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Essay on Great Wall of China

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100 Words Essay on Great Wall of China

Introduction.

The Great Wall of China is a magnificent ancient structure. Built over 2000 years ago, it stretches over 13,000 miles and is a symbol of China’s rich history.

Why was it built?

The Great Wall was built primarily for defense. Chinese emperors wanted to protect their lands from invasions, especially from the northern tribes.

Construction

Building the Great Wall was a massive task. Millions of workers used local materials like stone, wood, and earth to construct it.

Significance Today

Today, the Great Wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It attracts millions of tourists and is a symbol of Chinese ingenuity and resilience.

250 Words Essay on Great Wall of China

The great wall of china: an architectural marvel.

The Great Wall of China, an enduring symbol of human tenacity, represents a pinnacle of ancient defensive architecture. Its construction, spanning several dynasties, is a testament to the strategic foresight and engineering prowess of its builders.

Historical Significance

The Wall was primarily built to protect the Chinese empire from northern invasions. It served as a physical barrier, but also a psychological deterrent, showcasing the might of the empire. The Wall’s historical significance is further underscored by its role in trade regulation, as it facilitated the Silk Road commerce.

Architectural Ingenuity

The Wall’s architectural ingenuity is evident in its adaptation to the diverse topography of China. It traverses rugged mountains, vast deserts, and dense forests, demonstrating the builders’ advanced understanding of engineering and construction techniques. The beacon towers, an integral part of the Wall, served as communication hubs, illustrating a sophisticated early warning system.

Cultural Symbolism

Over time, the Great Wall has transcended its original purpose, becoming a symbol of national identity and unity. It embodies the spirit of perseverance and resilience, qualities that are deeply ingrained in Chinese culture.

Preservation and Challenges

Despite its robust construction, the Wall faces preservation challenges due to natural erosion and human activities. Its preservation is crucial not only for historical reasons but also for its value as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a major tourist attraction.

500 Words Essay on Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China, a monumental feat of ancient defensive architecture, stands as a testament to human ingenuity and resilience. Its construction spans several dynasties, reflecting the evolution of architectural techniques and strategic thinking over the centuries.

Historical Overview

The origins of the Great Wall can be traced back to the 7th century BC. During this period, separate walls were constructed by different states to protect their territories from invasions. It was Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China, who initiated the project of joining these walls into a unified defense system in the 3rd century BC. The Wall underwent several enhancements and extensions under different dynasties, notably the Han, the Northern Qi, and the Ming.

Architectural Marvel

Symbolic significance.

Beyond its practical military purpose, the Great Wall has a profound symbolic significance. It embodies the Chinese people’s spirit of perseverance and their ability to unite for a common cause. The Wall stands as a symbol of national identity and cultural heritage, reflecting the civilization’s rich history and its enduring strength.

Modern Relevance

Today, the Great Wall serves as a major tourist attraction, offering insights into China’s past and its architectural prowess. However, it is also facing challenges due to natural erosion and human activities. Conservation efforts are underway to preserve this iconic structure for future generations.

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essay on great wall of china in english 100 words

essay on great wall of china in english 100 words

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Great Wall of China

By: History.com Editors

Updated: April 18, 2024 | Original: August 24, 2010

Cityscapes Of Beijing - The Great WallBEIJING - DECEMBER 03: A general view of the Great Wall on December 3, 2006 in Beijing, China. Beijing will be the host city for 2008 Summer Olympic Games. (Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images)

The Great Wall of China is an ancient series of walls and fortifications, totaling more than 13,000 miles in length, located in northern China. Perhaps the most recognizable symbol of China and its long and vivid history, the Great Wall was originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty. Though the Great Wall never effectively prevented invaders from entering China, it came to function as a powerful symbol of Chinese civilization’s enduring strength.

Qin Dynasty Construction

Though the beginning of the Great Wall of China can be traced to the fifth century B.C., many of the fortifications included in the wall date from hundreds of years earlier, when China was divided into a number of individual kingdoms during the so-called Warring States Period.

Around 220 B.C., Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China under the Qin Dynasty , ordered that earlier fortifications between states be removed and a number of existing walls along the northern border be joined into a single system that would extend for more than 10,000 li (a li is about one-third of a mile) and protect China against attacks from the north.

Construction of the “Wan Li Chang Cheng,” or 10,000-Li-Long Wall, was one of the most ambitious building projects ever undertaken by any civilization. The famous Chinese general Meng Tian initially directed the project, and was said to have used a massive army of soldiers, convicts and commoners as workers.

Made mostly of earth and stone, the wall stretched from the China Sea port of Shanhaiguan over 3,000 miles west into Gansu province. In some strategic areas, sections of the wall overlapped for maximum security (including the Badaling stretch, north of Beijing, that was later restored during the Ming Dynasty ).

From a base of 15 to 50 feet, the Great Wall rose some 15-30 feet high and was topped by ramparts 12 feet or higher; guard towers were distributed at intervals along it.

Did you know? When Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered construction of the Great Wall around 221 B.C., the labor force that built the wall was made up largely of soldiers and convicts. It is said that as many as 400,000 people died during the wall's construction; many of these workers were buried within the wall itself.

Great Wall of China Through the Centuries

With the death of Qin Shi Huang and the fall of the Qin Dynasty, much of the Great Wall fell into disrepair. After the fall of the later Han Dynasty , a series of frontier tribes seized control in northern China. The most powerful of these was the Northern Wei Dynasty, which repaired and extended the existing wall to defend against attacks from other tribes.

The Bei Qi kingdom (550–577) built or repaired more than 900 miles of wall, and the short-lived but effective Sui Dynasty (581–618) repaired and extended the Great Wall of China a number of times.

With the fall of the Sui and the rise of the Tang Dynasty , the Great Wall lost its importance as a fortification, as China had defeated the Tujue tribe to the north and expanded past the original frontier protected by the wall.

During the Song Dynasty, the Chinese were forced to withdraw under threat from the Liao and Jin peoples to the north, who took over many areas on both sides of the Great Wall. The powerful Yuan (Mongol) Dynasty (circa 1271-1368), established by Genghis Khan , eventually controlled all of China, parts of Asia and sections of Europe.

Though the Great Wall held little importance for the Mongols as a military fortification, soldiers were assigned to man the wall in order to protect merchants and caravans traveling along the lucrative Silk Road trade routes established during this period.

Wall Building During the Ming Dynasty

Despite its long history, the Great Wall of China as it is exists today was constructed mainly during the mighty Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Like the Mongols, the early Ming rulers had little interest in building border fortifications, and wall building was limited before the late 15th century. In 1421, the Ming emperor Yongle proclaimed China’s new capital, Beijing, on the site of the former Mongol city of Dadu.

Under the strong hand of the Ming rulers, Chinese culture flourished, and the period saw an immense amount of construction in addition to the Great Wall, including bridges, temples and pagodas.

Construction on the most extensive and best-preserved section of the Great Wall began around 1474. After an initial phase of territorial expansion, Ming rulers took a largely defensive stance, and their reformation and extension of the Great Wall was key to this strategy.

The Ming wall extended from the Yalu River in Liaoning Province to the eastern bank of the Taolai River in Gansu Province, and winded its way from east to west through today’s Liaoning, Hebei, Tianjin, Beijing, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia and Gansu.

Starting west of Juyong Pass, the Great Wall was split into south and north lines, respectively named the Inner and Outer Walls. Strategic “passes” (i.e., fortresses) and gates were placed along the wall; the Juyong, Daoma and Zijing passes, closest to Beijing, were named the Three Inner Passes, while further west were Yanmen, Ningwu and Piantou, the Three Outer Passes.

All six passes were heavily garrisoned during the Ming period and considered vital to the defense of the capital.

Significance of the Great Wall of China

In the mid-17th century, the Manchus from central and southern Manchuria broke through the Great Wall and encroached on Beijing, eventually forcing the fall of the Ming Dynasty and beginning of the Qing Dynasty.

Between the 18th and 20th centuries, the Great Wall emerged as the most common emblem of China for the Western world, and a symbol both physical—as a manifestation of Chinese strength—and a psychological representation of the barrier maintained by the Chinese state to repel foreign influences and exert control over its citizens.

Today, the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in human history. In 1987, UNESCO designated the Great Wall a World Heritage site, and a popular claim emerged in the 20th century that it is the only manmade structure visible from space ( NASA has since refuted this claim ).

Over the years, roadways have been cut through the wall in various points, and many sections have deteriorated after centuries of neglect. The best-known section of the Great Wall of China—Badaling, located 43 miles (70 km) northwest of Beijing—was rebuilt in the late 1950s, and attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists every day.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

The great wall of china.

The Great Wall of China was built over centuries by China’s emperors to protect their territory. Today, it stretches for thousands of miles along China’s historic northern border.

Anthropology, Geography, Human Geography, Social Studies, Ancient Civilizations, World History

The Great Wall of China is one of the most notorious structures in the entire world. The Jinshanling section in Hebei Province, China, pictured here, is only a small part of the wall that stretches over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).

Photograph by Hung Chung Chih

The Great Wall of China is one of the most notorious structures in the entire world. The Jinshanling section in Hebei Province, China, pictured here, is only a small part of the wall that stretches over 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles).

The one thing most people “know” about the Great Wall of China—that it is one of the only man-made structures visible from space—is not actually true. Since the wall looks a lot like the stone and soil that surround it, it is difficult to discern with the human eye even from low Earth orbit, and is difficult to make out in most orbital photos . However, this does not detract from the wonder of this astounding ancient structure.

For millennia, Chinese leaders instituted wall-building projects to protect the land from northern, nomadic invaders. One surviving section of such an ancient wall, in the Shandong province, is made of hard-packed soil called “ rammed earth ” and is estimated to be 2,500 years old. For centuries during the Warring States Period, before China was unified into one nation, such walls defended the borders.

Around 220 B.C.E., Qin Shi Huang, also called the First Emperor , united China. He masterminded the process of uniting the existing walls into one. At that time, rammed earth and wood made up most of the wall. Emperor after emperor strengthened and extended the wall, often with the aim of keeping out the northern invaders. In some places, the wall was constructed of brick. Elsewhere, quarried granite or even marble blocks were used. The wall was continuously brought up to date as building techniques advanced.

Zhu Yuanzhang, who became the Hongwu Emperor , took power in 1368 C.E. He founded the Ming Dynasty , famous for its achievements in the arts of ceramics and painting. The Ming emperors improved the wall with watchtowers and platforms. Most of the familiar images of the wall show Ming-era construction in the stone. Depending on how the wall is measured, it stretches somewhere between 4,000 and 5,500 kilometers (2,500 and 3,400 miles).

In the 17th century, the Manchu emperors extended Chinese rule into Inner Mongolia, making the wall less important as a defense. However, it has retained its importance as a symbol of Chinese identity and culture . Countless visitors view the wall every year. It may not be clearly visible from space, but it is considered “an absolute masterpiece” here on Earth.

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China is the largest country in Asia and the world’s most populous nation. It also has one of the world’s oldest and continuous civilizations. The Chinese have occupied their vast territory for thousands of years and China has numerous achievements in a variety of disciplines. The country has produced many great thinkers and philosophers, and numerous artists and inventors from China have introduced creations that have changed perhaps billions of lives. Some of these creations include the compass, gunpowder, paper, printing, porcelain, and silk. But perhaps the most well-known and recognized symbol of China is the Great Wall .

The Great Wall, or Chang Cheng in Chinese, is massive. It begins in the east at the Yellow Sea, travels near China’s capital, Beijing, and continues west through numerous provinces. For thousands of miles, it winds like a snake through China’s varied terrain. Smaller walls extend from the main wall. According to conservative estimates, the Great Wall’s length is approximately 2,400 miles, its thickness ranges from 15-30 feet wide, and it reaches in height to about 25 feet. For many centuries, the Great Wall has been considered one of the world’s wonders (Turnbull & Noon, 2007).

Although it is often mistakenly thought of as a single wall, the Great Wall is a series of walls that were constructed, reconstructed, and expanded over several centuries and, depending on the location, having different materials. The massive construction project was the idea of China’s first emperor, Shi Huangdi, who ended more than 250 years of regional fighting between several independent states, and united China. Once in control, Shi Huangdi wanted to maintain his power and position. The idea to create a massive wall along the northern border of the country was conceived by the emperor to bar assailants from kingdoms to the north of China. The construction of the Great Wall continued long after the reign of Shi Huangdi, particularly during the Han and the Ming dynasties. During these periods, features such as watch towers, gates, and garrisons were added or enhanced, and the Great Wall’s design was unified (Marsh, 2006).

The Great Wall is of great significance, as it reflects much of China’s extensive history. The Great Wall helped define the empire and mark a boundary between the Chinese and foreigners. The great emperor, Shi Huangdi, wanted to keep the Chinese people together and at the same time isolate foreigners, especially those to the north (Sterling, 2009). The Great Wall survives today, more than 2,000 years after its initial construction. It attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world each day, being one of the most toured and significant monuments in the world. This has helped boost China’s economy through tourism and foreign exchange (Collins, Staton & Milgrom, 2010).

The Great Wall is undeniably one of humankind’s most prominent and enduring architectural feats. It is a testament to a people’s ability to plan, organize, create, and work diligently together. The wall is a monument to Chinese civilization, one that came at great costs and through countless sacrifices.

References Collins, T., Staton, J., & Milgrom, A. (2010). Building the Great Wall of China: An Isabel Soto History Adventure . Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

Marsh, C. (2006). The Mystery on the Great Wall of China . Peachtree City, GA: Gallopade International.

Sterling, B. L. (2009). Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? What History Teaches Us about Strategic Barriers and International Security . Washington, D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

Turnbull, S. R., & Noon, S. (2007). The Great Wall of China, 221 BC-AD 1644 . Oxford, UK: Osprey Pub.

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The History of the Great Wall of China Term Paper

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Introduction

Ramparts, barracks and crenellations.

The Great Wall spreads out from Liaoning Province through Hebei Province, Tianjin Municipality, Beijing Municipality, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi Province, Shaanxi Province, and Nigxia Autonomous region to Shanxi Province. Michaud, R (2001). The Great Wall of China stands as the longest fortified manmade structure ever constructed in the history of humanity. Michaud, R (2001). The wall that stretches beyond 4,600 miles was erected objectively for defence reasons, it was perceived as the only stratagem that could put the northern invaders at bay. Although its now cashing in greatly in the tourism domain. The was built in succession by the ruling hegemony of the time. Hundreds of thousands of laborers were involved in the construction of this wall. Michaud, R (2001).

Qin Dynasty

The genesis of the construction of the great wall began in 214 BC under the auspices of the Qin dynasty. His regime commissioned for the erection of the fortified wall immediately after he had achieved unifying China. Michaud, R (2001). During the first four years, more than 800,000-labor force were involved in the development process. Despite the fact that the wall achieved in resisting raiders it did not solve the internal wrangles. The internal implosion worsened precipitating a regime change in 206 BC. Michaud, R (2001).

Han Dynasty

The Han Dynasty progressively took over leadership and also enhanced the construction of the same wall after having noted the impeccable imperatives. The wall was spread far and beyond Zhaoxinag, Gansu Province. Lovell, J. (2006). The Han Dynasty engaged in a fearful warfare with raiders for a period of 60 years, owing to the conditions of the wall that was breached by the raiders. By 130 BC, an emperor known as Wudi of the Han Dynasty resumed on a program of extending, rebuilding and fortifying the original wall concept. Lovell, J. (2006). Immediately after this changes were evident the emperor ordered for the expansion of the second great wall, outposts in Zhangye, Wuwei, Jiuquan, Dunhuang and Yumenguan in the Guansu province and Lopnor and other Xinjiang Province. The great wall was extended down the Hexi Corridor through which Silk Road traders would travel on the way to and from west. Michaud, R (2001).

No sooner than later the Han Dynasty fell apart into the three kingdoms of the Wei, Shu and Wu, the northern Wei kingdom decided to enhance maintaining the Great Wall to facilitate a defense cordon against Rouran and Oidan nomads from the northern plains. Lovell, J. (2006). Despite constant maintenance, the Rouran nomads kept breaching the wall. By 618AD the Wei kingdom fused by the Sui kingdom hence overthrowing the Tang Dynasty. Michaud, R (2001). By 1115, the founded Jin Dynasty commandeered and propelled for the construction of the Third Great Wall that incorporated ditches that ran parallel to the wall, this was precisely in the Heilongjing Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Lovell, J. (2006).

Yuan Dynasty

Despite the impressive fortifications built, the Mongols overthrew the Jin in 1276 and established the Yuan Dynasty. During the Yuan dynasties rule, the Wall fell into deep disrepair and in 1368, the Chinese Ming Dynasty walked right in and took control. Lovell, J. (2006). Years later the Ming empire re-establised the manning of the Great Wall, they made this much strategic by building garrisons and fortresses a long the wall. Lovell, J. (2006). By 1372 they put up a fort at Jiayuguan. The second Ming emperor, Yongle, turned his concentration on the outward world where he turned delegated explorers into navigating the external world. Lovell, J. (2006). The Tumu warfare against the Mongols, however rejuvenated the fortification of the wall between 1569 through to 1583, the most well known parts of the Great Wall were built, the Fourth Great Wall. This fortified wall was used to repel the Mongols myriad times. Lovell, J. (2006).

During the Qing Dynasty, that took leadership in 1644 under the leadership of emperor Manchu. This era marked the beginning of the deteriorating wall, where stones were lifted and used in some other places. Markus, F (2006). This hegemony was geared to the complete destruction of the wall. However it was until towards the end of 20 th century, in 1984 that the then President Deng Xiaoping embarked on a relentless move to protect and refurbish the project of the great wall. Lovell, J. (2006). The UNESCO declared some parts of the Great Wall in the capital city of Beijing a global Cultural heritage site. The Great Wall of China can be visited at many places along its length of several thousand kilometers. Its condition ranges from excellent to ruined and access from straightforward to quite difficult. Markus, F (2006).

If their claim holds true, the Great Wall is over 400 years older than previously thought. Before the announcement, the first official work on the wall generally was attributed to Emperor Shi Huangdi of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). Markus, F (2006). It is evident that this longest Great Wall is visible from space, constructed entirely by hand, with most sections in bricks and stones, the great wall winds through mountainous regions and borders through the desert regions. Michaud, R (2001). The Chu kingdom that lived in 1100-223 B.C is believed to have been the founders of the great wall. During the reign of the Chu era, the Chinese were subdivided into small groups that waged wars against each other. The territorial uncertainties might have contributed towards the creation of this Great wall. Markus, F (2006).

The government has relentlessly touted proactive measures that will ensure the protection of the historical site. It has been viewed a major tourist attraction, besides beacon towers have sprung up along the Kongque River, pass through Wulei, the site of the Prefecture government of the western region during the Han Dynasty. Markus, F (2006).

Ming Dynasty

During and Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Great Wall was enlarged to 6,400 kilometres (4,000 miles) and renovated over a 200 year period with watch towers and cannons added. The Great Wall was key to protecting agriculture and resisting cavalry of the Uns and other warrior tribes from the north. Waldron.A. (2002). The Ming dynasty bricks were produced in Kilns set up along the wall. The Ming Dynasty revived the concept of the Great Wall in regard to Ming army’s defeat by the Oirats in the Battle of Tumu in 1449. After the Ming empire sensed their inadequacy to dominate the Mongols in warfare, they opted to adopt a fortified wall down the northern boarder. The walls however had to follow the southern edge to deviate form the fierce Mongols.

Waldron.A. (2002). The Ming embarked on a very strong construction by embedding stones and bricks. With enormous and persistent raids paused by the Mongols the Ming empire enhanced resources to maintain the refurbishing of the wall. Unlike the earlier Qin fortifications, the Ming construction was stronger and more elaborate due to the use of bricks and stone instead of rammed earth. As Mongol raids continued periodically over the years, the Ming devoted considerable resources to repair and reinforce the walls. Sections near the Ming capital of Beijing were especially strong. Accordingly, stones cut in rectangular shapes were employed for the basement, inner and outer brims, and gateways of the wall. Battlements line the uppermost portion of the vast majority of the wall, with defensive gaps a little over 30 cm (one foot) tall, and about 23 cm (9 inches) wide. Waldron.A. (2002).

The great wall incorporated rampart after ever 120 meters, this were mainly constructed to offer defense against enemies who could otherwise climb up the wall. Each rampart had a sentry structure in which the soldiers could protect the entire wall without being vulnerable to he enemies attacks. Numerous crenellations were also designed in the entire wall to allow soldiers in overlooking and shooting the enemies. Waldron.A. (2002). Since the Precambrian had no audacity to penetrating the walls; the only alternative for the enemy’s entry was to attack the city gates. This is the reason why intricate gate frameworks were constructed within the wall. In Xian, the city wall includes fours gates and they respectively named as Changle (meaning eternal joy) in the east, Anding (harmony peace) in west, Yongning (eternal peace) in the south and Anyuan (forever harmony) in the north. Thomas B. (1992).

  • Thomas B. (1992) The Perilous Frontier: Nomadic Empires and China:
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  • Lovell, J. (2006). The Great Wall: China against the World. 1000 BC – 2000 AD. London: Atlantic Books; Sydney, Australia.
  • Michaud, R (2001). The Great Wall of China. Abbeville Press.
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IvyPanda. (2021, September 6). The History of the Great Wall of China. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-history-of-the-great-wall-of-china/

"The History of the Great Wall of China." IvyPanda , 6 Sept. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-history-of-the-great-wall-of-china/.

IvyPanda . (2021) 'The History of the Great Wall of China'. 6 September.

IvyPanda . 2021. "The History of the Great Wall of China." September 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-history-of-the-great-wall-of-china/.

1. IvyPanda . "The History of the Great Wall of China." September 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-history-of-the-great-wall-of-china/.

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IvyPanda . "The History of the Great Wall of China." September 6, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-history-of-the-great-wall-of-china/.

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Short Essay on the Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is the top ten new wonders of the world 2012. Located in China it stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east, to Lop Lake in the west. The entire wall is about 21,000 km long. The main part of the wall is 2,500 miles long and stretches through all sorts of mountains. The wall is thirty feet high and twenty-five feet thick at its base.

The Huns and barbarians had no farming land and they used to entre china and killed and invade the people for food and wealth. The wall was constructed to protect China and its people from Huns and barbarians and also restrict the entry of invaders coming from the Silk Road.

“There in the mist, enormous, majestic, silent and terrible, stood the Great Wall of China. Solitarily, with the indifference of nature herself, it crept up the mountain side and slipped down to the depth of the valley.” – W. Somerset Maugham

The construction of the wall started during the Qin dynasty at 221 BC. The emperor Qin Shih Huang aimed at protecting china from invaders who regularly attacked Chinese farming villages. The Great wall surrounded the central part of China, which was the most important part of China.

It took more than hundred years in completing The Great Wall. The wall started deteriorating with the passage of time because of natural disasters, strong winds dusts and storms. It was constructed again in the 15th century by Emperor Meng Tien.

Many people died during the construction of the wall, people who constructed the wall were treated inhumanly and were not even allowed to take rest during the construction of the wall. It is said that their bodies were sealed inside the Great Wall of China.

There are many stories related to the people who constructed the wall. This is the reason Many people feels that the Great Wall of China did more harm to china than gain because the construction of this wall not only results in deaths of the people, building and it also restricted people to entre China through Silk Road. Silk Road was an important road for traveling and for trading purposes.

The Great Wall of China is an amazing work of mankind of all time.This Wall showcases Chinese expertise, their strength and hard work. It is the only man made structure visible from the outer space to the astronauts.

More than twenty dynasty of china was involved in the construction of the wall.This wall has attracted many tourists from all over the world, every year thousands of people from all age of life young and old, comes to China to see The Great Wall of China.

It is great Chinese symbol. For some it is the symbol of protection as it protected China from the nearby invaders and for some it is a symbol of ancient Chinese history.

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The Great Wall of China, Essay Example

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Japanese Art Ukiyo-E

The ukiyo-e was acknowledged as an artistic style that depicted paintings of the floating world. The ukiyo-e was a style of Japanese art that applied thick wooden blocks in order to demonstrate entertainment, historical occurrences and landscapes. The artwork was in favor in Edo during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Utagawa Hiroshige had been a Japanese artist who specialized in ukiyo-e art. He lived from 1797 – 1858. Hiroshige had been one of the last artists that was able to perpetuate the tradition of Japanese block art. In the Edo era there had been a significant interest in traveling to other lands (Hiroshige 7; Forrer 21).

The concepts of foreign lands enabled Hiroshige to become inspired with his art. The details of Tokyo are still applied in the Japanese block art due to the premise that not much of the landscapes have been modified since the Hiroshige block wood drawings. Artists who included Ivan Bilibin of Russia and Vincent van Gogh were inspired by Hiroshige’s depictions on the block forms. One of the most well-known works that had been created by Hiroshige is the One Hundred different Views of Edo. The depictions of the entertainment rooms were interesting due to the extensive attention to detail that is emphasized in his art. Hiroshige detailed the social distinctions between Japanese women in his block wood art. The geisha were attired in a certain manner and the regular ladies and housewives would be attired in other attire. All of Hiroshige’s art depict peace without aggression (Hiroshige 9; Forrer 25).

Hiroshige demonstrated his ability to paint impressionist paintings with his paintings that depicted thirty six different angles of Mount Fuji. The colors that had been applied by Hiroshige were more vivid than the colors that were applied in art in Europe (Hiroshige 11; Forrer 31). Hiroshige was a master of demonstrating the distinctions of social class in Japan. This is evident in his art work. Hiroshige went to substantial detail in order to ensure that the Geisha engaged in all types of pleasuring activities as a form of making a living and maintaining their social status in Japanese society. Hiroshige went to such detail that he would demonstrated the blush in the facial expression of the Geisha when they were resting or entertaining in one of the entertainment rooms (Hiroshige 7; Forrer 21).

Hiroshige differentiated the women who were geisha from the women who were not geisha by the attire. The women who were mothers and housewives are depicted as having their bow on the back of their dress. The women who are purported to be geisha would have the bow fastened to the front of their dress. In addition, he would show the women who were geisha with more subtle distinctions. These distinctions would include having the robe open slightly. This would infer that the women were engaged in a pleasuring activity. The robe would not be demonstrated wide open, the robe would be opened slightly and flushed with colors of red in order to create an image in the observers’ imagination. Hiroshige demonstrated that the people who were in the privileged classes always dressed with an extensive amount of clothing. The women who were peasants and farmers would attire themselves in less clothing that would have less emphasis on the brightness of the colors.  Hiroshige helped to perpetuate the legacy of Japanese block art (Hiroshige 12; Forrer 26).

Great Wall of China

The architectural wonder that will be explored is the Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China is acknowledged as the Long wall of the ten thousand li. It is one of the defensive fortifications that was constructed in order to defend the middle kingdom of China from the barbarians.

The Great Wall of China was initiated during the Chunqiu period that ranged from 722 – 441 B.C.E. A substantial amount of the Great wall was constructed during the period of the Warring States (453- 221 B.C.E.)(Du Temple 16; O’ Neill 55).

These eras required the building of the Great Wall due to the attribute of being period of extensive struggle between seven Chinese dynasties for the Control of the middle kingdom China. The building of some of the walls can be attributed to the conflicts that were had with the feudal lords. The section of the Great Wall that was constructed in 408 B.C. E. in order to provide defense to the Wei from the Qin. Many of the vestiges which were preserved in central China were built many years before the Great wall. The Yan and the Zhao constructed the Great Wall against the barbarians in the years 300 B.C. E. eighty years later, Qin Shi Huang, the patriarch of the Empire that would endure for ten thousand generations, committed to the endeavor of restoring and creating the connection of the divided sections of the Great Wall which had been constructed in 300 B. C. E (Du Temple 17; O’ Neill 17).

Qin Shi Huang also connected the other parts of the wall that extended from the Lanzhou to the valley of Huanghe. The Great Wall of China was the primary fortification that had been built during that era.  In the reign of the Han dynasty, the Great Wall of China was extended from 3700 miles from the Bohai Sea to Dunhuang. The assault by the Turks, Mongols and Tunguz caused the Great Wall of China to be a necessity in addition to a thing of architectural splendor (Du Temple 18; O’ Neill 44).

Subsequent to the collapse of the Han dynasty, the Great Wall of China entered into a medieval phase. The endeavors of maintenance and construction were stopped and were only performed occasionally. The great wall had a garrison of one hundred and eighty thousand Chinese troops that were stationed on the command depots along the Gansu. Additional work was performed on the Great Wall during the fifth to seventh century A.D. In that era, China had developed such a military force that there had been no longer a need to construct defensive fortifications Du (Temple 16; O’ Neill 55).

This perception continued for almost one thousand years. When the Ming emperors ascended to power and required expelling the Mongols in the era that spanned between (1368 -1644 A.D) the long lost tradition that had been initiated by Qin Shi Huang was reinitiated. In the era of the Ming dynasty, more than three thousand five hundred miles of reinforced walls were built. The stones that were used were extremely fitted. The Great Wall become guarded by twenty five thousand deports and 15, 000 military outposts. The roads that were atop the Great Wall of China caused the movement of troops to be extremely efficient or during the times of peace, the Great wall facilitated the transmission of communication. The Great Wall of China is the only architectural wonder of the world that can be clearly identified from space (Turnbull 5).

Works Cited

Du Temple, Lesley. The Great Wall of China . Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Company, 2002. Print.

Hiroshige, And? & Chris Uhlenbeck. Hiroshige: Shaping the image of Japan . Leiden, Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2008. Print.

Forrer, Mathi. Hiroshige: prints and drawings . Leiden, Netherlands: Prestel, 2011. Print

O’ Neill, Joseph R. The Great Wall of China . Edina, MN: ABDO Publishing Company, 2009. Print.

Turnbull, Stephen. The Great Wall of China 221 BC – AD 1644 . New York, NY: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2007. Print.

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Home / Essay Samples / Culture / Chinese Culture / The Great Wall of China by Ming Dynasty

The Great Wall of China by Ming Dynasty

  • Category: Culture , History
  • Topic: Chinese Culture , Chinese Dynasties , Ming Dynasty

Pages: 2 (698 words)

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  • He defeated the Western Xia to the west, now called The Northwestern Chinese. This caused a threat to Jin but was helpful to The Mongols. 
  • Defeating the enemies that are up north to guarantee that the territory was safe and protected. 
  • He enlisted Jin’s army and this guarded the northwest section of Jin’s Great Wall, making the area a military base, that was used for attacking Jin. 
  • He unsettled the Jin garrison soldiers for his use. 
  • He collected information on Jin’s court from businessmen and representatives. 

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