The Great Wall of China Losing the Greatness

Chinas most legendary and massive structure, The Great Wall of China, wiggles sporadically from its dispersed remnants in Lianing toward Jiayugaun province in Gobi Desert.

The construction of this huge, protracted wall commenced around 20 centuries ago, when China came under the rule of Emperor Qui Shi Hang. This was in the year 221 BC. And the sole reason to erect this colossal wall was to prohibit nomads that crossed the border. It seemed to be quite a good idea. However, erecting this gigantic wall wasnt easy. It took over 10 years, hundreds of thousands of laborers, mostly political detainees, and great discipline.

It is assumed that around 180 million cubic meters of dug up earth was taken away to build the Great Wall. Such a massive structure definitely requires huge quantity of raw material. However, it isnt necessary to include human remnants. Experts say that most of the people who died working here were buried in the wall, which was a rich source of raw material for General Meng Tian, who was in charge of erecting it.

After years of labor, it turned out that The Great Wall of China wasnt much useful as a lofted transportation highway or the carry materials across rocky terrain. Due to the bonfire tower, which used wolves dung to generate smoke signals, people knew about the movements of enemy. Through several gates, discarded Chinese were ejected from the country.

Ming was perceptibly unhappy with the wall. Hence, he decided to rework and strengthen the huge edifice. The cost and labor involved this time was phenomenal. Over 60 million cubic meters of rocks, stones, and bricks were laid down, which took around 100 year to conclude the project. However, the effort didnt crop good results as the massive wall wasnt enough to stop the storming attack of Manchu armies. They invaded Middle Kingdom and ruled Chine for more than two and half centuries.

That marked the end of significance of the Great Wall for a long period until recent times, when it was taken over by the tourist industry. Many important portions of this wall were improved, rebuilt, knitted, and conserved. Restaurant, cafes, shops, and parks were built, and the wall was opened for tourists.

The chief section of the Great Wall includes Badaling, which is visited by large tourist crowd, while Jinshanling and Simatai are attractive but not visited by many people. It is observed that people love the authenticity and originality of this wall. Hence, they mostly visit the un-rebuilt parts of this structure. But, these areas can be dangerous and could be unsafe. At least thats what the government says. So, they occasionally impose bans and fines for people entering this area.

The Great Wall of China is gradually deteriorating due to many reasons. Firstly, the local farmers are stealing its earthen core to use it in their farms. Secondly, the stones and rocks are being stripped from the citadel to built roads and buildings. Another reason why people are now worried to visit this place is the recent series of orgies and rave parties, which infuriated locals.

Hence, along with firmness, the significance of Great Wall seems to be depreciating every year.

Source: The Great Wall of China Losing the Greatness