Chinese panorama
Today, China is known as the largest emerging power in the world, thanks to the
workforce of its more than 1.4 billion inhabitants. It has around 9.6 million km2 whose
territorial surface underwent many changes in the years prior to the formation of China
as we now know it.
This country has had an incredible economic growth and the urban development in some
cities as Shanghai or Beijing are proof of this, however there is one structure that has
prevailed through the very beginning of Chinese civilization until nowadays.
The Great Wall of China is one of the most emblematic structures of Chinese culture and
history, also one of the greatest master piece of architecture and a marvel for engineering.
The "Long Wall" has a vast history of more than 2,500 years it was built in diverse areas
by different dynasties to protect the territorial borders from invasions by nomads from
inner asia. It goes through almost 21200 km inside the very heart of China. It walls have
been witnesses of all kind of fierce battles between the dynasties or any foreign threat
and also have presence the changes through the past of the years in the beautiful
landscape that surrounds it.
All started with the Zhou dynasty (XI-III B.C) this was the longest in the history of China.
With independent states the Spring and Fall period (722-481 BC) began, where power
was totally decentralized and there was a series of bloody battles for power leaving only
7 states conformed: Qi, Qin, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Wei and Han; each with its own king and
army. In this pre –warring state period the Qi state started to build a wall to avoid invasion
from other states.
Then the era of the Warring States (475 - 221 B.C) began in which these states fought
for supremacy and independence, growing geographically conquering another larger
states.
This epoch ended when one state emerged victorious, the Qin state conquered the other
6, unifying all the kingdoms in a single territory in what is now known as China. The state
of Qin which is pronounced 'chin' and gives China its name.
The general who led Qin to victory was Prince Ying Zheng who took the name `Qin Shi
Huangdi' (First Emperor) after conquering the other states.
Once unified the 7 states, conformed the Qin dynasty (221-201 BC), Shi Huangdi
ordered to destroy the walls built by the other states and as a sign that all of China was
now one, the emperor ordered a great wall would be built along the northern border to
defend against the mounted warriors of the nomadic Xiongnu of Mongolia; there would
be no more walls marking boundaries between separate states in China because there
would no longer be any separate states.
This dynasty collapsed due to the death of its first emperor Qin Shi Huan, then Er Shi
Huangdi (son of the first emperor) took power but there was an overthrow led by Liu
Bang who took power by establishing a new dynasty, the Han Dynasty (206 BC- 220).
During the four centuries of the Han Dynasty, great advances were made in economy in
general through the establishment of the Silk Road that facilitated trade with India by
avoiding crossing the Himalayas and the wall was extended to protect the commerce
around this area. In spite of all these improvements, the empire collapsed again
spreading several battles throughout the territory starting a new period, the period of the
3 kingdoms (220-280): Wei, Wu, and Shu Han.
The unification of these 3 kingdoms occurred under the Jin dynasty (280-316), Wei
conquered Shu Han, leaving only 2 kingdoms. Sima Yan overthrew Emperor Wei by
initiating the new Jin Dynasty. This union would not last long as the northern towns
conquered the capitals dividing the entire area into 16 parts which were known as the
era of the 16 kingdoms (304-439). The south likewise was divided into 6 dynasties
between 317-589.
In 581 Zhou came to power and created the Sui dynasty defeating the southern dynasties
again achieving the reunification of both parties. In 617 the second Emperor Sui was
assassinated assuming the power Li Yuan, a rebel general, creating the Tang dynasty
(618-907) where technology, economy, and culture entered a golden age.
The new dynasty was weakened by a series of rebellions until in 907 Zhu Wen killed the
last Tang emperor. After the Tang dynasty ended in 907, the northern frontier area
remained out of Han Chinese hands until the establishment of the Ming dynasty in 1368.
In 1368, the Hongwu Emperor inaugurate the Ming dynasty. A wall was erected by the
Ming in Liaodong to protect Han settlers from a possible threat from the Jurched-Mongol
Oriyanghan around 1442. In 1467 an expansion of the wall provided further protection
for the region from against attacks by the Jianzhou Jurchens in the northeast
The deterioration of the Ming military position gave rise to nomadic raids into Ming
territory. After decades of deliberation the decision to build the first major Ming walls in
the Ordos was agreed around 1470.
Following the success of the Ordos walls, Yu Zijun proposed construction of a further
wall that would extend from the Yellow River bend in the Ordos to the Sihaiye Pass near
the capital Beijing, running a distance of more than 1300 km.
Wall construction continued until the demise of the Ming dynasty in 1644. The Great Wall
in the present day is almost completely the work of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1664 CE)
who added the distinctive watchtowers and expanded the length and width of the wall.
The now-famous national monument fell into decay following the Ming Dynasty, when
the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) took power. The present wall, whose image is so well
known, is not Shi Huangdi's wall from c. 221 BCE. There is actually very little of the
original wall left today.
This monument represented more than just a defensive structure, great advances were
made in economy through if it were not because of this structure China itself would not
exits due to the all the different and myriads alien invasions that suffered through the
time.
There were efforts over the years to maintain the structure, but no concerted effort
existed until as recently as 1980 when the wall was made a priority of the Chinese
government as a tourist attraction and source of revenue. It was not designated a
UNESCO World Heritage Site until 1987. There are only about 600 miles (372 km) of the
wall left in stable condition, it depends on the citizens and goverments to preserve this
structure as a symbol of chinese culture.