Therefore, it is better to refrain from such purchases.
The main binder was not concrete, as they would do now, but slaked lime mixed with rice porridge.
On average, 40 million tourists visit the Great Wall of China in one year - both from China and from all over the world.
Although there is an opinion that this is the only building that can be seen from space with the naked eye, this is not so - although the wall is long enough, its small width makes this impossible.
In 1987, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, being China's greatest landmark.
Conclusion
This can be the end of the article. Now you know, if not everything, then a lot about such an amazing building as the Great Wall of China: length in kilometers, width, purpose, years of construction and much more. Surely this will allow you to significantly expand your horizons.