The Great Wall

When N. Amstrong, the North American cosmonaut sailed in Apolo no. 11, and put foot in the Moon, for the first time in the history of the humanity, distinguia thence only two Earth architectures: the Great Defending Dock of Holland and the Great Chinese Wall.

The greatest old defensive works of Chinese and a magnificent spectacle in the world-wide history of the Architecture is this one.

Its construction lasted 2 700 years, from the Period of the Combatant Kingdoms – 25 centuries ago – to the last one of the Ming dynasty. One extends in the north of China, crossing mountains, prairies and deserts.

By its extension and magnitude never seen, the Great Wall was considered already centuries ago between the Seven Architectonic Wonders of the World.

More ago than two millenia there were seven feudal kingdoms in the valley of the Amarillo river. In order to defend itself of the other, diverse kingdoms constructed walls in their territories respectively.

The Yan, Zhao and Qin, bordering kingdoms of the powerful tribes of the hunos. Frequently harassed by them, they raised walls in the borders of the north that were contiguous with those tribes. Thus the construction of the Great Wall began.

Towards year 221 before sample it was, the Qin kingdom overcame to the other kingdoms, being based therefore the first unified, unitary and centralist empire in the history of China. Emperor Qin Shihuang commanded to transform the walls into a formidable defense against the incursions of the tribes of the north. This work is the Qin wall – with 5 000 km in length that left to the east, of the province of Liaoning, and finished in Lintao, in prov. of Gansu.

The Great Wall gives to veintitantos feudal kingdoms and dynasties. There are under them and Ming, the wall exceeded 5 000 km in length.

There are under them, the wall was extended towards the west, via the Hexi runner to finish inside Xinjiang. Its length reached to 10 000 km. The sector addition played great role for the transit of “ Route of Seda " that lead to the Western Regions, and for the cultural interchange and the commerce between China and the diverse euroasiáticos countries. Unfortunately, good part of the wall Has was reduced, with time, to ruins.

The Ming dynasty was the last one in raising the Great Wall. The construction took place without stopping in 200 years. The wall that is seen today is given to the Ming dynasty.

It winds by high mountains and it connects a hundred of defiles and millares of strengths and watchtowers, with a really impressive view. The watchtowers are installed really impressive. The watchtowers are installed on the wall or to both sides. The isolated ones occupy, generally, visible summits or other places. They were used to transmit alarm signals. In case of attack, the watches raised dense cloud columns by day and, at night, they ignited great fires. The strengths are hierguen on the wall. Soldiers lodged there and the ammunition kept.

If one connected the walls built in the diverse historical periods, would measure 50 000 km in length and if one were used bricks, stones and mud of those fortifications to raise to a dock of l1 m of width and 5 M.s of stop, it would give a dozen of returns to the Earth. Today the ruins of these constructions are scattered in the 16 provinces and independent regions of the northeast, north and the northwest and of the valley of the Amarillo river.

The Great Wall is a monument that registers the history of the diverse dynasties, the sacrifice of the soldiers and the enormous effort of the recruited men to construct the wall. It refers the legend that at the time of Qin Shihuang, the husband of the daughter of Meng Jiang, was recruited to force to construct the Great Wall. Spent three years, as she could not return to house, his wife decided to take to him to a shelter, suffering innumerable penalties, arrived at the Shanghaiguan step. When the young person knew that his husband had died exhausted by the work, he broke to cry and he says himself that their tears collapsed a sector of the wall, of 400 km in length. And thus they appeared the bones of its husband. This story demonstrates the hardness of the obligatory work and the complaints of the town.

Nowadays, the Great Wall, the tourist point, most important, attract innumerable national visitors and foreign and through history, the culture, the architectonic art of this work knows China still more.

Under the action of rains and winds, the Great Wall is lost already its original appearance. Founded the New China, his Government adopted a series of protective measures with respect to Guam Wall, En1961 included, it between the historical relics under state protection and commanded to recover the sectors of mrualla in Badaling, the steps Shanhaiguan and Jiayuguan.