The people who built the Great Wall of China – Part 1

Who Built the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China did not magically appear overnight, nor did it take only a few decades to build. It actually took thousands of years to build this masterpiece at which we marvel today. It was built, repaired and remodeled through several periods of Chinese history. There were several reasons for its construction: To protect the country from the invaders from the North and to unify China.

The different dynasties involved in the building of the Great Wall of China were:

QIN DYNASTY (221-206 B.C.)

The workers building the wall during this dynasty worked tirelessly day and night. The weapons used by the invading armies of the time were mainly arrows, so the wall needed to be high enough that the arrows could not reach over them. The workers, however, did not do this job of their own free will. If they attempted to run away or did not work as hard as the rulers though they should, the punishment they faced was that of being buried alive. In this respect one might say that the wall was built by slave labor. Many workers spend their entire lives working on the wall and it is estimated that about 70% of the population was involved in its construction during this period.

HAN DYNASTY (202 B.C. – 220 A.D.)

During this dynasty the wall was extended more than 300 miles through the Gobi Desert and the previous sections were repaired. Workers used a variety of materials, such as twigs, red willow weeds, sand and water. It was during this dynasty that beacon towers were added every 15-30 miles along the wall to serve as watchtowers to warn on an impending attack.

MING DYNASTY (1368-1644)

Most of the reconstruction of the wall occurred during this time. Miles of walls were added to the existing ones, with this dynasty building more of the wall than any other before it. Heavy bricks made from clay and granite were used in the construction process and cannons were installed in strategic locations. It is estimated that if one took apart the amount of wall built during the Ming Dynasty, the blocks would encircle the world many times over.

Over 3000 people lost their lives in the building of the Great Wall of China. At one point the wall extended over 6000 miles from the Yalu River in Northeast China to Gansu Province in the northwestern part of the country. Today there are between 3000 and 4500 miles of the wall remaining. This is one of the most popular tourist attractions in China with millions of visitors each year. Visitors walk across portions of it and view it as one of the great wonders of the world.