Why great wall of china was built

All six passes were heavily garrisoned during the Ming period and considered vital to the defense of the capital. In the midth 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 , UNESCO designated the Great Wall a World Heritage site, and a popular claim that emerged in the 20th century holds that it is the only manmade structure that is visible from space.

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 s, and attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists every day. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present.

Legends claim that the earliest rulers in China were the Xia Dynasty, from to B. The original structure stretched more than 70 miles across the northern English countryside from the River Tyne near the city of Newcastle The official purpose of this Berlin Wall was to But Wall Street is far more than a location—it has been adopted as a term to describe all U.

It has been portrayed The Qin Dynasty established the first empire in China, starting with efforts in B. The empire existed only briefly from to B. During the 21st century B. The Ming Dynasty ruled China from to A.

From then on, princes and overlords from other states began to build walls on their borders, and high mountain watchtowers to defend against invasion, mostly during the Warring States Period — BC. The walls of the three northern states, which eventually formed parts of the first Great Wall, were not built until the 4th century BC:. Hungry for rich farmland, the northern tribes often attacked the Qin Empire. Their land was arid by comparison. The following dynasties — Sui — , Tang — , and Song — — rebuilt, modified, and extended the Great Wall to protect the Chinese Empire from northern invaders.

Today, in some areas, two walls built in two different dynasties can be seen running side by side. In order to consolidate the northern border, after reclaiming China from the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty — , emperors of the Ming Dynasty — never stopped building the Great Wall. The most well-known sections Simatai, Mutianyu, Jinshanling, Badaling, etc. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty — didn't build the Great Wall and even forbade it: they were Manchurians, who the Great Wall was built to keep out!

It's said that when Emperor Kangxi — saw the Great Wall, he reasoned that the era of Great-Wall-building emperors and enmity with northern neighbors was over. Moreover, Great Wall construction cost lots of money and manpower, which was bad for his people. He believed that the only way to protect China was to gain international support, instead of border battles.

It blocked nomadic nations and protected Han people and their territory from invasions in several ways:. There were lots of soldiers stationed in each fortress.

Once one fortress was attacked, the reinforcement could be sent there from nearby fortresses and strategic passes quickly along the wall. In this case, this defense line was further strengthened to protect the people and territory.

In ancient time, the south of the Great Wall, the Central Plain mainly maintained the progressive agricultural economy, while the north of the Great Wall, nomadic nation primarily developed the animal husbandry economy.

In peace time, these two kinds of economy exchanged the daily goods with each other along the Great Wall. The people in the Central Plain sold grain and cloth to the nomadic tribes, while the nomadic tribes exported the horses and animal products like leather and string to the Central Plain along the walls.

Furthermore, it gave the chance to have the cultural exchanges and promote national integration. One example was that when the Tujue army was defeated in the Tang Dynasty - , the emperor ordered those capitulated soldiers lived along the Great Wall and appointed some soldiers as the general.

Gradually, they admitted and accepted the advanced culture of Han nation. This action protected the safety of the Silk Road, which promoted the culture, politics and economy exchange between China and other countries as well. In the history of Great Wall construction, every state and dynasty built the walls as the defensive line to protect their people and territory from other states or northern nomadic tribes.

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