FROM HISTORY TO MYTH

This monumental landmark, so imposing & majestic in appearance following the contours of the landscape so splendidly, has to be one of the world's most astonishing sights. For those who are interested, I've put together some summary points about "The Wall":

• One of the greatest Chinese achievements of all is the Great Wall (Changcheng). A symbol of Chinese genius.
• Legendarily over 2000 years old (c. 221 BC) though ancient parts of "the wall" are said to date back to the seventh century BC.
• The scale of construction is without parallel. An engineering feat passing over high mountain peaks, snaking  across empty grassland plains, crossing the Gobi desert, rising & falling. The image often mentioned is that of a gigantic dragon twisting & dancing through the mountains.
• It isn't one continuous wall. It's a series of walls begun at different times, during different dynasties, in different locations. 
• Its true length is still a mystery. Estimates vary between 5,000 and 10,000 kilometres. The reason being much of the wall is so deteriorated & much of it lays undiscovered.
• There are allegedly 10,000 watchtowers & over 1,000 fortified passes which in the past have been garrisoned by up to 1 million soldiers.  The largest towers are like mini-castles.
• Advanced satellite & radar equipment will hopefully soon be able to calculate the full distance of the Great Wall.
• Made of stone & brick, about 25 feet high & 15 feet wide in places. Much of it has been restored, esp. during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644).
• It is a matter for debate whether the wall was ever truly successful as a strategic defensive system.
• It certainly seems likely that it provided a valuable means of passing information & travelling across difficult terrain. Especially for the rapid transport of troops across the country.
• Sadly, all is not so "rosy" about the history of the wall & how it was built. Many of those conscripted to build the wall died of exhaustion and malnutrition. It has been estimated that over a million peasants, prisoners & soldiers perished.
• The Great Wall is the subject of much mythology. Every school child "knows" that it can be seen from the moon? Indeed many myths have built up around it - the subject of possible bed-time reading!

Below please enjoy 3 illustrations which I love. Included here with kind permission of the publishers. Osprey Publishing. "The Great Wall of China 221 BC-AD 1644". Author: Stephen Turnball. Illustrated by Steve Noon.   www.ospreypublishing.com

Illustration 1: How the Ming Great Wall was built - cross-section through the wall and stages of construction c. 1570. The successive stages of building the Ming Great Wall are shown in one composite section, although in reality each stage would be completed individually with sections between towers probably being the 'unit'. The stages are:  1. Levering the foundation stones into place.  2. Ramming down the infill as the stone walls grow.  3. Bricklaying using scaffolding.

Illustration 2: Cutaway reconstruction of a tower on the Ming Great Wall c. 1570. The towers were very important components of the Ming Great Wall. This example is fairly typical. The upper surface of the solid Great Wall serves as the central floor of the tower, extended outwards to give a larger space. The resulting tower platform is offset to allow fire from crossbows or guns to be delivered from windows along the surface of the Wall. The roughly square-shaped central room could be used as a commander's headquarters. It is a gloomy cellar-like structure composed of interlocking brick arches. There is an upper storey with a pitched roof and battlements. Wooden doors are fitted. The entrance from the 'friendly side' gives access only on to the walkway.

Illustration 3:  A Manchu attack on the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall c. 1630.  Manchu troops under the leadership of Nurhachi's son Abahai have forced thier way on to the wally by using scaling ladders, in spite of the rocks, bullets and arrows poured down on to them. They have secured a length of the wall, but the Ming guards are mounting a fierce counterattack using the curious zhang qiang (transverse walls) unique to the Great Wall that extend halfway across the walkway.

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

There are many websites containing wonderful photographs. Why not Google! But do come back!  :)