Another Brick in the Wall
Chinese Merchant with Professor Thump
Tom Gospel and I have both been going to Asia for over 15 years now. When traveling to China on business, there are usually very few days that we can just take off and see the sights. This last trip was different. For the first time in our lives we were able take advantage of being in Beijing for business and to walk on the same bricks that the ancient Chinese warriors protected with fierce determination against the Mongols from the north. The history is rich with ruling emperors and the lineage is as well documented as the bible.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Map_of_the_Great_Wall_of_China.jpg
From wikipedia…
The Great Wall of China (simplified Chinese: 长城; traditional Chinese: 長城; pinyin: Chángchéng; literally "long city/fortress") or (simplified Chinese: 万里长城; traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; pinyin: Wànlǐ Chángchéng; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里)"[1]) is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in northern China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire from Xiongnu attacks during various successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall. One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. Little of that wall remains; the majority of the existing wall were built during the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall stretches from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. The most comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has recently concluded that the entire Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851.8 km (5,500.3 mi). This is made up of 6,259.6 km (3,889.5 mi) of sections of actual wall, 359.7 km (223.5 mi) of trenches and 2,232.5 km (1,387.2 mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers.
Warring Parties
I don’t pretend to be an expert on the subject of the Great Wall, but one thing that is clear is that the borders of China were not always as they are today. One of the reasons that the wall is so diverse is that the borders of defense kept changing throughout the years. In the map below you can see that there are 5 major periods of evolution for the wall, starting with the warring states which were much smaller regions of land. This eventually progressed to the Ming Dynasty which was one of the largest enslavements of the nation's people.
View Larger Map Here...
I bring up this rich history because words cannot describe the feelings of ones feet placed upon these famous bricks. No effort in the history of mankind has been greater than the pursuit of the Chinese Great Wall.
As I walk along these herald fortress trails I can’t help but think about the people previous to me that have traversed this mountainous region. What was their purpose in this great system? Were they a common worker enslaved by the emperor for a lifetime of labor to protect his vast empire? Were they an ancient military leader defending these walls or maybe just the average soldier watching over the fortress from a watchtower? Ones imagination runs rampant as I traverse these steep ascents.
The day was as perfect as it gets for visiting the wall. The temperature was 0 degrees Celsius with fresh snow from the previous days. The air was cool but clear, a rarity these days in this booming economy of China. The cold weather coerced me to buy a fur cap as can be seen, but the weather also kept away many tourist to allow for more intimate pictures of the wall.
Going to the wall has put another checkmark in my bucket list but it has also left me longing to understand more about this magnificent beauty. What is over the next crest of the mountain top? Is it even more magnificent than what is observed. This mammoth assembly of granite, dirt and sweat extends for 5500 miles, but I am told that much of the wall is in disrepair. Vandals throughout the years have torn apart sections of the wall to build their homes and roads for the communities. Wind and rain have eroded sections of the wall where it was made from mud and sand, especially in the Gobi desert. Gansu Providence may no longer have a wall in the next 20 years due to the wind errosion, since it was made primarily of mud. The lookout towers are all but gone and the wall has been reduced from 5 meters to 2 meters in height. Yet again the Great Wall has stood the test of time, in most areas, surviving generations upon generations of dynasties. I am humbled by its presence.
As Tom tries to keep us on schedule to visit the Ming Dynasty Tombs, I have a hard time leaving this great creation, but one thing is for sure, it will not be the last time I visit this fabulous wall. For it has many stories to tell with each one of its bricks.
For more information on the Chinese Dynasties please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dynasties_in_Chinese_history