Text | Melly
Editor|Melly
preface
The Great Wall is a tall wall built in ancient China to defend against foreign enemies and is one of the great architectural projects in Chinese history.
The Great Wall began in the Western Zhou Dynasty and reached its largest and most complete state during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The Great Wall is about 21,196 kilometers long and spans a variety of terrains including mountains, plains and deserts in the eastern, northern and western parts of China. The Great Wall is mainly composed of city walls, towers, passes, fortresses and signal towers, etc., the height of the city wall varies from 5 to 10 meters, the thickness is between 4 and 5 meters, and the building materials are stone, loess, bricks, wood, etc.
The construction of the Great Wall took about 2,000 years and has been built by multiple dynasties and dynasties, so the Great Wall has a variety of architectural styles and cultural heritage. The Great Wall has left many traces of history, such as the Great Wall of the State of Qi in the Spring and Autumn Period, the Great Wall of Wanli in the Qin Dynasty, and the Great Wall of Shanhaiguan in the Ming Dynasty.
The Great Wall is one of the important symbols of Chinese culture and one of the important tourist attractions in China, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists every year. The construction technology, scale and historical significance of the Great Wall are all important parts of ancient Chinese architectural culture and are known as a feat in the history of human civilization.
Spring and Autumn Period:
During the Spring and Autumn period, various princely states built walls in order to compete for territory and resources. But most of these walls were only for defense against enemy attacks, and did not serve as a defensive line across the entire country, as did the later Great Wall.
Qin Shi Huang: In 221 BC, Qin Shi Huang unified the six countries and began to build the Great Wall. Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall to prevent the invasion of northern nomads, strengthen centralized control, and unify the country's borders. The Great Wall built by Qin Shi Huang, known as the "Great Wall of Ten Thousand Miles", is mainly distributed in today's Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi and other places. The Great Wall built by Qin Shi Huang has been widely inherited and carried forward in later generations.
Emperor:
Emperor Wudi of Han was a great emperor in Chinese history, and he also built the Great Wall during his reign. Emperor Wudi of Han built the Great Wall to defend the frontiers and the Silk Road, as well as to strengthen a deterrent against nomads. The Great Wall built by Emperor Wudi of Han was mainly distributed in today's Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi and other places.
Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei:
Emperor Xiaowen of Northern Wei began building a Great Wall in 496 AD to protect the north from the Xiongnu and other nomads. This Great Wall is located in today's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and is known as the "Great Wall of Northern Wei".
Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang: The Ming Dynasty is one of the dynasties that built the most Great Wall in Chinese history. The total length of the Great Wall built by the Ming Dynasty is about 8851.8 kilometers. The main purpose of the construction of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty was to prevent the invasion of nomads such as Mongolia and Manchuria. The Ming Dynasty's construction of the Great Wall was very large-scale, which further improved and carried forward the Great Wall.
Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty:
The Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty also built the Great Wall during his reign, and his Great Wall was built along today's border line to protect against foreign invasions. Known as the "Great Wall of the Qing Dynasty", this Great Wall is one of the best-preserved Great Walls in China.
In general, the construction of the Great Wall was a long process, lasting several dynasties and generations. These Great Walls are not only a barrier, but also a symbol of the wisdom and courage of the Chinese nation.
The contributions of these emperors to the Chinese nation are very important, and the following are their main contributions: Qin Shi Huang: Qin Shi Huang was the first emperor in Chinese history to unify the whole country, and during his unification war, he not only implemented a series of political, economic and cultural reforms, but more importantly, his contribution to the construction of the Great Wall.
Qin Shi Huang not only vigorously built the Great Wall, but also set up border cities and passes on it, effectively defending against the invasion of ethnic minorities in the north and maintaining the security and stability of the country. At the same time, while promoting the "Legalist" ideology, Qin Shi Huang also vigorously developed agriculture and handicrafts, which promoted economic development.
Emperor:
Emperor Wudi of Han was the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty of China, and during his reign, he ushered in the era of "Reign of Wenjing" and introduced a series of political and cultural reforms. In building the Great Wall, he greatly strengthened the defense capabilities of the original Great Wall and also created a new strategic defense system to make China's frontiers more secure and stable. In addition, Emperor Wudi of Han also implemented many educational and cultural policies, cultivated a large number of outstanding scholars and cultural figures, and made important contributions to the prosperity and development of Chinese civilization.
Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei:
Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei was the fourth emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty of China, and during his reign, he strengthened the defense and jurisdiction of ethnic minorities in the north and maintained the security and stability of the north through a series of measures such as building the Great Wall, building walls, and digging moats. In addition, he actively pursued various economic and cultural policies, encouraged people's labor and innovation, and promoted the economic and cultural prosperity of the time.
Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang: Ming Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was the founding emperor of China's Ming Dynasty, and after the establishment of the Ming Dynasty, he implemented a series of political, military, economic and cultural reforms. In terms of building the Great Wall.
He not only strengthened the defense capability of the original Great Wall, but also improved and expanded it to form the later Ming Great Wall, effectively safeguarding China's national security and stability. In addition, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang also implemented various educational and cultural policies, paying attention to talent training and cultural inheritance, and promoted the cultural prosperity and economic development of the Ming Dynasty.
Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty:
During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor, the Qing Dynasty implemented a policy of "peaceful rule", strengthened the centralization of power, and unified the politics, economy and culture of the multi-ethnic region, allowing the Qing Dynasty to maintain stability and prosperity for 260 years. The Great Wall he built not only ensured the security of northern China, but also strengthened the defense force of the Qing Dynasty, maintained the peace and stability of the country, and had a profound impact on the development of Chinese history.
In general, these emperors have a very important place in Chinese history, and their contributions span political, military, economic, and cultural fields. Especially in the construction of the Great Wall, they not only strengthened the defense of the northern frontier, but also left a rich cultural heritage in history.
At the same time, they also actively promoted various reforms and developments, promoted China's economic prosperity and cultural progress, and made outstanding contributions to the historical development of the Chinese nation.
The reason why ancient Chinese emperors insisted on building the Great Wall can be explained from the perspective of geographical location. China is a vast country with open plains and grasslands in the north and west, and mountains and oceans in the south and east.
In ancient China, the north and northwest faced threats from foreign nomads, who often invaded China to grab wealth and resources. In order to protect the land and people of China, the ancient Chinese emperors adopted the strategy of building the Great Wall.
The Great Wall is a towering stone wall built on the mountains and plains of northern China, its main purpose is to prevent the invasion of nomads. The construction of the Great Wall requires a lot of manpower and material resources, but its role is irreplaceable, because it can effectively prevent the enemy's attack and provide a safe retreat route if necessary.
In addition, the Great Wall is also a symbol of Chinese history and culture, representing the courage and wisdom of the Chinese people. Therefore, the construction of the Great Wall is also to maintain China's dignity and national image.
In short, the reason why the ancient Chinese emperors insisted on building the Great Wall was out of the need to protect the country and the people, and also to maintain China's dignity and national image.
The Great Wall has played a key role in many battles in Chinese history. Qin Shi Huang Unification War (230 BC-221 BC): During the establishment of the first great unified empire in Chinese history, Qin Shi Huang built the Great Wall to prevent foreign invasions. This provided strong protection for his wars of conquest.
Battle of Chibi (208 AD): During the Three Kingdoms period, Sun Quan and Liu Bei join forces against Cao Cao. They set up a fire attack at the Chibi at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and Cao Cao's army was defeated. Although the Great Wall did not directly participate in the battle, it provided a solid line of defense for the southern armies, making it impossible for Cao Cao to easily attack the south.
Overall, the Great Wall has played a key role in many battles in Chinese history. It is not only China's line of defense, but also represents China's cultural and historical heritage.
The role of the Great Wall is very important, mainly reflected in the following aspects: Border defense: The Great Wall is one of the important measures of ancient Chinese border defense, which can effectively defend against the aggression and invasion of northern peoples. Through a series of measures such as building city walls, passes, beacon towers, etc., it is possible to effectively control the dynamics of the border areas, detect the enemy situation in time and take corresponding defensive measures.
Safeguarding national unity and security:
The construction of the Great Wall is not only conducive to defending against aggression from the north, but also to maintaining the unity and security of the country. In ancient China, the geographical environment and cultural habits of the south and the north were very different, and the construction of the Great Wall could effectively separate the north and the south, reduce the penetration of the southern culture into the northern culture, and maintain national unity and stability.
Improving economic conditions:
The construction of the Great Wall also helped to improve the economic situation at that time. The construction of the Great Wall requires a lot of human and material resources, so it will stimulate local economic activities and development. In addition, the construction of the Great Wall also provided a guarantee for local commercial activities and promoted economic prosperity and development.
Preservation of cultural heritage:
The Great Wall is an important cultural heritage in Chinese history and one of the world cultural heritages. The construction and preservation of the Great Wall is of great significance to the protection of China's cultural heritage, not only an important symbol of Chinese culture, but also an important witness to the development of human civilization.
To sum up, the Great Wall plays a very important role in Chinese history, not only an important measure for ancient China to defend against the invasion of northern ethnic groups, but also to help maintain national unity and security, promote economic prosperity and cultural development, and protect cultural heritage.
The impact of the construction of the Great Wall on the common people
Mobilization of labor: The construction of the Great Wall required a lot of manpower and material resources, so the emperors at that time often mobilized a large number of people to participate in the construction project. In this way, a large number of labor forces will be mobilized, and the production and lifestyle of the people at that time will be changed. The construction of the Great Wall allowed the people of the time to have more job opportunities and increased their source of income.
Enhance the sense of security: The construction of the Great Wall can enhance the sense of security of the people at that time. The border areas of ancient China were often invaded by foreign tribes, and the construction of the Great Wall could strengthen the defense of the border areas, improve the sense of security of the people at that time, and enable them to work and live with more peace of mind.
The construction of the Great Wall is a major project in China's history, which to a certain extent improves the country's defense capability and protects the country's security. However, the construction of the Great Wall also had some negative effects on the people.
Forced labor: The construction of the Great Wall requires a lot of manpower and material resources, and these manpower mainly come from the local people. At that time, the government had the power to force the people to participate in the construction of the Great Wall. These people are often forced to leave their jobs and participate in the construction of the Great Wall, which has a great impact on their livelihoods. Some people have even lost their means of production and become extremely poor.
Resource allocation: The construction of the Great Wall requires a lot of resources, including wood, stone, cement, etc. In order to build the Great Wall, the government usually uses a lot of resources, which leads to a shortage of local resources and makes the life of the local people more difficult.
Security issues: The construction of the Great Wall requires a lot of labor and money, which also complicates the security problem in some places. Because governments need to control the use of human resources and resources, they may impose draconian policies, such as prohibiting private buying and selling of resources.
These policies can lead to corruption among local officials and large-scale theft of resources by thieves, making local policing more precarious.
Land issues: The construction of the Great Wall usually requires large amounts of land, which are usually expropriated from local people. These people may lose their land, homes and other livelihood resources, which will severely affect their livelihoods.
The author's opinion
Although the construction of the Great Wall improved the country's defense capability, it also brought some adverse effects to the people at that time.
Cultural and historical significance: The Great Wall is not only a line of defense, but also a cultural and historical heritage of ancient China. The construction of the Great Wall promoted the cultural exchange and integration at that time, promoted the inheritance and development of Chinese culture, and also became an important cultural and historical symbol in Chinese history, which has important value for Chinese culture and historical research.
To sum up, the impact of the construction of the Great Wall on the common people was not only reflected in the economic and social aspects, but also had a profound impact on the culture and history of the time, and became an important project in ancient China.
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