Premium Essay

The Great Wall of China

In: Other Topics

Submitted By juicedog
Words 939
Pages 4
Frankie Spellman
Mr. Belal
Humanities
7 April 2012

The Ming Dynasty’s Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is one of the most creative pieces of work known to mankind. The construction of the wall began more than two thousand years ago. The construction of the wall was constructed by at least twenty different dynasties. The main purpose of the wall was to stop barbarians from the north from invading China and the Silk roads. The Silk roads were the main ways of traveling and for trading. A combination of many walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Quin Shi Huang. Little of it remains, it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty [“Great Wall Origin of the Great Wall | History.” Great Wall of China, History, Gallery of Pictures, Travel Guide, News, Discovery and Research]. The protective walls across northern China are on a scale that dwarfs every other construction project on earth. The walls travel through all kinds of terrain, beneath the sea, over jagged mountain ranges, and into forgiving deserts. The wall builders faced endless challenges and found ingenious ways to overcome them. The great majority of construction required the workers to haul sand and other supplies on their backs up steep hills for hours on in. The Great Wall is a testament to human achievement that exceeds any accomplishment in the west, including the Egyptian’s ability to build pyramids. The Chinese perfected the art of war and the science of defense. They developed many of the technologies we still use in construction today. If the Great Wall symbolizes anything, it’s the Chinese people determination to survive, at whatever the cost would be [You Tube. You Tube. Web. 07

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Great Wall of China

...government said that they did not need trade or political communication so they concluded the expedition to be a big mistake. Now lets get more in to it. To start off, the voyage took a lot of expenses that couldn’t be regained by the tributes offered to Emperor Yongle. In Document D it states “ Emperor Yongle acquired goods and treasures…yet they did not makeup for the wasteful expenditures of the Middle Kingdom”. Officials or representatives from overseas would frequently return to China with Zheng He’s fleet to offer tributes. Some local leaders did it to avoid military fight; they made sure to pay their respect to the emperor. Tributes are often offerings of money or goods given by a weaker country to a stronger country. Next, Zheng He traveled far and wide and was unable to find new land or establish trade. Zheng He’s voyages only allowed him to explore the sees because he failed to accomplish the main reasons to his mission. He unsuccessfully demonstrated to the world how great the emperor and China was. Zheng He’s fleet consisted of 255 ships with 27,500 men during seven voyages .As a result of Zheng He’s death sea exploration was banned and all records of the voyages were...

Words: 478 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Great Wall Of China Research Paper

...Walls can be a used in a wide variety of ways for example, they can be used to defend an enemy from attacking, they can be used to attack enemies that are near the wall, they can be used to make a border, and more. Everyone can agree that walls can be useful depending on the situation. Although, in some cases walls can actually be harmful for example, they can instigate wars by creating borders that may not be correct, they can be harmful to the environment, and more. In this paper I will be discussing the goals of the Great Wall of China, if they were accomplished, and Trump’s plan to build a wall at the border between the United States and Mexico. Overall the goal of the Great Wall of China was not accomplished. The goal of the Great Wall of China was to defend China from the Mongols (Keenan, Michael). For...

Words: 670 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

The Great Wall of China Painting by William Simpson

...Course: Date: The Great Wall of China painting by William Simpson The Great Wall of China is an extremely significant item of art with exemplary features that would make any artist outstanding if he or she was able to fit extensive elements like color, shape, space and symbolism as show in the wall. One of the main artists who engaged in painting the wall is William Simpson who was from Scotland. Simpson was born in Glasgow in an extremely poor background. Simpson is an extremely unique artist of his time. He was born in 1823 and died in 1899 (Simpson, 2007). Simpson went to school in Perth, where he undertook the formal education. After school, Simpson was employed in a lithographic firm. The first artistic work that Simpson was engaged in is where he was required to develop an image of the Alma that was based on various features that had to be involved in the image. The image was to be used in a lithography work by a London publisher. Simpson was also involved in the artwork for the development of images that represented Colnaghi images, and the fall of Sebastopol. The other image that was drawn by Simpson is the Bombardment of Bomarsund (Simpson, 2007). This is an indication that Simpson was an extremely famous and skilled artist. One of the most distinctive features in any piece of art is color. It is exemplary in the development of an image. One of the major roles of color is to indicate the real representation of a given art work. The Great Wall of China is representation...

Words: 1627 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Comparing The Great Wall Of China And The Hoover Dam

...2) great wall represents china and hoover dam america All countries have symbols or unique history that set them apart. Constructed during the Qin Dynasty, the Great Wall of China’s significance stems from its unique history; the architecture was incredible for its time. Similarly, a powerful symbol in The United States of America represents American ingenuity and is also a amazing architectural feat, the Hoover Dam. Consequently, the Hoover Dam of the United States of America and the Great Wall of China are comparable. Similarly, they are both considered wonders of the world; therefore, they are obviously incredible. Because the Great Wall of China and the Hoover Dam of America were such large projects, they both required lots of manpower....

Words: 588 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

China

...czxmkldjfdskcmdsjkfcnskcnskjcnsc sckscm dkcsdkfcjcnsejcnjThe Great Wall Of China Research Paper Sample The Great Wall of China Research Paper Introduction The Great Wall of China is one of the greatest historical monuments that people inherited from the ancient epoch. Some elements of the Great Wall of China, built hundreds of years ago, still exist and attract millions of tourists. The question concerning the reasons for the creation such a huge construction still remains unanswered. Nowadays, it is only possible to suggest different theories and presuppositions concerning the creation of the Great Wall, but it is very difficult to give a definite answer to the question of the reasons for its creation. However, specialists (Waldron and Barfield) agree that the construction of the Great Wall of China was particularly intensive during the Ming dynasty and they emphasize that the Wall did not really had its strategic defensive significance but they rather indicate to the foreign relationships of China and Mongols as one of the major factor that defined the policy of the Ming court at the epoch. But the positions of Waldron and Barfield, in spite of seeming similarities, differ consistently since Thomas Barfield rather gives us a model for the long-term trends, history is actually made in real time, by specific persons with specific arguments. Only Arthur Waldron’s detailed picture of the policy paralysis at the Ming court offers a convincing case of why the Great Wall of China was built. Waldron’s view on...

Words: 1934 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Great Wall Dbq

...5Great Wall Essay The Great Wall had some flaws while it was being built but over all it was an awesome creation.It had a bunch of flaws but at the end it came out being a great structure.”It is better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.”~Rachel Kristensen There were some rough times to the Great Wall but in the end it was all worth it.In this situation, the benefits outweighed the costs.The Great Wall protected China and stopped invasions also linked China's trade with the West. A reason, why the benefits outweighed the cost is because, the Great Wall protected China from invaders.This stopped invaders from coming through China.This protected China from anyone who wanted to invade China and go on war.The Great Wall also stopped all xionghn invasions.The...

Words: 455 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Gret Wall of China

...A place I would like to go is the Great Wall of China. It is a bunch of walls lined up that was originally built to protect northern china from the Chinese Empire. There is no specific location to where it’s located, except that it was built towards the west side of China. It was built in the 7th century B.C. However, in the past 2,000 years, it has been rebuilt and modified and also extended. It wasn’t really built or designed by a specific person, but the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty overlooked the project. The building of the wall was also passed down to the next dynasty so they could finish it off and use more advance materials to renovate it and expand it. All the way back then they didn’t have a lot of technology so the wall was built with local materials like stone and soil. The whole wall represents Chinas history. They only built it to protect themselves, and it worked really well. It is protected today as a cultural thing because a dynasty built it. They didn’t want other people coming into their territory and talking over the religion and what not so they built the Great Wall of China. It is located in China where they speak Chinese. The most popular religion there is Buddhism, which is a religion that has a lot of different traditions and beliefs. I would like to go to the Great Wall of China because I think all the walls look so cool. When I see it in pictures it’s interesting how the walls go up and down all the hills and people can still walk on it today....

Words: 340 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Greek

...Exercise 1 1-a Emblems | Description | Taiji | Tai = great; Ji = pole; Symbolism: * Taoism in China * Symbol of balance in the world * All things contain two sides, the positive and negative | The statue of liberty | Original name: Liberty Enlightening the World, * A gift from France to America * The tallest structure in New York City * A symbol of freedom * Against totalitarian regimes during and after World War II. * Energized campaigns for civil liberties and women's rights * It depicts a woman representing liberty, raising a torch in her right hand and holding a tablet in her left. | Olympics Rings of Fire | Symbolism: * The five interlocking rings represent the five continents brought together by the Olympic Movement, Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania Meanings: * To show the universality of Olympism * White background: translates the idea of the universality of the Olympic Movement. * At least one of the colors of the rings, including the white background, can be found on the flag of every nation in the world." | Marxism | Definition: A system of economic, social, and political philosophy based on ideas that view social change in terms of economic factors. History: * Developed in the 19th century * By two Germans living in London - Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels * Forms the foundation of communism. Aim: * To develop a classless society which governs itself...

Words: 981 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Fences Make Good Neighbors

...is being discussed in Robert Frost’s poem the “Mending Wall.” Having a good fence allows for privacy and is the right of a homeowner. “The central theme of "Mending Wall" is whether it is wise to erect walls and other types of barriers.” not this period (Cummings, 2008).this period is correct An immediate reading seems to suggest that walls or fences are obstacles and if you tear them down you can open up the door to friendship, unity, and better communication. Nevertheless, the one neighbor insists that “good fences make good neighbors.” same here (Davis and Lynn, 2006, p. 82). The destruction of the Berlin Wall in 1989 demonstrates the point that Frost is trying to make that walls or barriers are obstacles. The Berlin Wall, which had divided Berlin since 1961, "fell" on November 9. For almost 30 years, the Wall and the heavily fortified border between East and West Germany kept East Germans as prisoners in their own country, tore families apart, and caused many deaths when East Germans were shot trying to flee. I am not going continue to correct them as you get the point by now. (McGill, 2009, p. 1-2). The original Berlin Wall was a collection of wire and loose cinder blocks; however, over the years, turned out to become a concrete barrier that stood fifteen feet high. There were sections of the wall that included watchtowers, electric fences, and automatic guns. In addition, there was a smaller wall that enclosed West Berlin completely which kept all of...

Words: 2582 - Pages: 11

Free Essay

On Origins

...man, its name The Great Wall of China. As early as the Qin Dynasty we see these tamped- earth structures representing a defensive fortification for the people of China. Since then, future generations have altered the Wall’s image, both physically and ideologically, through the cultural interplay between material reconstruction and historical reinvention. It is this process that Carlos Rojas believes most significantly defines the Wall’s identity, and is directly responsible for the preservation of the physical structure itself. Carlos Rojas suggests that it is important to consider the historical context of the Wall to appreciate its various meaning throughout history. He refers to the different Chinese anniversaries being commemorated, in which they all helped to shape the culture, society, and politics of modern China. At the same, the different ways in which the anniversaries are observed demonstrates the role of contemporary concerns in shaping a vision of the past. Over many generations, ideas are developed about forming the wall, in that different representations of the Wall add to the body of tradition, in which it allows for its historical longevity. Rojan states, the way that the Wall is commonly perceived today is largely influenced by recent attempts to preserve it and assert its status as a national symbol, it is through this historical continuity that there is this process of reinvention of the Wall. In various countries around the world new walls are being built...

Words: 616 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Emperor Qin Shi Huang

...Emperor Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor of what would come to be known in the Western world as China. He unified the warring states of China and kept them together by means of a centralized bureaucracy and a standardized and codified law system. In his 35-year reign, he managed to create magnificent and enormous construction projects such as the Great Wall of China and the Terracotta Army. He standardized all weights and measures used in China, and it was during his reign that the Chinese system of written characters became used throughout the land. Today’s Chinese characters are written differently, but are direct descendants of those used during Qin Shi Huang’s reign. Despite his good intentions in unifying China, he did many things that were deemed ruthless. With Li Si’s advice, he banning and burning of many books and the execution of recalcitrant scholars. At the same time, many slaves were sacrificed during the construction of the Great Wall of China. Many scholars have argued that Emperor Qin Shi Huang was a brutal Emperor and disregard his contributions to China. However, his contributions far surpassed his unmerciful action. Therefore, Emperor Qin Shi Huang was the one of the greatest reformer and pioneer in China history and left behind many legacies that has made China what it is today. Emperor Qin named himself “Qin Shi Huangdi,” which means the first great emperor of China. "Qin was for his original states, 'Shi' means first, and 'Huangdi' was a new compound word that...

Words: 1564 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

English 315

...China’s Great Wall Name: Institution: Course: Date due: Purpose of the Great Wall of China There are various reasons why the great wall was constructed. One of them was for security. That is because it was built with the aim of protecting the empire of the Chinese people from the war like communities and the Mongolians (Webster, 2008). Beacons towers, forts, and passes were also build and they were used to store foods for the military and they were also used as a means of spreading military information thus making them always alert. The wall also helped in the development of infrastructure and economic activities. That is because it helped in protecting culture progress and economic development. Challenges faced when building the great wall The constructors of the wall went through many challenges. One of the challenges is that it led to the deaths of very many people. That is because the work was very tedious and it did not allow them to rest and as a result some people were not strong enough to carry one thus they died. Another challenge is the foreign attacks (DuTemple, 2003). The attacks made the work to be challenging and slow since the constructors were always afraid of being attacked. They also got to live in fear since most of the times they were attacked when they least expected. The attacks, therefore, led to the deaths of very many people and at times some people were left with great injuries or even crippled. It, therefore, discouraged them...

Words: 322 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

English

...NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC READING EXPEDITIONS Civilizations Past to Present CHINA KEVIN SUPPLES INTRODUCTION I magine living in the oldest civilization in the world. You could have been the first person to walk along the Great Wall or to use paper money. You wouldn’t get lost if you had the latest invention, a compass. And for good luck, you would be wearing red. These are just some of the things that you could have done in ancient China. The Chinese created many wonderful works of art. They invented many things that we still use. Today, people have found art and writings that tell us about ancient China. They have even found a huge army that the Chinese made from clay. This clay army was buried underground for thousands of years! Let’s take a look at the Chinese people and their history. There is a lot to learn about them. CHINA: THEN AND NOW C hina is in East Asia. The Chinese word for China is Zhongguo. This name means “middle country.” In English, the country’s official name is the People’s Republic of China. China’s capital is Beijing. The official language of the country is Mandarin. People in different part of China speak different languages and dialects. Putonghua, the common speech of Chinese language, is the standard Chinese pronunciation. China has many kinds of landforms. In the west there are tall, snow-covered mountains. Among them is the tallest mountain...

Words: 2842 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

First Empire of China

...King Zheng first Emperor of China is considered the most powerful and successful leader in his time. Zheng was a successful leader as he not only unified all 6 warring states but then further developed a lasting government and legal system, gained control over a powerful army, introduced a new coinage system, establishing social cohesion, developed a building program and a consistent system of transport which all contributed to his lasting legacy. King Zheng established a unified China with one ruler, the Emperor, regarded as the sole divine power. He accomplished this by using his army to overtake all the other six states he did this by taking over the neighbouring Han State, which already had a political organisation and combined their armies with his giving him enough power to conquer all other states. He then made himself the ‘sole divine leader.’ After he accomplished this he established a system of government among the seven states none of which had any more power than him. He was the sole leader of his and the other six states, which were ruled by six governors or ministers and under them were six lower leaders of their own individual sections. He established this and form of government to gain full control over all people of China. Each set family would spy on one another and report back to the Emperor, thus giving King Zheng control of all aspects of life.  An example of this occurs in the movie/documentary ‘The first Emperor of China’ where a spy uncovers plans his...

Words: 1779 - Pages: 8

Free Essay

Do Fences Make Good Neighbors

...Robert Frost says in “Mending Wall”, “Good fences make good neighbors.”(27), which implies exactly what it’s saying, a fence between two people will keep them in good terms. Although it talks about fences between neighbors, it can go into a further context, such as a mental barrier between two friends or a wall between nations. The reason a barrier or wall between two people is good for them is because it helps keep conflicting ideas and beliefs separate and makes lives easier. Fences do make good neighbors because of different outcomes it can help achieve. A mental barrier between two people is healthy in any type of relationship for various reasons. In Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall” he says, “We keep the wall between us as we go / To each the boulders that have fallen to each” (15-16). It may be that the first line gives the thought that wherever two people go, there will always be a wall between them, keeping each other’s ideas separate, but keeping them, as people, together. “Boulders” may symbolize heavy events that have happened to a pair that caused the wall between them to strengthen and help them achieve greater things further in life. The poem also reads, “Before I built a wall I’d ask to know / What I was walling in or walling out,” (33-34). This can symbolically represent the struggle that people often face when they do not know what problems persist between themselves and another person. It is possible for someone to just put up a wall between them and someone else...

Words: 728 - Pages: 3