Download Great Wall

The Great Wall
of China
What is the Great Wall?
The Great Wall of China is the
world’s largest military structure.
It was built as a defense to stop
invaders from northern areas.
Those “invaders” were mostly
from China’s neighbor to the
north, Mongolia.
The Great Wall is actually a
series of walls built and rebuilt
by different dynasties over
1,000 years.
The Great Wall has a total length of over 1500 miles.
A second wall, further south from the Great Wall measures about 342
miles long. What purpose do you think that wall served?
Who Built The Great Wall?
During the Zhou Dynasty, southern tribes frequently attacked northern
border states within China. The northern states eventually built their
own walls for defense purposes. These walls were different than the
Great Wall that you see today.
Qin (pronounced “Chin”) was the first emperor of
China and is considered the first person who
actually thought about and considered a “Great
Wall.” His “Great Wall” was different than the
wall you see today.
He was a relentless tyrant who’s dynasty eventually
fell to peasant uprising.
First Emperor Qin Shi
Huang
Who Built The Great Wall?
It is estimated that over 3 million people
(70% of China’s population at the time)
were involved in the construction of the
wall.
A section of the Qin Wall built using the
tamped-earth process.
According to historical records, the Qin Great Wall was built in 10
years or about 25 miles a month.
In modern dollars, the estimated cost to build the Qin Great Wall
would be $260 billion.
Who Built The Great Wall?
The major contribution of the
Han Dynasty to the Great Wall
was the watchtowers. This
was the place where guards
could be on the look-out for
invaders.
A section of the Han Wall built using water,
gravel, and willow reeds.
Who Built The Great Wall?
Facts…
Different dynasties contributed to the Wall’s design. The dynasties
mentioned are not the only ones that contributed to the design.
Today, the Wall is split into four sections for the benefit of travelers.
The Great Wall is the longest man-made structure in the world.
The Chinese invented the wheel-barrow and used it to help build the wall.