Great Wall: A ribbon on the Earth

Author: Zheng Boqing, Wei Wei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The Great Wall stretches across the vast northern land of China, starting from Shanhai Pass on the northern coast of Hebei Province in the northeast, passing through towering mountains and deep valleys, crossing Hebei, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, Ningxia, and Gansu provinces, and ending at Juyong Pass in Gansha Province in the west, spanning over 6,000 kilometers. It resembles a giant dragon coiling atop the undulating peaks, majestic and awe-inspiring. It is a great ancient engineering feat of China and a symbol of the Chinese nation, embodying the blood, sweat, and wisdom of our ancestors. With its long history, grand scale, and magnificent spirit, it has been renowned worldwide. It was once celebrated alongside the pyramids of Egypt, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul as one of the wonders of the world. Today, it has been listed by UNESCO as a "World Heritage Site," serving as a key protected cultural heritage of humanity.
The Great Wall was first built during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods in the 5th century BC. In the 3rd century BC, after Qin Shi Huang unified China and sent Meng Tian with a 300,000-strong army to drive out the Xiongnu to the north, the previously segmented walls were connected and further expanded. Subsequent dynasties continuously maintained and expanded it, with construction spanning over two thousand years until the mid-17th century during the late Ming Dynasty. The walls were built according to the terrain, varying in height and width, with additional fortified passes and double or multiple walls constructed in particularly strategic locations for layered defense.
If divided by Shanxi Province, the Great Wall can be divided into eastern and western sections. The inner section walls were entirely built of earth, with unbaked brick walls and relatively low heights. The eastern section walls used earth in the core and bricks or flagstones on the surface, resulting in taller walls. Internally, the walls had arched doors at intervals, with stone stairs leading to the top. The tops of the walls were equipped with brick-built crenellations. Each crenellation had a small hole at the top, serving as a watchhole for observing enemy movements, and a small hole below it, serving as a shooting hole for targeting enemy soldiers.
Along the Great Wall, numerous beacon towers were built for military communication, also known as wolf smoke towers or smoke mounds. Most were constructed on high mountain peaks, some outside the Great Wall as early warning signals, while others were inside. At night, enemy sightings were signaled by fire, called "feng"; during the day, smoldering firewood or wolf dung was burned, called "sui," collectively referred to as "feng sui."
Today, compatriots of all ethnic groups and international friends no longer view the Great Wall merely as a historical relic of its military defense function but also as a symbol of peace, a bond of friendship, and a renowned tourist destination. Badaling, a section of the Great Wall, is one of its most outstanding representatives and a highlight of the Ming Dynasty walls. It was designated as a national key cultural relic protection unit by the State Council as early as 1961. In 1988, Badaling was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site of human cultural heritage. In 1991, it ranked first in the nationwide top forty scenic spots.
Badaling is located in Yanqing County, northern Beijing, over 70 kilometers from the city. A highway cuts through the mountains, allowing a 40-minute drive from Beijing. Here, the Great Wall winds like a giant dragon along the ridges of towering mountains, with beacon towers and watchtowers densely scattered. The walls stand 7.8 meters high and 7.8 meters wide at the top. Visitors can climb the walls to appreciate their grandeur and the scale and difficulty of the engineering.
Standing atop the Great Wall, you can see the walls winding and undulating along the mountains, like an endless dragon rolling over the endless ridges, majestic and spectacular, leaving you in awe. The natural scenery here is also distinctive, with beautiful landscapes in all four seasons. Spring blooms like brocade, summer greens like clouds┄as the road fades red and emerald declines, love for the deep red forests, autumn air clears. And in winter, the snow-covered peaks rise like a jade dragon leaping into spring, with all scenery gathered in this space. Gazing at the passes and mountains, endless emotions of past and present surge, yet one cannot fathom the difference between then and now. The Great Wall is endless in length, two thousand years of history untold; to see all of its past, one must climb as a brave man.