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2. History of the Pre-Great Wall 3. Satellite Picture of the Great Wall
This section discusses how the Great Wall was built in different times. Unfortunately, we do not have information on all of the States or Dynasties since little archeological research has been conducted on the Great Wall. A. Pre-Great Wall During early construction, the Chinese employed a process known as the tempered earth method. Planks were erected on both sides of the wall, earth (t'u) was dumped to fill the void between the planks, and then tightly compacted (hang), layer by layer, with heavy pounders. These layers ranged in thickness from three to twenty centimeters and if cared for correctly, could last a long time. If unattended, however, the walls would quickly deteriorate. B. Great Wall
General Information The Great Wall had a 15-to-50 foot
base, rose 15 to 30 feet to a top of 12-feet or more ramparts, with guard towers placed at
intervals. Great granite blocks, 14 feet long and 3-4 feet thick, face the wall and are
filled with tempered earth. During earlier times, the wall was built to prevent
non-Chinese forces from invading from the north and northwest, which were their
traditional enemy territories. Thus, the emperor's contribution was the construction of
one overall line of defense. Three overlapping layers usually protected areas that were
heavily attacked or were of great importance. Many historians do not consider the early walls listed below to be part of the Great Wall of China. These walls were in fact joined together during the Ch'in dynasty (221-207 B. C.) During this dynasty, the building of a new border defense system, known as Wan Li Chang Cheng (Ten Thousand Li Long Wall) was complete.
Satellite Pictures of the Great Wall All of the pictures were provided by NASA.
Bibliography: 1. Odijk, Pamela, The Ancient World: The Chinese, Englewood Cliffs, Silver Burdett Press, 1989 2. Waterlow, Julia, Looking Into the Past: The Ancient Chinese, New York, Thomson Learning, 1994 3. Blunden, Caroloine; Elvin, Mark, Cultural Atlas of China, New York, Equinox, 1983 4. Meyer, Milton W., China: A Concise History; Second Edition, Revised, USA, Rowman & Littleield Publishers, Inc., 1994 5. Waldron, Arthur, The Great Wall of China: From Histroy to Myth, New York, Cambridge University Press, 1990, |
Nearly everyone has heard of the huge, stone wall known as the Great Wall of
China. The Great Wall of China was built mainly to protect the Chinese Empire from the
Mongolians and other invaders. The Wall has been periodically rebuilt and modified
throughout history by each reigning Chinese dynasty. There are huge discrepancies
regarding the length of the wall. One person had said that the wall was over 3,720 miles,
Richard Nixon said it was 2,484 miles long, while Time magazine favored 1,684 miles.
However, it is known that the Great Wall extends from Kansu, in the west, to the Yellow
Sea, in the east. Ancient records report that at least one million slaves and prisoners of
war were used to create this defensive wall. Many laborers died from exhaustion and
starvation while working on this colossal task, their bodies added to the rubble and
masonry as the quickest means of disposal. For centuries, the Wall was known as "the
longest cemetery in the world." 
At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the layers of
the Great Wall consisted of layers of bundles of twigs, six to twelve inches thick,
alternated with thinner layers of coarse clay or gravel. Unfortunately, this method of
building easily eroded unless it was given great care 
The development of the Great Wall continually shifted to help ward off
attack by the Mongols. The basic idea of wall building was to move from west to east. As
construction of each portion of the wall was completed, the nomads were forced to shift
their point of attack. With every successful section of wall, the Mongols were forced to
redirect their efforts. 
There are three main forts located along the Great Wall. They are:
Chia-yu-kuan in the Far West, Chu-yung-kuan not far from the Chinese capitol (Peking), and
Shan-hai-kuan located at the eastern most end of the wall. The Chia-yu-kuan marked the
Ming boundary at the end of the Kansu corridor. This corridor is a narrow route between
mountains to the south and deserts to the north that had been followed by caravans between
China and Central Asia since ancient times. General Feng Sheng, who settled troops
on the present site, established this fort in 1372. Chu-Yung-kuan is less than forty miles
north of Peking. This fort protects the most convenient pass through the mountains lying
between the capital, the river valleys, and steppe beyond. The military importance of this
pass has been recognized since ancient times. In 1368 General Su Ta established a garrison
in the pass and ordered construction of the fort. The last great fort along the Great Wall
is known as Shan-hai-kuan. This fort is in a strategic location, guarding a coastal strip,
which runs from Manchuria to Korea. Shan-hai-kuan was built along this strip, where the
road starts to narrow. Shan-hai-kuan literally translated means "Mountain-Sea
Barrier." Two hundred and sixty miles east of Peking, this fort is famous for its
large arched gate inscribed "First Pass Under Heaven." A Chinese guard first
established this site in 1381, and actual construction began in 1382. Between 1488 and
1505, 170 walls were built at strategic locations between the pass and Chu-yung-kuan.
During 1449, the military situation in China was deteriorating, leading to a new series of
changes in both administration and in the methods of fortification. In the early years of
the Ming Dynasty, the scattered encampments of the Chinese army had no real leader or
strategic commander. However, during the fifteen century, the situation on the boarder led
to an attempt to make defense stronger and more reliable. 
Towers built along the Great Wall were not used for combat, but as signal
towers to report Mongol sightings or attacks. During the Han Dynasty, fire was used by
night and smoke by day as signals. The Ming signaled with cannon fire, fire and smoke.
Weng Wan-ta was the architect who developed much of the tower defense concept. In addition
to tower and wall modifications, Weng Wan-ta also improved defense in other areas. For
example, he permanently placed a garrison in front of the capitol, not just during the
autumn when raiders attacked the most. He also updated defense procedures from the Han and
Tang dynasties. Due to his modifications, it became much more difficult for the Mongols
and raiders to penetrate China's defenses. 
