Canadian World Traveller Spring 2017 Issue

38
The Great Wall of China: One of the ‘New
by Habeeb Salloum
““The Great Wall of China! Of course,
when I travel to China I am going to
see that unparalleled creation of man.
It’s one of my utmost dreams!” I remarked
to a Canadian friend who advised me to
place the Great Wall at the top of my travel
itinerary. He smiled, “I am sure that you will
never forget your trip to the Great Wall. I
will always remember the first time that I
climbed that Chinese landmark.”
His words came to mind when on July 7,
2007 approximately 100 million people
around the globe cast their ballots by telephone
and internet, to declare that ‘The
Great Wall of China’ was to be one of the
‘New Seven Wonders of the World’.
However, when the announcement came, I
was not too surprised. This massive structure
that has been a symbol of China for
more than 2,000 years is the country’s
prime symbol and historic landmark.
Our goal for the third day of our visit in
Beijing was the Badaling section of the Wall
- to tourists, the most famous part due to its
proximity to China’s capital. As we
approached I was elated. A life-long ambition
was soon to be fulfilled.
Turning and twisting, the Great Wall averages
in most places 8 m (26 ft) high and
6m (20 ft) wide and was once crowned with
some 25,000 towers. Like a giant snake, it
winds its way for 6,000 km (3,750 mi) from
east to west through five provinces, running
along high mountain ridges, valleys, deserts
and grasslands and was built as a defense
barrier to ward off tribal nomads from the
north.
The building of the Wall began sometime
between the 7th and 8th centuries B.C. at
the time when defensive ramparts were built
in some northern areas in the country. In
the 3rd century B.C. the first Emperor of
China, Qin Shi Hauang, joined the ramparts
together to create the first Great Wall
of China. In the ensuing centuries, it was
continually renovated and expanded, each
dynasty adding to its length, height and
width. However, the Wall took on its present
form when the Ming Dynasty (1368 -
1644 A.D.) was in power.
During their era, a sophisticated defence
system consisting of beacon and watchtowers,
blockhouses and garrison towns were
added. Cannons were placed in strategic
areas and a signaling system that existed
before was improved. The Wall, built of
brick, masonry, rock and packed earth,
became the nuclear deterrent of that age -
ensuring that the Mongol incursions of the
past were virtually made impossible.
The largest engineering and construction
project ever carried out by man, the Wall is
an awesome achievement – mind-boggling
to engineers even in our times. It is the only