Length, Builder & Other Specifics of the Great Wall of China
What is the length of the Great Wall of China (Chancheng) and who built it? This will form the aim of this piece of writing - including such questions as what is the initial purpose, the height, the width, the map, and the location of the great wall of China. Built in over 2,300 years, starting from 770BC, and for its entire status and worth, the Great Wall has become one of the world's most visited tourist attractions. So, such questions as these that will be here addressed constitute no surprise, not in the least. In fact, they are FAQs. The foregoing said, we answer the questions quickly.
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| Credit: History.com |
What is the length of the Great Wall of China?
Stretching from Dandong in the east to Lop Lake in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, the entire Great Wall with all of its branches, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, cited in Wikipedia, is 21,196 km (13,171 mi). This result was got from a trusted archaeological survey. While this is a fact, it is pertinent to make it known here that the Great Wall is not one unit. That is, it's not one wall which from its beginning stretches until its end without interruptions - missing or ruined parts. It is a relic, an antique of ancient times and by implication, as one would expect, much of it has fallen into ruin. China Highlights holds that over 30 percent of it is no more. This ruins are caused by both humans and natural, especially natural, forces - erosion, theft of elements of the Wall etcetera. Have an idea of what the length mentioned above is? And are you in essence wondering how they contrived to build it? It's easy. The Great Wall was built by different dynasties, in different areas, and in different ages - in over 2,300 years. So you see it's not a day's job and, besides that, it's a collective work by different people and governments. Even though the work was done over great years, it wasn't an easy but a daunting one as hundreds of people, the workers, died in the process.Who built the Great Wall of China?
It is commonly said that the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, King Zheng, built the Great Wall but this is very far from the truth. Logically, a feat such as the Great Wall built in over 2,300 years cannot have been built by one man, no matter how long he lived. And in fact, sections of the Wall were built for varying reasons which came with specific periods, although all these reasons are governmental. Added to that is the fact that King Zheng was not also the first to build the Great Wall, a thing which would have given credence to the claim that he built the wall. That is, if he had initiated the building of the Wall, then one could benignly attribute the building of it to him. An important question to ask at this juncture is: why has it been said that he built the Wall? Speculatively, this could have resulted from first found records but, with more comprehensive records, the actual fact came to be known. But this should be the reason more likely: having conquered his opponents, King Zheng unified China as the First Emperor of the Qin dynasty ("Qin Shi Huang") in 221 BC. After which, he ordered the destruction of the sections of the walls that divided his empire among the former states with the intent of imposing centralized rule as well as preventing the resurgence of feudal lords. And more remarkably, he ordered the building of new walls to connect the remaining dalong the empire's northern frontier in order to position the empire against a people called the Xiongnu people from the north.The Great Wall is a collective work built by different dynasties in different periods over the years. Contributors and their actual contributions are: (1) the Zhou Dynasty (The (Pre-) Warring States Period (770–221 BC)), state overlords in this period built state border walls; (2) the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BC), the First Emperor of Qin joined the Great Wall sections on China's northern border; (3) the Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD), Han Wudi extended the Great Wall west to a Pass called Yumen Pass and beyond it; (4) the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), Hero General Qi Jiguang rebuilt the Great Wall around Beijing.
Why was the Great Wall of China built?
While there are many identifiable reasons to why the Wall was built, there are two profound reasons which stand out. They are the prevention of invasion and the protection Silk Road trade. It has already been pointed out that King Zheng joined the walls already built against external aggression, or invasion, specifically, aganst the Xiongnu people. And, Han Wudi's expansive extension of the Wall into what is today called western China was blitz to protect Silk Road trade.What is the height and width of the Great Wall of China?
The height and width of the Wall are not equal throughout its length, although it has an average height of 23 to 26 feet (7 to 8 metres). On steep hills, the Wall is a bit lower. As regards width, it usually stood 21.3 feet (6.5 metres) wide at the base and 19 feet (5.8 metres) at the top.What is the map and location of the Great Wall of China?
The Wall is situated at the northern part of China where it served as a fortification against invaders, among other reasons. Although, this is an aside, today, it no longer function as a fortification but a super tourist attraction. Put differently, this is remarkable, prior to this time, it kept people away from China, but, now, it brings people from all over the world to China. Below is a map of the Great Wall of China.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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