the great wall (badahng, juyongguan, mutianyu, simatai and gubeikou)
located in beijing area, the four sections of the great walls refer to badaling in yanqing county, which is the earliest developed and the most famous both in china and abroad. it is the out- standing representative of the great wall and the quintessence of the ming dynasty great wall. juyongguan great wall in changping district features "guancheng culture" guan (pass) lies within, while cheng (great wall) is located outside. "guan' resembles a supreme headquarters or command post. the other great wall has only one section, but juyongguan great wall looks like a complete military castle. the mutianyu great wall in huairou county is surrounded by high mountains and, vegetation rate reaches more than 80 per cent. the watchtowers at mutianyu are said to have been designed by qi jiguang, the ming general who won many battles in southeast china. a number of his soldiers were from south china, and perhaps they influenced the architectural style of the brick watchtowers--the shape of the lookout openings at the tops of the towers greatly resembles a fence de- sign popular in that region. the simatai great wall in miyun county features many aspects, including a strategic pass, being carpeted by a dense growth of foliage, strange mirages, superb craftsmanship excelling nature, panorama, is the only section, which retains the original appearance of the ancient great wall. luo zhewen, great wall expert said: "china's great wall is the world's most, but simatai section of the great wall is reputed as the most of china's great wall.'
the simatai great wall, 110 kilometres northeast of beijing, has 135 watchtowers. the 19-kilometre wall is dangerous to climb but splendid to view as it meanders up and down the mountain ridges that seem to have been sliced on both sides by a huge axe. the wangjinglou watchtower on a steep cliff 986 metres above sea level is the summit of the simatai great wall and also the most dangerous place to reach, because the visitor must walk over some unrepaired paths, including the "sealing ladder" and "overline bridge" before reaching it. the "sealing ladder" is a slope at an angle of 60-70 degrees: the visitor must climb on all fours and be extremely careful. the "overline bridge" is a path about 100 metres long and less than one metre wide which crosses abysses about 500 metres deep. with nothing to hold on to, the slightest wind will make the visitor tremble with fear. because of the dangers involved in reaching wangjinglou, only a few people have ever set foot on the tower in modern times. the great wall, symbolizing china's ancient civilization, is one of the world's most renowned projects. it is a distance of 75 kilometres northwest of beijing. its highest point at badaling is some 800 metres above sea level. a well-known popular saying goes: "he who hasn't been to the great wall is not a true man.' / "you are not a plucky hero till you climb the great wall. ~ therefore, everyone tries to make it.
construction of the wall first began during the period of the warring states (476 bc-221 bc). formerly, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. in 221 bc after the first emperor of the qin dynasty unified china, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.
historical records show that about one million people, one-fifth of china's population at the time, were involved in the project, which took more than ten years. when it was finished we call it "wan li chang cheng' which means "ten thousand l/ (5, 000 kilometres) long wall.' now, nature has taken over most of the great wall.
the great wall, which we are going to visit, was rebuilt during the ming dynasty in the 16th century. it extends from shanhai (mountain and sea) pass, a seaport along the coast of bohai bay, to jiayu pass in gansu province. its total length is more than 6, 700 kilometres.
there were many places of strategic importance along the wall. fortresses were constructed at strategic points. beacon towers were built on both sides of the wall at commanding points. whenever the enemy was sighted, bonfires were lit on the towers to signal warning messages. before the ming dynasty, the wall was built mainly of earth and rock. under the ming, it was rebuilt in most places with bricks and stones. for instance, the section at badaling near beijing was faced with slabs of rock and large bricks and filled with earth and stones. it is 6 to 7 metres high. at regular intervals along the southern side of the wall, there are gates with stone steps leading to the top of the wall. the top surface of the wall is paved with three or four layers of large bricks. it is 4 to 5 metres wide, enough for five horsemen to ride abreast. along the wall, there are parapets and battlements built of bricks and turrets and watchtowers at regular intervals.
the wall traverses mountains and gullies. it was extremely difficult to build along steep slopes under harsh conditions. some of the slabs of rock were as long as two meters and weighed as much as one ton. all the rocks, bricks and lime had to be carried up the mountains at the cost of backbreaking labour. the earth and bricks were passed up from hand to hand or carried in baskets by donkeys and goats. the large slabs were moved up slopes by means of rolling reds and hoisting bars. according to rough calculation, the amount of bricks and rock used to build the wall would have been enough to build a wall five metres high and one metre thick around the world.
the badaling (eight prominent peaks) section is the best-presented part of the wall. several renovations have taken place since 1949. the chinese government has listed the wall as one of the historical monuments to be preserved. the great wall runs 629 kilometres in the beijing area. more than 100 kilometres are well-preserved and four other sections at badaling, juyongguan, mutianyu, and simatai have already been renovated for tourists both at home and abroad.
the great wall is the great creation of ancient chinese people. the united nations' educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) listed the great wall as one of the world heritages in 1987.
the earliest part of the great wall has been found in shandong province, which roughly parallels the ancient qi kingdom. the qi great wall started at a small village in changqing district and ran to the sea near qingdao, with a total length of 620 kilometres. according to historical records, the wall had 12 passes, nine gates, 50 castles and barracks and 12 beacon towers. the winding wall comprised the southern fortifications of this strong kingdom. at that time the qi kingdom contended with others for hegemony and its king huangong was one of the five most powerful dukes during the spring and autumn period (770 bc-476 bc). it was extremely difficult for ancient people to build such giant military defenses. the qi kingdom's laborers spent 170 years building the wall. archaeologists recently unearthed cultural ruins and relics near the zibo sections of the great wall, and the new finds will aid in the study on the qi culture. in the course of chinese history, more than 20 emperors ordered the building or renovation of the great wall, which eventually grew to be more than 5, 000 kilometres long. the most famous part of the great wall was constructed during the ming dynasty (1368-1644).
note: whenever you travel to the great wall, please wear comfortable shoes with nonslip soles. the climb is steep in parts and sometimes the stones are slippery. if you are going in cooler weather wear more warm clothes; the wind that comes through the mountain in that area will cut right through you.
special well to inspire chinese
erected alongside the great wall of china, the inscription telling of the achievements of hundreds of outstanding chinese, the commemorative wall is 110 metres long, 80 metres high and is composed of 200 pieces of granite. the outstanding chinese declaration project will more closely unite all chinese throughout the world. it is the first phase of the project. organized by the china cultural research society and the chinese friendship union association, the project was finished by september 2000.
clock ticks millennium countdown
a millennium countdown clock was erected on march 25, 1998 on the 2, 000- year-old great wall, one of the world's greatest structures. the clock was set up on the badaling section of the great wall a popular tourist spot in the northwest of beijing. an inscription on the timepiece exhorts the nation to "seize the moment to build up the motherland.” erecting a year-2000 countdown clock on the great wall was just one of the preparations that beijing made as it geared up to welcome the 21st century. the white clock is 5.8 metres tall with a red digital display and a base shaped like a part of the wall. manufactured by a chinese high-tech company, the clock has a mar- gin of error of less than one minute for every 30, 000 years.
a section of the great wall that has remained unchanged since it was built in the ming dynasty was opened to the public on june 18, 2000. the site, called shixiaguan pass or the remnant badaling great wall, 5 kilometres from the existing badaling section of the great wall as the west gate of the defense system of badaling great wall, it has not been renovated or decorated since it was built. the pass was constructed among lofty and precipitous peaks and the original connecting walls and standing towers still reveal its magnificent grandeur although it is now incomplete and weather-beaten there are two other areas of archaeological value at the foot of shixiaguan pass. one is the ancient quarry used in the construction of the great wall, where the split rocks and cutting stones are still quite evident. the other is a part of an original brick kiln, from which all the wall bricks were made by ordinary people hundreds of years ago. with the incomplete beauty of the ancient culture, the remnant badaling great wall is characterized by its remnant style.
magnetic trains run to badaling
tourists to the badaling section of the great wall in 2003 will be able to take a magnetic levitation (maglev) train some of the way. it will be the first medium- and low-speed train of this sort developed in china. the line's first 204 metres were completed in the changsha-based national defense science and technology university in hunan province as part of initial experiments. the 2.2-kilometre maglev line was under construction by the end of 2001. it will take tourists a mere three minutes to arrive at the scenic spot when traveling on the train at a distance of 2.2 kilometres. at cost of 200 million yuan (us$24 million), the hue was jointly funded by the beijing holdings ltd., the beijing badaling tourism development co. ltd., and the national defense science and technology university. the line will contribute to reducing traffic and pollution in beijing, where traffic conditions are becoming increasing chaotic. it can transport about 20, 000 tourists per day.
the 30-kilometre long maglev line in pudong of shanghai will be completed and put into trial operation by the end of 2002 at a cost of 8.9 billion yuan (us$1.08 billion).
currently, the number of tourists to badaling is 4 to 5 million a year; the number will increase greatly by 2008. in order to secure tourists' safety and satisfaction, the badaling section is aiming to construct a great wall museum containing a cultural gallery, a forest of steles, a theatre and an anti-japanese invasion museum. with greater selection, tourists will be able to visit their favourite places of interest first, leaving the great wall less crowded during rush hours. since 1949, badaling has attracted 120 million visitors, including over 360 heads of countries and governments in the world, since it was opened to the public in 1952.
new section of the great wall
chinese archaeologists have discovered a new section of the ancient great wall, a structure which dates back over 2, 000 years, in north china's inner mongolia autonomous region. the section of the great wall meanders for more than 200 kilometres through sparsely populated areas near the urad front banner of the region. ancient chinese used locally quarried black stone to build the wall, which are 5-6 metres high and 3 metres wide. the remoteness of the section has contributed to its remaining virtually intact. the section of the great wall features small beacon towers located one kilometre apart, with large beacon towers every 5 kilometres. archaeological exports pointed out this, one of the most highly preserved sections found in recent years, is a rare historical treasure, which will greatly enhance future research.
earthquake leaves mark on the great wall
even the great wall felt the effects of the earthquake, measuring 6.2 on the richter scale, in zhangjiakou, hebei province, on january 10, 1998. cracks appeared on the part of the wall in shangyi, zhangbei and wanquan counties, which were seriously affected by the earthquake. there are parts of the great wall in zhangjiakou, built mostly during the ming dynasty (1368-1644). more than 20 ancient buildings, pagodas and grottoes are located in the quake-hit areas, most dating back to the ming dynasty. all the historical sites suffered from the earthquake. forty-nine people were killed in the quake, over 10, 000 people were injured and 44, 000 people were left homeless. zhangbei and shangyi counties suffered losses of about 740 million yuan (us$89 million).the earth-quake-stricken zhangjiakou will invest total donations of 100 million yuan (us$12 million) and us$20 million of world bank loans in infrastructure and economic rehabilitation.
song dynasty great wall chinese archaeologists have confirmed after a recent field examination in late 1999 that a 20-kilometre-long section of the great wall in north china's shanxi province was built in the song dynasty (960-1279). this stone-made section of the great wall is located in kelan county in northwestern shanxi. sources from local archaeological departments said that about 20 kilometres of the portion of the great wall remain intact, though there are longer ruined portions. the discovery disperses exports' doubts that no part of the great wall was constructed during the song dynasty.
southern great wall discovered
chinese architect exports have discovered the ruins of the southern china portion of the great wall in fenghuang county, central china' s hunan province. according to historical records, the ming dynasty built a 190-kilometre-long sidewall between tongren county of guizhou province and baojing county of hunan province in 1615 to reinforce its control in the area. local exports said that the ruins of the sidewalls and defensive towers were built in 1797 during the qing dynasty.
juyongguan section of the great wall, juyong pass & the cloud terrace
juyong pass, built in 1368, and together with zijing pass and daoma pass were called the "inner three passes" along the great wall.
juyong (dwelling-in-harmony) pass, also known as jundu pass or ji men pass, is an important strategies gateway leading to inner mongolia. the slopes on both sides of this narrow pass are carpeted by a dense growth of foliage. it used to be one of the eight famous scenic spots in beijing. after five years of renovation, the famous juyongguan section of the great wall opened to tourists in late march 1998. a total of 120 million yuan (us$14. 4 million) was spent on the renovation of 4, 142 meter-long section of the great wall. the 20-kilometre-long ravine, so that a few men could hold it against all comers, named guangou (pass ravine), flanked by mountains, was the northern entrance to beijing in ancient times. the whole area is full of high mountains and narrow passes which are easily defensible. but the cavalrymen of genghis khan swept through it in the 13th century. the yuan emperors had to travel through the ravine every year to their summer resort in inner mongolia, staying overnight here at juyongguan pass. entering the pass, you will see an ancient platform known as cloud terrace, built in 1345, and made of marble. it was called the crossing street dagoba, since its arch spanned the main street of the pass. there were formerly three dagobas on the top of the terrace. unfortunately they collapsed along with the nearby imperial residence and other religious buildings during an early 15th centre3, earthquake. later on, a new temple was built on the site, but it was also destroyed in the early years of the qing dynasty. now only the terrace remains. the terrace is 9. 5 metres high, its width is 26. 84 metres and the length of the cave is 17.57 metres.
the half octagonal arch gateway is unique and the cloud terrace is renowned fits marvelous artistry. the exquisite relief on the facades and sidewalls of the gateway is most impressive. on both sides of the facades are symmetrically carved crossed pestles of the buddha's warrior attendants. above the gateway are images of elephants, lions, serpents and other fabulous beasts.
engraved on the walls under the arch are daturascrolls, images of buddha and the four celestial guardians. their vivid expressions are presented with exquisite workmanship. one shows a furious warrior with a snake wound round his arm. such grandiose relief works, with several stones pieced together, are rarely seen in ancient chinese carving. they are undoubtedly brilliant representation of the 13th century sculpture.
these four majestic guardians were said to have magic power against evil emperors. ming emperor zhengde was passing through the gateway in his sedan chair on a pleasure seeking tour; the horses heading the royal procession were scared by the awe-inspiring images on the wall and refused to move. at last, one of the court officials had to cover up the tern- lying images with a smoke screen.
in this way the terror struck emperor and his entourage escaped. on the walls of the gateway, there are carvings of buddhist sutra in sanskrit, tibetan, uygur, new mongolian, western xia, and han scripts. this is the first time to have ever discovered the six different languages carved on the ancient chinese stones. they are valuable to the study of buddhism and ancient languages.
a giant forest park along the badaling section of the great wall
a giant forest park will be built along the badaling section of the great wall as china steps up efforts to protect the ecological well-being of the nation's top culture relics. the project, which is expected to be completed by 2008, will become a major forest shield against the sandstorms and heavy winds, which have ravaged beijing and neighboring areas since 1999. chinese environmental experts have staked a big interest on the project as a role model for other sections of the great wall, which are suffering from global climate changes and the impact of human activities. the park will span about 100 square metres and will be 16.3 kilometres long and 21.5 kilometres wide. the project still needs the approval of the state development planning commission to become a national forest park.
it is a part of the nationwide effort to protect the great wall, which is more than 6, 700 kilometres long and spans 10 provincial administrations in china. the great wall faces such problems as desertification and other climatic changes as well as human activities such as over-exploitation of its tourism potential.
new park to enhance the great wall
a park will be built at the badaling section of the great wall to help protect the great cultural site. at the inauguration ceremony for the park, named the "international friendship forest," held in early june 2001, phillips china inc declared that it had joined forces with the badaling special zone administration and the us-china environmental fund to create the project. the petroleum company will invest 5 million yuan (us$600, 000) to initiate the project. according to the plan for the project, the international friendship forest will be located along the western edge of the badaling great wall and will cover an area of approximately 40 acres. it will serve as a conservation buffer zone to help protect the natural and cultural resources of the great wall. intensive planting of native trees and plants will help restore the ecology of the area. the park's cultural program will tell the story of badaling's past and present. educational signs will be placed along trails. guides in traditional costumes will give the history of the area. visitors will be able to appreciate the beautiful scenery of badaling while learning about history and culture of the chinese people and the natural history of the area. the unique park will be a mad- el for how to preserve and promote understanding of china's culture, history and traditions. the friendship forest is a key project in the badaling national park master plan. badaling section of the great wall attracts more than 5 million visitors both from home and abroad. the forest will be a buffer zone between tourist and business zones of badaling. it can help to balance economic development and environmental protection in the area. the project was completed in 2002.
emperor qin shihuang (259bc-210 bc)
qin shihuang was the first emperor of the qin dynasty. upon the death of his father, he ascended the throne at the age of thirteen. his father's powerful chancellor lu buwei served as co-regent until he was 21 years old. he soon forced the former regent into exile and started launching military campaigns to unify the country.
he was known for many contradictory persons, including that of a conqueror, an enlightened leader, a merciless tyrant, a builder and a destroyer. during his 29-year rule, he united the country and transformed the land into what we now call china. he ordered his workers to create thousands of terracotta warriors to guard his tomb after his death. the warriors are dressed in amour, carry spears or other weaponry and stand on aver- age at about 1.9 metres tall. each wears an army uniform that distinguishes the soldier's rank from bowmen to infantrymen to generals. an archer kneels in the front of the pit, ready to fire volleys to stop the enemy. the accurately proportioned figurines seem so real-to-life, with each having a distinct facial expression. the bodies are said to have been mass-produced, but the hands and heads were made individually, possibly to portray real soldiers of the time.
he spent ten years from 230bc to 221 bc to wipe out all the six differ eat states one after another and established the first centralized feudal state in the chinese history. he proclaimed himself qin shihuang, the first emperor of the qin dynasty, and all the important officials of the central and local governments were to be appoimed and dismissed by him. during his reign, he worked out a uniform cede of law and standardized currency, weight and measures and even the written language.
he also had the different sections of the walls built by various warring states along their frontiers linked up and had the great wall built. all these measures were helpful to the consolidation of unification and promoted economic and cultural development.
the excavation has continued since local farmers digging a well accidentally discovered the terracotta warriors in 1974.
zhan tianyou (1861-1919)
zhan tianyou was a patriotic engineer born in 1861 in guangdong province. he was intelligent and interested in machinery when he was a child. at the age of 11, zhan was accepted to a preparatory class for young people chosen to study abroad. in 1878, he was admitted to yale university where he majored in civil and railway engineering.
in the early years of the 20th century when the beijing-zhangjiakou railway was built, he took on the responsibility of designing and building the railway, and succeeded in overcoming the gradient problem by switching back the line. the railway was completed in 1909, two years ahead of schedule. it opened a new chapter in the annals of china's railway construction. in memory of his contributions, later, the chinese government at qingiongqiao railway station erected a bronze statue of zhan tianyou.
president jiang zemin spoke highly of the film of "zhan tianyou," which premiered in beijing in late september 2001. the film depicts the moving story of zhan tianyon, who spent his entire life working to developing china's railways in the hard years of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. jiang zemin said that the film vividly depicts the admirable character of the noble-minded people who struggled for the rejuvenation of the chinese nation, and that it embodies the chinese people's patriotic spirit.
looking-toward beijing rock
east of badaling lies a big rock which is called looking-toward beijing rock. it is seven metres long and two metres high. it is said that empress dowager cixi passed here on her fleeing to the north as the eight imperialist powers were advancing on beijing in 1900. at this rock she turned to look toward beijing, thus it is called "looking-toward beijing rock."
expressway tunnel
a 3,456-metre-long, 13.1-metre-wide highway tunnel with three lanes, asia widest and the world's fifth widest, was built at tanyugou near badaling in early 1998. drilling through a mountain under the great wall, the tunnel was built as part of a new expressway between beijing and badaling and was opened to traffic in october 1998.
guanting reservoir
guanting reservoir is a colossal valley reservoir in china. it stands to the northwest of beijing on the yongding river by the village of guanting in huailai county, hebei province. the reservoir is effective in the prevention of flood, sand preservation, water storage, generation of electric power and irrigation. the dam of the reservoir is 45 metres in height, 290 metres in length with a storage capacity of 2.27 billion cubic metres of water. construction of the reservoir started in october 1951 and was completed in the summer of 1954 lasting three and a half years. the reservoir has rendered thousands of inhabitants in beijing city and in the lower reaches of yongding river permanently free from disasters wrought by the flood of that river.
the problem of flood disaster had never been solved by the rulers of the past ages for over 670 years---from the yuan dynasty to the eve of 1949.
great wall at mutianyu
chinese and foreign tourists are very familiar with the badaling section of the great wall, but not the mutianyu segment of the wall in huairou district 79 kilometres away from beijing proper. the mutianyu valley in huairou district on the outskirts of the capital city was such a strategic point that it was contested again and again through china's history.
the first wall in this area was built some 1,400 years ago. construction of the present wall began in the early years of the ming dynasty (1368-1644) and was not completed until the 15th century. the mountains around the valley are heavily forested; there are many natural springs and thick, beautiful foliage. in the past, these were important military considerations; today, they make this section of the wall a very pleasant place to visit. the watchtowers at mutianyu are said to have been designed by qi jiguang, the ming general who won many battles in southeast china. a number of his soldiers were from south china, and perhaps they influenced the architectural style of the brick watchtowers--the shape of the lookout openings at the tops of the towers greatly resembles a fence design popular in that region.
in 1988, mr. albrecht woeste, chairman of the henkel shareholders' committee of germany donated 300, 000 deutsche marks (us$187, 500) and chemical products worth 200, 000 marks (us$125, 000) to help beijing to restore the 747-metre mutianyu section of the great wall. it took 5 years and was completed on june 14, 1993. the beijing municipal gov- eminent gave the germans an ancient brick of the great wall and built a stone-tablet at mutianyu to commemorate their assistance.
simatai great wall
the simatai great wall, 110 kilometres northeast of beijing, has 135 watchtowers. the 19-kilometre wall is dangerous to climb but splendid to view as it meanders up and down the mountain ridges that seem to have been sliced on both sides by a huge axe. the wangjinghiu watchtower on a steep cliff 986 metres above sea level is the summit of the simatai great wall and also the most dangerous place to reach, because the visitor must walk over some unrepaired paths, including the "scaling ladder" and "overline bridge" before reaching it. the "scaling ladder" is a slope at an angle of 60-70 degrees: the visitor must climb on all fours and be extremely careful. the "overline bridge" is a path about 100 metres long and less than one metre wide which crosses abysses about 500 metres deep. with nothing to hold on to, the slightest wind will make the visitor tremble with fear. because of the dangers involved in reaching wangjinglou, only a few people have ever set foot on the tower in modern times.
gubeikou great wall
with a total length of 21 kilometres, the gubeikou great wall section is located northeast of beijing, 128 kilometres from the city centre. the section of the wall was first built in 1368 and expanded in 1567 by a famous general named qi jignang in the ming dynasty. it still retains its past magnificence, although it was broken in parts by japanese shelling during the war of resistance against japan from 1937 to 1945.
this section meanders through mountains 400 to 900 metres high. un- like other sections, it varies in width, with the widest part able to accommodate five horses walking abreast and the narrowest spot allowing only a single person to pass.
a road leading to the section of the wall has been built for tourists. many cultural relics have been discovered in the preliminary digging, in- chiding arrows, bamboo guns, stone mills and knives. they are exhibited as part of the tourist attraction.
the great wall restoration committee, jointly sponsored by beijing's five newspapers and the badaling administration office, was established in beijing and first launched the drive on july 5, 1984. by september of 1986, chinese and foreign donors have contributed nearly 10 million yuan (us$2. 7 million) to rebuild the great wall. the contributions have come from thousands of people from china's 30 provinces, regions and municipalities and from 26 foreign countries, in response to an open appeal to "love china and rebuild the great wall. ' in addition, many donors have contributed art works such as calligraphy, paintings and sculptures to the drive. as promised by the sponsors in their open appeal, prominent donors will have their names inscribed on plaques which to be erected at the badaling and mutianyu great wall sites. out of the contributions one mil- lion yuan (us$270, 000) was used to build a great wall museum at badaling. construction of monuments to honour individuals and organizations whose donations exceed 500 and 1,000 yuan respectively was already built. a major monument, with an inscription by chinese leader deng xiaoping in chinese meaning "love our motherland and rebuild the great wall" has been erected near the entrance to the great wall at badaling. a monument honoring pakistan government and other foreign contributions has been erected at wangjingshi (looking-toward beijing rock) at badaling.
great wall in dinshanling of chengde
a chinese motorcyclist named yu shtmye set a world record with his two-second flight across the great wall one motorcycle with his back facing forward on june 16, 2001. at 11:58 am, yu shunye, a 41-year-old motorcyclist from dalian in liaoning province, started his jialing-145 bike on the runway platform and made a beautiful curve (a span of 15 metres and 23.4 metres in drop in elevation over the great wall in jinshanling of chengde, hebei province. the morning sun dispersed the heavy clouds left by june 15 night's heavy rain, but the soaked platform was slippery, making his attempt even more difficult. yu shunye started his motorcycle feats after leaving the army in 1981. in june 1996, he set his first world record by riding on a motorcycle with his back facing forward and his hands off the handlebars, for 28 kilometres, at a speed of 70 kilometres per hour. four years later, he set another world record by steering a motor tricycle in its side tram for 4.8 kilometres.
great wall ruins
ruins of a section of the great wall with more than 2, 200 years old have been discovered in the yinshan mountains in north china's inner mongolia autonomous region. the section of the great wall, 5-6 metres high and 3 metres wide, winds through the mountains from east to west for over 200 kilometres. it was constructed in the qin dynasty (221 bc-206 bc).
the great wall in linhai, zhejiang province
construction of the great wall in linhai, then called taizhou prefecture, dating back about 1,600 years. in the following tang, song, yuan, ming and qing dynasties, expansions and renovations were continuously made. in 1997, a cross section was discovered at the xingshan gate of the existing wall. this section of the wall revealed the renovation and expansion process of the linhai great wall in the tang dynasty (618-907), the three-metre-high wall consisted of earth. in the song dynasty (960-1279), a layer of bricks was added to it and a one-metre-high stonewall was built along it on the riverside to protect it from floods. during the ming dynasty (1368-1644), the height was raised to about five metres and another layer of bricks was added. in the qing dynasty (1644-1911), the height was raised again. both the height and width of the existing wall are greater than 10 metres. it is more than 6, 000 metres long. several gates still exist, including the jingyue, kuocang and wangjiang gates. in the mid-ming dynasty, japanese pirates invaded the dynasty's southeast coast- line, including the taizbou prefecture. in 1555, tan lun, the local magistrate, began constructing a wall along the border. two years later, qi jiguang, a famous national hero, who fought against japanese pirates, began his eight-year tour of duty in taizhou. he renovated the wall, making it thieker and higher, to strengthen its defense capability. taizhou became a strong fortress against japanese pirates and qi and his warriors won nine battles successively in six years. in 1567, the emperor ordered tan and qi to renovate the great wall in the north. the emperor also selected 3, 000 soldiers to participate in the renovation of taizhou great wall to supervise the construction process. the great wall in jixian county of tianjin and datong of shanxi province was designed and built by qi jiguang and his soldiers. the badaling great wall and mutianyu great wall in beijing were also constructed and renovated by qi jiguang and his soldiers. the architectural style was the same as the taizhou great wall. the great wall in linhai is among china's best-presorved historical and cultural relics. besides the military functions, the great wall has another important function: anti-flooding. the linhai great wall is located at the lingjiang river's entrance to the sea. river water and seawater join here, and the water often rises to reach the city. to the west of the city is the kuocang mountain range. the wall was specially designed to avert the threat of flooding from streams running off the mountain, and walls were built along the south and west of the river. tourists, who visit the linhai great wall, are amazed by the creativity of its ancestors and the linhai people's endeavor in preserving this cultural relic. in 1994, the city of linhai was named famous historical cultural city by the state. linhai is located at the middle of zhejiang province's coastline. on its east is the east china sea, on its west the kuocang mountain, on its south the yandang mountain and on its north the tiantai mountain. the city has a 74-kilometre-long coastline.
legends about the great wall
there are numerous popular legends and tales in china about the great wall. though many are based on historical facts, they have survived the centuries because they expressed the wisdom and feelings of the ancient chinese working people. brick at jiayuguan pass. jiayuguan
pass is located at the western end of the great wall in gansu province and was a strategic point on the ancient silk road.
a single gray brick is fixed on the back wall of the western gate tower in the pass. it is said to be a souvenir left from a bet between a craftsman and a supervisor when the great wall was being built. a contractor named yi kaishan was so good at working out plans he could accurately calculate the number of men and materials needed without any waste.
the supervisor, who bore him a personal grudge, didn't believe him and challenged him with a bet. "i'll allow you just one brick more than you say you need, ' he said. "if there is one left over, i'll put it on the tower myself to leave a good name for you. if you need more, you'll be punished."
yi agreed. when the construction was finished, as he predicted only one brick remained. this can be seen on the gate tower at jiayuguan pass today.
a bird spirit's call
in the city of xiluo near jiayuguan pass, the base of the wall is wider than, the top for strength and solidity. strangely, when the high quality bricks of a corner are struck with a stone, a clear and melodious sound like the song of a swallow can be heard. people say that the wall was so heavily guarded that even a swallow could not get through. one evening years ago, a swallow trying to return to its nest was killed when it flew into the wall. to- day, the sound is said to be the plaintive voice of the bird's spirit.
the length of the great wall
there are various measurements of the length of the great wall because in china's history, more than twenty dynasties and states of dukes or princes built their own walls at different places. of these, according to historical documents, three exceeded 10,000 ii (5, 000 kilometres). one was built during the reign of emperor qin shihuang, starting from lintao at the west end to liaodong at the east end. the second one was built in the hah dynasty (206 bc-ad 220) from present day xinjiang to liaodong, consisting of inner and outer walls with beacon towers and bulwark, measuring over 20,000 ii (10,000 kilometres) in total. the third, built in the ming dynasty (1368-1644), was from jiayuguan pass in gansu at the west end to the yalu river at the east end. if added together the length of the walls built by various dynasties would amount to 100, 000 li (50, 000 kilometres) or more. the ruins of these walls are scattered over sixteen provinces, cities and autonomous regions. in inner mongolia alone, the ruin of the great wall extends to 30, 000 ii (15, 000 kilometres).
most of the walls built in the early historical periods are damaged or in a state of decay. now only the one built in the ming dynasty is comparatively well preserved. so, the great wall we mention today is the ming great wall which is in total 12, 000 li (6,000 kilometres). however, this figure is based only on historical records, and, as a matter of fact, in some places double or triple walls were built. with its meandering and loops the actual extent of the structure might be even longer.
meng jiangnu
meng jiangnu's husband fan qiliang was among those conscripted to build the great wall. one day while she was in the garden, a man trying to escape from the pressgang labor jumped over the wall and landed at her feet. her family protected him, and they fell in love and got married.
on the night of their wedding, fan qiliang, her husband, was seized by the court officials. before they parted, meng took a hairpin of white jade from her head, broke it into two halves and gave one half of it to her husband with the words: "my heart is as white and pure as this jade. keep this half and you will feel that i am with you. '
fan was forced to work on the wall. during the construction, thousands upon thousands of laborers died of overwork and maltreatment.
nothing was known about her husband. when autumn came, the birds began to migrate. she recalled that her husband was wearing only thin clothes. she made some padded clothes and left home to look for her has- band.
at last meng jiangnu got to the wall. when she found her husband had died, she was so sad that she cried and cried. finally, the wall split open, trapping the cruel officials and soldiers under it and the bodies of million of conscripted laborers were exposed.
emperor qin shihuang got infuriated by what meng jiangna did, but when he saw her beauty, he wanted to make her his concubine. she accepted on the following conditions: a proper burial for her husband, a tomb built for him, and a monument set up for all the laborers who died of hard work on the wall. the emperor himself was to wear mourning as a token of regret for what had been done to the laborers. the emperor accepted all these. having avenged herself and putting the emperor to shame, meng flung herself into the sea. to commemorate her death, a temple was built at shanhaiguan pass near the sea.
in the following verse the unknown folk poet describes how meng jiangntl set out:
at the people's festival of the new year
all hang at their doors great lanterns of red,'
faces shining with brightness, husbands look happily
upon their families; only for me there is bitterness,
for my husband has been taken to build the great wall,
comes early summer and we are all busy
feeding the silkworms; going arm in arm
together to pick from mulberry branches;
as we pick we hang the baskets on the trees below
falls a tear.
then autumn through the open door wafts
scent from the flowering shrub that stands there;
alone, wild goose flying southward drops from its leg
a letter from my beloved, carrying these words;
let the loafer spread what rumors they like
about you, my dear, i am sure that you still love me enough
to send me clothes to keep me alive in this cold.
winter and from the north drive down flying snowflakes,
yet the girl meng jiangnu sets off to carry clothes
to her lover; and in compassion the very ravens
come down to lend her; weeping with cold and misery
to the great wall
the great wall has been called "the longest cemetery in the world" because of the countless workers who died in the building of it.
great wall circle vision theatre
located at badaling section of the great wall, the great wall circle vision theatre was built in september 1990 and put into operation on september 2, 1992. it was a joint venture project managed by beijing great wall circle vision theatre company--a cooperative enterprise run by japan' s fukuoka keizaibeeki company, beijing badaling tourism company and citic real estate corporation under china international trust and investment corporation (group).
the movie shows historic relics and landscapes in different seasons along the 6, 700 kilometre great wall, as well as numerous stories about great wall, e.g. the crowning ceremony of the first emperor of the qin dynasty more than 2,000 years ago and the legend of meng jiangnu and battlefields to let viewers know the past and present of the great wall.
the circle screen movie has used the world's most advanced technology. it is projected at a 360 circular screen with stereo audio effects. in the theatre, the pictures are so vivid as if you were surrounded by the real great wall. the historic and natural views of the great wall will leave you lots of imagination.
the theatre provides the first rate service facilities and service, including foyers for domestic and foreign viewers and for distinguished guests, air conditioning equipment and shops selling drinks and tourist souvenirs. the theatre has a seating capacity of 500. business hours are from 9 am to 4 pm (for all seasons). each film show lasts 15 minutes only with 5 minutes for interval between shows.
cableway at badaling section of the great wall
china began to build a cableway at the badaling section of the great wall in 1988. the project is cooperation between beijing badaling cablecar ltd. and the hong kong jinhui international industrial company. the hong kong side invested uss 4. 95 million and bore all the costs of the project. the beijing badaling cable, ear ltd. provided the use of the land, about 10, 000 square metres, worth uss 500, 000.
the main reason for building the cableway is to transport visitors to the great wall. in the last couple of years, the number of visitors to the wall was more than 4.5 million each year. in 1995, the visitors to the wall reached 6.5 million. at present, there is only a small doorway through which only a bus can pass. almost 33,000 tourists and 800 cars and buses pass through it daily during the peak season.
the cableway project consists of two parts: a 725-metre northern line with an underground station at the top and a semi underground station at the bottom. the whole cableway is hidden in a valley. a 625-metre southern line was completed above ground and also in a valley. tourists on the wall cannot see the cable lines. the equipment is from poma, a french company. the cableway was completed in 1990, it can transport about one third of the visitors to the further watchtowers. se elderly people and both chinese and foreign tourism can also get to the top of the great wall to en- joy the wonderful scenery.
the seven wonders of the world
in ancient times travelers who visited foreign countries generally brought back amazing tales of the wonderful sights they had seen on their holidays. the most famous of these sights became known as the seven wonders.
in the middle ages people considered that there existed other sights quite as wonderful and named the following:
in 1974, the farmers in lintong, near xi' an, china, discovered the terra cotta warriors and horses. people all over the world unanimously considered it the eighth wonder of the world. ..
nowadays, it would be impossible to make a completely satisfactory list of seven wonders as we have all seen or heard of many amazing man-made structures and scientific marvels.
bear zoo at badaling great wall
sponsored by the yanbian dongfang bear paradise in jilin province and the beijing badaling forestry centre, the badaling bear zoo, combining wild animal preservation and tourism, opened on june 27, 1993. the zoo covers an area of 2 hectares (5 acres) in the tianxian ravine in badaling. unlike the wild wolves and foxes that can still be found in the areas, bears are confined in a zoo that consists of 5 sections with 380 in it. the zoo has been expanded into a 40-hectare (98.8 acre) park for protection of plants and wild animals. the zoo has several sections for bears of different species and ages. special shows feature tame bears.
the zoo is composed of a group of dark yellow structures designed in harmony with the surroundings. beginning in 1995, the zoo released some tame bears into forests in badaling to help restore the area's ecological balance. the zoo has enhanced the badaling tourism resort, where the famous badaling section of the great wall stands.
treasures join world legacy list
the great wall (including badaling, shanhaiguan, mutianyu, and jiayuguan) of china, the only man-made object that can be seen from the moon has joined the world heritage list together with 27 other historical sites in china since 1987. those other 27 historical sites see below. the inscription on the list confirms the sites to be of a universal value, which require protection for the benefit of all humanity. the occasion marked not only a great honor for china but also put a greater demand on our arduous task of protecting these world treasures. the chinese government will spare no efforts in protecting more than 500 state level historical places or relic sites. besides, there are more than 5, 192 such places of historical interest at provincial levels. however, some relic sites are suffering natural as well as man-made damages. china will extend international cooperation with other countries and open more joint projects concerning the evaluation and protection of china's vast historical treasures. china's contributions to world heritage)
the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) has listed 28 sites in china ranking the third trailing italy, and spain on its world heritage list since 1987.
the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) has listed 690 sites in 122 countries on its world heritage list since 1976.
for years, the united nations educational, scientific and cultural organization (unesco) has promoted a highly significant international activity involved in preserving the world's cultural and natural properties. in november 1972, the 17th unesco conference adopted the "preservation of the world cultural and natural heritage treaty" (known as the world heritage treaty), which won international recognition and support. by the end of 2001,162 countries were accepted as signatories to the treaty.
to ensure the effective implementation of the treaty, unesco set up in 1976 the world heritage commission--an inter-governmental organization made up of 21 countries chosen by a conference of the signatories. one of its main tasks is to determine, on the basis of the signatories' submission, what should be under the treaty's protection and then included in the "list of world heritages" those cultural relics and natural sites which are inter- nationally recognized as having outstanding significance and common value. the aim is to place these common heritages of mankind under protection. by the end of 2000, the commission had selected 690 from 122 countries in five continents. among them 529 are cultural values, 138 axe natural values, and 23 are both cultural and natural values. of the 690, china had 28, including 3 natural values, 21 cultural values and 4 both cultural and natural values.
the world heritage list has three categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and heritage which both cultural and natural.
china's culture dates back 5,000 years and china is a country with a wealth of cultural property and natural scenery. the chinese government has always laid stress on the preservation of its culture and has actively supported and participated in international activities organized by unesco in this field. in november 1985, the standing committee of the national people's congress of china approved unesco's world heritage treaty, making china one of its signatories. since 1986, china has submitted over ten batches of potential world heritage listings for unesco's consideration. by december 14, 2001, only 17 years after china began its participation, 28 of the country's cultural relics and sites were included in the "list of world heritages.” as a country with a large number of offerings, china is attracting international attention. china's brilliant ancient culture belongs to the entire chinese nation. it is also a precious heritage of all of mankind. it is expected that many more cultural and natural properties of china will be included in unesco's "list of world heritages."
unesco adopted the convention on the protection of world cultural and natural heritage sites in 1972, calling for concerted efforts to protect the common history of mankind. one hundred and forty-six countries have signed the convention.
the world heritage committee, under unesco, each year considers suggestions for listing as world heritage sites. the international community has listed cultural and natural sites, which are of outstanding significance and universal value, as world heritage sites for protection.
nations submit their lists of recommended sites for evaluation by experts from unesco's subordinate organizations: for example, the international centre for the study of the preservation and restoration of cultural property (iccrom). the process takes up three years to complete. two major criteria are vital when seeking a world heritage designation--the site' s value and status of its preservation. unesco has designated 690 proper- ties throughout the world as world heritage sites till 2001. unesco finances training courses for personnel of designated heritage sites.
what is world heritage?
world heritage falls into three categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage and mixed heritage. according to the convention of the world heritage committee, the following shall be considered as cultural heritages:
monuments: architectural works, works of monumental sculpture and painting elements or structure of an archaeological nature, inscriptions and cave dwellings that are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science.
groups of buildings: groups of separate or connected buildings which, because of their architecture, their homogeneity or their place in the landscape, are of outstanding universal value from the point of view of history, art or science.
sites' works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view.
other factors considered as natural heritage qualifications:
natural features consisting of physical and biological formations or groups of such formations are of outstanding universal value from the aesthetic or scientific point of view. geological and physio-graphical formations and precisely delineated areas which constitute the habitat of threatened species of animals and plants of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation. natural sites or precisely delineated natural areas of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty. a site that accommodates both the cultural and the natural universal values can be considered as mixed haritage.
the following sites already on the list have been extended: the potala palace and the jokhong temple monastery, norbulingka park (treasure garden), lhasa and the classical gardens of suzhou.
the list now has 690 sites of "exceptional universal value" in 122 countries and regions across the world, including 28 chinese sites.
cultural sites are required to have historic, artistic, archaeological, scientitle and anthropological value, while natural sites must offer distinct ecological and geographical features.
the convention on the protection of world cultural and natural heritage, adopted by unesco in 1972, requires all its members to preserve listed sites which are protected during times of war. china joined the convention in 1985.
taiwan stunt man ke shouliang
taiwan stunt man ke shouliang flew over the great wall on his motor cycle on the morning of november 15, 1992 at the jinshan mountain ridge section. he was the first to make the dramatic jump, staking a claim to mention in the guinness book of world records. the stunt biker leaped over the ridge's beacon tower from a 100-metre ramp and landed success- fully on the opposite side on another ramp of 50 metres. his distance in the air was about 50 metres.
located about a kilometre northwest to the shanhaiguan pass in hebei province, the hanging great wall was built with rocks blasted from the mountain. it is one of the most spectacular sections of the great wall, which was opened in summer 1993 to tourists after several centuries. this hanging great wall tumbles down the cliffs of a big gorge. and from a distance, it looks like a wheeling dragon clinging to the mountainside. this stunning section of the walls is located in a big gorge, which cuts through the jiaoshan mountain. work began simultaneously at the top and bottom of the cliffs and converged haft way up. imposing and magnificent, the hanging great wall also has a delicate flavor especially in the rains. then the waterfalls flow turbulently down the cliffs, enlivening the quiet of the mountains.
braving the bitter wind and freezing cold, more than 5, 000 young people from hong kong, macao, taiwan and the chinese mainland converged atop the badaling section of the great wall to perform dragon dances in celebration of the lantern festival, which fell on february 19, 2000, the 15th day of the first month on the chinese lunar calendar.
the dragon dance, the most symbolic and joyful celebratory event, constituted the major part of the large-scale variety performance. the giant dragon, winding through 12 beacon towers of the great wall, which measured 3,048 metres, set a new record in the guinness book of world record. "dragon dance at the great wall" was part of the youth-supporting project "dragon at the great wall," which was organized by the project's hong kong committee and the all-china youth federation. the project was aimed at developing leadership skills and innovative potential and facilitating exchange networks among chinese youth worldwide.
the dragon weighed 14, 460 kilograms and had 1,524 joints. it took 66 experts 69 days to finish the giant dragon.
genghis khan (1162-1227)
born in 1162 near the onon river in mongolia, the khan-to-be was named temujin. at that time, feuding mongol tribes were at each others' throats, killing and looting at will. simultaneously, the rulers of the jin dynasty (1115-1234) in northern china, founded by nomadic nuzhen people, ruthlessly exploited the mongol tribes and played them one against the other. the mongols' common desire to end this age-old vendetta and to free themselves from the jin rulers set the stage for temujin's historical mission.
tempered by harsh life on the steppe, his character was taking shape amid an atmosphere of hatred and a fierce competition for survival. one day an argument about a fish and a bird arose between the 9-year-old temujin and his brother. the boy who was to become the "universal ruler" of the mongols cold bloodedly shot his brother to death with an arrow. temujin laid the foundation of his unprecedented empire by uniting and organizing fragmented mongol tribes through alliances, marriage, sworn oaths of brotherhood and military annexation. by a combination of discipline, cunning, ruthlessness, superior organization and the ability to attract and retain personal loyalties, he eliminated his enemies and brought under his rule the related tatar, kereit, naiman and merkit tribes. in 1206, he was named supreme leader of the mongols in a great assembly called the huraltai. the assembly conferred upon him the title genghis khan, meaning "universal ruler.:” in the same year, genghis khan drew up an important legal code, the great yasa; in it, he laid down basic rules for the court, army, and nation in civil, criminal and commercial law. mongol laws and political administration had a strong influence on early russian institutions, dominated by the tatars for more than 200 years.
the mongol society under genghis khan was based on a kind of political, economic and military system rolled into one. breaking down old tribal distinctions, the khan divided the mongol empire into 95 qianhu's (literally 1,000 households in chinese), which were in turn subdivided into 10 households. mongol nobles were placed at each level as political, economic and military chiefs. in these units, mongols were cavalrymen as well as cowherds. the mongols paid their taxes to the nobles, herded their animals, milked their cows and made donations of unpaid labor in peace time. however, each mongol possessed his own horses, bows, spikes and armor and was always ready to turn from a herdsman into a formidable fighter.
genghis khan formulated a series of legal and political institutions from which he forged a homogeneous mongol nation, ethnically, economically, and culturally. this achievement differed from khanates established by mongol conquerors in west asia and russia, which were no more than temporary military administrative amalgamations.
having united the mongols, genghis khan turned to conquest in 1207. the bloody campaigns resulted in the conquest of the jin dynasty, the muslim kingdom of khorezm (which now covers northern iran, kazakhstan, uzbekistan and caucasus) and the kingdom of xixia established by the tibetan tanguts in west china' s gansu and qinghai provinces.
genghis khan's strategic talents and his iron will also play a decisive part in the mongol conquest. he reportedly said "man's highest joy is in victory to conquer one's enemies, to pursue them, to deprive them of their possessions, to make their beloved weep, to ride on their horses and to embrace their wives and daughters.'
why was genghis khan destined to become the master of most of eurasia? all the mongol tribes together numbered about one million men, women and children, which afforded genghis khan a maximum of 125,000 warriors. how was he able to come literally so close to becoming the "ruler of the universe?"
as a nation set to conquer, the daily life of the mongols was a continuous rehearsal for war. clad in leather and furs, leading extra horses as re- mounts and capable of riding several days and nights in succession with a minimum of rest and food, these warriors introduced "blitzkrieg" into the 13th century world. during a campaign on the plains of hungary, they are said to have covered 270 miles in three days. they carried leather bags for water, which when empty could be inflated for use in swimming across rivets. normally, they lived off the countryside, but if necessary they drank the blood of their horses and the milk of their mares.
mongols were masters of the tactic of feigned retreat, espionage and psychological warfare. butchering his enemies in cold blood was genghis khan's own version of psychological warfare. in addition, the mongols were quick to adopt new weapons and techniques, many of them learned from the chinese. these included powerful catapults and battering rams, and the tactics of sappers, who tunneled under walls and blew them up with gunpowder.
genghis khan appeared at the right historical moment--a time when china was divided into three fragments with the jin dynasty ruling the north, the song dynasty the south and the tibetan tanguts ensconced in the northwest. a long period of peace and prosperity had corrupted the rulers and weakened the will of the people. all this lent strength to genghis khan and abetted the spread of his empire.
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