The Great Wall of China is an eponymous collection of fortification that are over 2,700 years old. Unfortunately, only one third of the original landmark lingers. In 1987, the UNSCEO declared it a World Heritage Site.
Around 220 BC, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, who yearned to keep the northern nomadic barbarians at bay, conceived the Wall. At the time, China was unified, so Qin, blessed with an abundance of space, demanded that a wall of 5,400 kilometers be assembled. It was convenient how previous Emperors built many miniature defense systems, meaning there was less exertion demanded. Thus, the most ambitious building enterprise of humankind commenced. Legend speculates that 400,000 workers, consisting of convicts, soldiers, and commoners, died in the construction, their corpses embed within the infrastructure.
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These workers employed mainly earth, wood, stones, sand, and bricks to build, obtaining the resources from local suppliers. Specific edifice methods depended on the construction period as well as the materials available. For example, mountain stones were utilized in mountain ranges and in desserts, builders preferred to layer branches of reeds and red willows with sand. On average, each section was six to seven meters tall and four to five meters wide on the top surface. The latter permitted ten soldiers and horses at a time to survey lower ground and defend their nation.
During certain intervals, workers fabricated barrel drains, which extended a meter out from the Wall. They aimed to prohibit rain erosion.
Each dynasty added different sections to the Wall until 1878. Most of today's remains were constructed between 1368 and 1644 in the Ming dynasty. Eventually, the project was 21,196.18 kilometers long and represented China's strength. Ironically, it never protected the country from invaders.
The Nomadic Mongols were these invaders. Herders by profession, their harsh environment provided the bare minimum to survive. The northerners envied the Chinese, with their fine silk and crops. Despite their low numbers, the Nomads posed as a serious military threat. Equipped with ponies and powerful bows and arrows, they orchestrated effective raids on neighboring borders, regardless of the Wall’s presence. Nevertheless, trade was just as prominent as conflict for which the Wall was a commerce. The Nomads requested metal and textiles in exchange for small horses. However, there was an imbalance in these trade relations: the Chinese could manage without horses, but the Mongols could not forgo food or clothing.
At present, at least fifty million heads flock to the Great Wall of China every year. Time, weather, and the contumelious manner of tourists have dampened the structure greatly, with less than 10% of the Wall now well preserved. To elaborate, tourism often puts pressure on natural resources through over-consumption, often in places where resources are already scarce and erosion weakens materials over time. Yet, the Wall’s popularity has not dimmed and sightseers often report tsunamis of crowds during tours.
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