Great Chinese Wall stretches across the northern regions of China People's Republic, through the territories of 17 provinces: from Liaoning to Qinghai.

Taking into account all the branches measured in 2008, the length of the Great Wall of China in its current state reaches 8850 - 8851.9 km (5500 miles).

According to archaeological research, the results of which were made public in 2012, the historical length of the Great Wall of China is 21,196 km (13,170.7 miles).

Measuring the monument is complicated by the fact that some historical sites have complex shape, separated by natural landscape barriers or found to be partially or completely washed away and dismantled by local residents.

History of the construction of the Great Wall of China

The construction of the Great Wall of China began in the 3rd century BC. e. - during the period of the Warring States (475-221 BC) for protection from nomads. At the same time, the technology of constructing fortifications was used earlier - in the 8th-5th centuries BC. e.

The population of the kingdoms of Qin, Wei, Yan, Zhao took part in the construction of the northern defensive walls; in total, about a million people were involved in the work. The first plots built were adobe and even earthen - local materials were pressed. For creating common wall The early protective areas between the kingdoms were also united.

In the first centralized state under Emperor Qin Shi Huang (from 221 BC), early sections were fortified, completed, the single wall was lengthened, and the walls between the former kingdoms were demolished: all efforts were aimed at creating a continuous fortification along the Yinshan mountain range to protect against raids. At that time, the total number of mobilized wall builders reached almost 2 million, and deaths were rising due to harsh working conditions and poor infrastructure. Builders of the time continued to use primitive pressed materials and sun-dried bricks. In some rare areas, mostly in the east, stone slabs began to be laid for the first time.

The height of the wall, given such a heterogeneous landscape, also differed in its different sections. On average, the fortifications rose 7.5 m, taking into account the rectangular battlements - about 9 m, the width was 5.5 m at the bottom and 4.5 m at the top. An integral part The walls became towers - built at the same time within an arrow's distance from each other (about 200 meters) and early ones included in the wall in a random order. The grandiose fortress wall also included signal towers, towers with loopholes and 12 gates.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 3rd century AD), the Great Wall of China was extended west to Dunhuang. According to archaeologists, during this period, about 10,000 km of fortifications were restored and built, which included new watchtowers in a desert area where protection of trade caravans from nomads was required.

The next one described in historical sources the period of construction of the wall is the 12th century, the ruling dynasty is Jin. However, the sites built at this time were mainly located north of the early wall, within the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia and in the territory of the modern country of Mongolia.

The surviving Great Wall of China was largely built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). For the construction of fortifications, durable stone blocks and bricks were used, and a mixture of rice porridge with slaked lime. During the long reign of the Ming, the fortress wall stretched from east to west from the Shanhaiguan outpost on the shores of the Bohai Bay to the Yumenguan outpost, located on the modern border of Gansu province and the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. These strongholds from the sea to the desert are now designated as the beginning and end of the Great Wall of China.

Interesting facts about the Great Wall of China

• More than 300 people have visited the Badaling tourist site since 1957. statesmen from different countries peace. The first of the foreigners was the revolutionary Klim Voroshilov.
• Since 1999, the marathon has become an annual event. The Great Wall Marathon on an equipped section of the wall. It involves 2,500 athletes from more than 60 countries.
• Visually recognizing the Great Wall of China from space is a common myth. The misconception that the wall can be seen from the Moon with the naked eye has now been refuted. Visibility from earth orbit has not yet been confirmed; photographs of the Great Wall of China from space cannot serve as evidence, since the resolution of the cameras used is higher than the capabilities visual system person.

Sections of the Great Wall of China

Only a small part of the Great Wall of China is equipped and permanently accessible to tourists. The restored areas near Beijing are designed for mass tourism.

Badaling

The Badaling site was built during the Ming Dynasty and comprehensively restored under Mao Zedong. This is the first section of the Great Wall of China open to the public. Length - about 50 km. Thus, tourism in Badaling has been developing since 1957, and now it is the famous and most visited site, also due to its location - just 70 km from Beijing, connected to the capital by bus and train express trains.

Entrance fee: 45 CNY from April to October, 40 CNY from November to March.

Opening hours: from 6:40 to 18:30.

Mutianyu

This is the second closest to Beijing (about 80 km from the city center) and also a very popular section of the Great Wall of China, length - 2.2 km. Mutianyu is located beyond the Huairou district, connected to Jiankou in the west and Lianhuachi in the east. The foundation of this site is older than Badaling: the first wall was built in the 6th century under Northern Qi, and the wall of the Ming Dynasty was built on the preserved foundation. In 1569, Mutianyu was restored, the site has been perfectly preserved to this day, and is located in a picturesque environment of forests and streams. Another feature of Mutianyu is the large number of staircases.

Entrance fee is 40 CNY, for seniors over 60 years old and children 1.2-1.4 m tall - 20 CNY. Children under 1.2 m are free.

Opening hours: second half of March - mid-November from 7:30 to 18:00 (on weekends - until 18:30), other days of the year - from 8:00 to 17:00.

Simatai

The 5.4 km long Simatai section is located 145 km from the center of Beijing. In the western part of this section, 20 watchtowers are well preserved. The eastern wall has a steep slope due to the rugged terrain with rocks. Total There are 35 towers in Simatai.

On Simatai there is less restoration work, but the route is more difficult. Of particular interest are the towers; Sky Bridge - a section up to 40 cm wide; Heavenly Staircase - rise at an angle of 85 degrees. The most extreme areas are closed to tourists.

Entrance fee - 40 CNY for an adult, 20 CNY for a child 1.2 - 1.5 m tall. Free for children under 1.2 m.

Opening hours (day and evening shifts): April-October - from 8:00 to 18:00 and from 10:00 to 22:00; November - March - from 8:00 to 17:30 (on weekends - until 21:30) and from 17:30 to 21:30.

Gubeikou

A mostly “wild” and unrestored section of the wall in the Gubeikou area, 146-150 km from Beijing. Built during the Ming Dynasty on the foundation of an ancient wall of the 6th century, it has not been rebuilt since the 16th century, retaining its authentic appearance, although not as impressive as on Simatai and Jinshalin.

The city of Gubeikou has divided the wall in this area into two parts - Wohushan (4.8 km, the main attraction is the "Sister Towers") and Panlongshan (about 5 km, notable is the "24-eyed tower" - with 24 observation holes).

Entrance fee - 25 CNY.

Opening hours: from 8:10 to 18:00.

Jinshalin

Located in the mountainous region of Luanping County, 156 km from the center of Beijing by road. Jinshalin is connected to Simatai in the east and Mutianyu in the west.

The length of the Jinshalin wall is 10.5 kilometers, it includes 67 towers and 3 signal towers.

The initial section of the wall has been restored, but it general state close to natural, gradually deteriorating.

Entrance fee: from April to October - 65 CNY, from November to March - 55 CNY.

Huanghuachen

Huanghuachen is the only lakeside part of the Great Wall of China in the vicinity of Beijing. The distance from the city center is about 80 km. This is an interesting hiking route, especially picturesque in summer. The wall at Lake Haoming was built from 1404 over a period of 188 years. Now this section reaches 12.4 km, in some places segments of the masonry walls are immersed in water.

Entrance fee - 45 CNY. Children under 1.2 m are free.

Opening hours: from April to October on weekdays - from 8:30 to 17:00; weekends, May 1-7 and October 1-7 - 8:00-18:00; from November to March - from 8:30 to 16:30.

Huanya Pass

Huanyaguan, or Huangya Pass, was built along the mountains, stretching 42 km from General Pass in Beijing to Malan Pass in Hebei, originally containing 52 watchtowers and 14 signal towers. However, due to lack of repairs, most of this wall has collapsed. Since 2014, about 3 km of the structure and 20 towers have been restored. Attractions include the Widow's Tower, an ancient part of the Northern Qi Dynasty wall at the end of the Chania Sky Stairs, and the Great Wall Museum.

The distance to Huanyagan from the center of Beijing is about 120 km.

Entrance fee - 65 CNY. Children from 1.2 to 1.5 m - 35 CNY. Children under 1.2 m - free.

Open to tourists from 7:30 to 18:30.

Shanhaiguan

An iconic part of the wall: this is where one of its ends is located - the “Dragon’s Head”, which goes into the Yellow Sea. It is located 15 km from Qinhuangdao and 305 km from Beijing.

The plan of Shanhaiguan Fortress is shaped like a square with a perimeter of about 7 km (4.5 mi) with a gate on each side. The eastern wall was the main line of defense of the pass, known as the "First Passage Under Heaven".

Login Old city in the fortress, the Great Wall of China Museum - free. “First Passage Under Heaven” - 40 CNY from May to October, 15 CNY from November to March.

Opening hours: from 7:00 to 18:00 from May to October, from 7:30 to 17:00 from November to April. The museum is open from 8:00 to 17:00.

Purple marble wall sections

The fortifications made of purple marble as part of the Great Wall of China are considered the most durable and beautiful. They are built from marble extracted from local deposits. Two sites are located near the city of Jiang'an, and another is in the Yanyshan Mountains. It is hardly possible to verify the information in practice: the listed walls are closed to mass tourism.

How to get to the Great Wall of China

The most accessible area in terms of transport is Badaling. However, you can independently reach other surviving parts of the Great Wall of China.

How to get to the Great Wall of China from Beijing

From Beijing to Badaling You can get there by transport:

• buses No. 877 (express from Deshengmen stop, 12 CNY);
• public bus No. 919 (takes longer, with stops, you need to check whether it will take you to Badaling;
• by train S2 from Huangtudian Station, then by free bus to Badaling Cable Car Station;
• by special tourist buses: from the stops Qianmen, East Bridge, Xizhimen Gate, Beijing Railway Station.

From Beijing Airport to the Great Wall of China(Badalina) you can get there with a transfer (metro/bus + bus, or metro/bus + train) or using a transfer - such offers are enough for both groups and individual travelers.

Transport to the wall Mutianyu from Beijing (with transfer):

• from Dongzhimen station by bus No. 916 (express or regular) to Huairou North Avenue (Huairou Beidajie);
• Take shuttle bus h23, h24, h35, or h36 to Mutianyu.

Transport from Beijing to the wall Simatai(with 1 change):

• Bus No. 980 / 980 Express (respectively 15 / 17 CNY) from Dongzhimen to Miyun Bus Station;
• then take Mi 51 (8 CNY) to the village of Simatay.

To get to Gubeikou From Beijing, take Express Bus No. 980 from Dongzhimen to Miyun Bus Station, then take Mi Bus 25 to your destination.

Jinshalin from Beijing:

• by subway (line 13 or 15) to West Wangjing, then by tourist bus to your destination (departs at 10:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:30 and returns at 10:30, 11:30, 13: 30, 15:00, fare 32 CNY); valid only during the season from April to November 15;
• from Dongzhimen by bus No. 980 to Miyun County, then on your own (with a companion, rental car, taxi) to Jinshaling.

Huanyaguan from Beijing:

• by intercity bus to Jizhou (30-40 CNY), then by local charter minibus to Hanyaguang (25-30 CNY);
• train to Jizhou from Beijing East Railway Station (14.5 CNY), then by charter minibus.

Transport from Beijing to the Great Wall of China on the site Huanghuachen:

• from Dongzhimen on a special excursion bus operating during the peak season from April to October (weekends and holidays). You need to purchase a round-trip ticket - Huanghuacheng Lakeside Great Wall for 80 CNY;
• From Dongzhimen take bus 916 or 916 express to Huizhou Bus Station, then take bus H21 to Small West Lake.

To get to the Shanhaiguan section of the Great Wall of China from Beijing, you need to take a train to Shanhaiguan Station and then walk. Train schedule is on the website.

Transfer, taxi from Beijing

It will be convenient to order a transfer to the closest and most popular sections of the wall:

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The Great Wall of China (China) - description, history, location. Exact address, phone number, website. Tourist reviews, photos and videos.

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It is difficult to find a larger-scale creation of human hands than the Great Wall of China. We can only highlight the Egyptian pyramids. And while the structures in the Giza Valley are mostly concentrated in one place, the wall, like a giant dragon, stretches across deserts, fields, mountains and plateaus, stretching for more than 20,000 km from east to west China. Despite its almost zero effectiveness in protecting against invaders, it still became a symbol of the country’s power, a kind of barrier between the Middle Kingdom and the rest of the world. Today, millions of tourists annually strive to see this symbol, a significant part of which are residents of the PRC, who believe that if a person has never been on the wall, he cannot be a real Chinese.

A little history

The Great Wall of China was not built overnight. This is the result of the work of many states that existed on the territory of modern China. The rulers of the Chu state began to build it in the 7th century, and it was completed in 1878 by the rulers of the Qing Empire. The main part of the structure was built 600 years ago. Until the 1980s, the wall was practically not repaired, and only the Badaling segment was in more or less intact condition. But thanks to a large-scale restoration program, the structure was saved, although many areas are still in a dilapidated state.

There is an urban legend that the Great Wall of China can be seen from space. In fact, this is not entirely true. The wall is truly impressive, but primarily for its length. Its width is relatively small, and visual acuity is simply not enough to see it. But you can still see the wall in a high-quality photograph. She looks similar to him, but has thin, broken hair.

What to see

The Great Wall is not a solid structure. Over the 2,700 years of its existence, many of its sections turned into ruins, or were even completely dismantled. Therefore, this means traveling to certain segments, most often completely restored, located near large cities with developed tourist infrastructure.

Mutianyu is the most sleek 73-kilometer section, located 2 hours drive from Beijing. The carefully restored wall with many watchtowers is surrounded by stunning mountain ranges. There are not as many people here as on other segments, so if time permits, it is better to go here. According to many tourists, the architecture here is more interesting than in the super popular Badalin area.

Badaling is often crowded - this is “thanks” to the short distance from Beijing (80 km), developed infrastructure (hotels, restaurants, cable car) and, of course, beautiful scenery.

Symatai is one of the few segments that has retained the original appearance 14th century. The bricks that make up the wall are marked with the date they were laid and the number of the military unit involved in the construction. This is the only area open in the evening.

The highlight of the Jinshanling segment is a well-preserved defensive system with loopholes, clock towers, gates and firing points.

Practical information

The most popular sections of the wall are located in relative proximity to Beijing. Here's how to get to them.

Mutianyu. Take the subway directly from the airport and get to Dongzhimen station. From there, on weekends at 7:00 and 8:30, bus No. 867 leaves for the wall. It spends 2-2.5 hours on the road and leaves back for Beijing at 14:00 and 16:00.

Badalin. Bus No. 877 to Badaling departs from the capital's Deshengmen Bus Station from 6:00. You can also get here by taking the Beijing Tourist Hub tourist bus, which runs from the southern end of Tiananmen Square. The ticket costs 100 CNY, children under 120 cm tall travel for free.

Get out. From Beijing Dongzhimen Station, take bus No. 980 to Miyun City and then take a taxi to the wall (CNY 180 roundtrip). Total time on the way - 2 hours.

Jinshanling. Take the subway to Dongzhimen Station. From there, a tourist bus leaves for the wall at 8:00. From Jinshanling it departs at 15:00. Ticket 50 CNY, travel time 2 hours. Prices on the page are for April 2019.

The Great Wall of China is a unique and amazing structure of all times, which has no equal in the whole world.

The grandiose building is recognized as the longest structure ever erected by man; its length, according to some sources, is almost 8,852 kilometers. At the same time, the average height of the wall is 7.5 meters (and the maximum is up to 10 meters), and the width at the base is 6.5 meters. The Chinese Wall begins in the city of Shaihanguan and ends in Gansu Province.

The Chinese Wall was built to protect the Qin Empire from threats from the north. Then in the 3rd century AD. Emperor Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of an incredible defensive fortification, the construction of which involved more than a million people (slaves, peasants and prisoners of war). During the construction of the wall, tens and hundreds of thousands of people died, so it is also considered the largest cemetery in the world. With all this, the quality of the construction is amazing - even after 2000 years, most of the wall remained intact, although the main material for it was compacted earth, and ordinary rice flour was found in the mortar for laying stones and bricks. But still, some sections of the wall were restored at a later period, since over time they were destroyed under the influence of natural conditions.

It is worth noting that, despite all the efforts of the emperor to build such a large-scale defensive structure, the Qin dynasty was later overthrown.

The enormity of the Chinese Wall has given rise to many myths. For example, it is believed that it can be seen from space, but this opinion is erroneous. In addition, one of the most creepy and ominous myths says that real human bones, crushed into powder, were used as “cement” to build the wall. But as stated earlier, this is completely false. There is also an opinion that people who died during construction were buried directly in the wall to make it stronger, but this is not true either - the dying builders were buried along the structure.

Today, the Great Wall of China is one of the most popular attractions in the world. Every year, more than 40 million people come to China to see with their own eyes an architectural monument that amazes with its grandeur. And the Chinese even claim that without visiting the wall it is impossible to truly understand China itself. The most popular section of the Chinese Wall among tourists is located in close proximity to Beijing - only 75 km away.

Chinese Wall brief information.

Secondary general education

Line UMK Volobueva-Ponomarev. General history(10-11) (BU)

General history

Who built the Great Wall of China?

The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous walls in the world. Translated from Chinese, her name means “Long Wall” (or “Long Wall of 10,000 li”, which symbolizes not a specific “kilometer”, but a “great” length). The total length of the wall is more than 21 thousand kilometers, and its height is 6-8 meters.

Who built such a majestic structure? And for what?

The beginning of the great construction

It is believed that the construction of the wall began during the era of the Warring States in the 3rd century BC (475-221 BC). Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi ordered the construction of a protective wall in order to save his people from the raid of the Xiongnu nomads. The wall was built by a fifth of the country’s population, which is over a million people. Among the workers were slaves, ordinary farmers, and soldiers, and the construction was led by the commander Meng Tian.

Myths and legends of the ancient Celestial Empire

The construction of significant structures always gives rise to many myths and legends. The Great Wall of China has not been spared from history either. Here are some beautiful legends about this event.

Under the sign of the Dragon

Who else but a dragon should be involved in such a grandiose construction? According to legend, it was this mythological creature who pointed right location future building. A huge dragon walked along the Chinese border, and builders built a wall following it. Even the shape of the resulting wall is similar to a great dragon

It is curious that another name, folk, also refers to mythical creature- "earth dragon". But its origin no longer relates to Chinese legends, but to real facts. The fact is that before the reign of the Qin dynasty, the simplest natural materials were used in the construction of most of the Great Wall, often by simply compacting the earth. A significant part of the materials was taken right there: reeds, pebbles, clay. In shape, the structure was too reminiscent of a writhing dragon, stretching from the Yellow Sea to the Tibetan Mountains.

The China RG guide is one of the most detailed and convenient guides in the world. Accurate maps will make it easy to navigate in any province of China and major cities, and reference sections will help you choose the most comfortable spot for accommodation and food for every taste and budget, plan a trip around the country using any transport, rent a bicycle or climbing equipment, and also take a hiking trip.

Imperial word

And if it was not the dragon who indicated the direction of construction, then it could only be the emperor himself. Legend has it that the emperor rode around his domain on a white horse, considering where to lay the foundation of the future Great Wall. And in those places where his horse stumbled, watchtowers were then erected.

Official and Master

To build such a large-scale structure, real masters of their craft were required. There were many talented builders among the Chinese, but one craftsman, nicknamed “Iron Abacus,” especially stood out among the others. He was so smart and savvy in his craft that he could calculate the required volume of building material for a future building with the accuracy of a brick.

Naturally, such a loud statement could not go in vain. And so, one imperial official decided to check the Master. A condition was set: the master indicates the required number of bricks, and construction begins. If the worker made a mistake by just one brick, then the Official himself will lay this brick for the glory of the Master. If the mistake is more significant, the employee will not lose his head.

Construction has begun. The master calculated that 99,999 brick blocks would be needed for construction. grew up brick walls, watchtowers and gate towers. And so, on one of the 25 thousand towers, near the one that stands near the famous ancient Silk Road, on a hill near the city gate of Xiwen, you can see a brick that stands out noticeably from the rest of the masonry. Apparently, this is the same brick laid by the Official in honor of the Master in gratitude for the correct account.

Faithful wife

Among other legends, there are also sad tales. Such, for example, was the story of Meng Jiang Nu’s faithful wife. Her husband, a farmer, was forced to participate in the construction of the wall. Next, the legend has several options.

In the first version, Meng learns that her husband died during construction and his body rests in the wall. Inconsolable, she sobbed so bitterly at the foot of the building that the bricks collapsed from her suffering in the place where her husband’s corpse lay. So the poor thing was able to take his remains and give him a decent burial.

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According to another version, the wife went to her husband with warm clothes so that he could endure the cold at work. But before she had time, the farmer died before she arrived. The woman cried bitterly and, as usual, the wall immediately collapsed from her tears. This did not escape the eyes of the emperor - he ordered to place the widow in his palace. The woman agreed, but hid her true intentions. She buried her beloved husband with dignity, and then committed suicide by bravely throwing herself into the river. Whatever version is true, a monument was erected on the wall in memory of the faithful and loving Maine.

Unfortunately, such a sad story is certainly partly based on real events. During all the years of construction of the wall, such a huge number of people died that the Great Wall of China began to be called “the longest cemetery in the world.” At least half a million people died, and people died from hard work, terrible working conditions and epidemics. There were no good roads, and there was not enough water and provisions for workers. The entire construction route of the Chinese wall was literally covered with the remains of dead people.

The traditions of Chinese art are such that each work is both an object and a text, that is, a system of signs that can be read, because any object has its own symbolic meaning. And in Chinese painting, for example in landscape, the implied movement towards wisdom and perfection is necessarily depicted. If you look closely, you will see a path that leads the traveler among the mountain valleys and slopes to the top, where a secluded hut is hidden, and in the hut lives a hermit, to whom the wanderer directs his path. Confucius said that humanity and knowledge are like waters and mountains. And water is one of the main images of wisdom and wise behavior in the Chinese tradition.

The Great Wall of China was not built by the Chinese?

Some historians believe that the Great Wall not only protected the Chinese from enemy attacks, but also kept its citizens from escaping the country. To continue the monstrous theory that the Chinese were forced to build a wall “against” themselves would be confirmed by some loopholes aimed inland. However, there is a hypothesis that the construction of the Great Wall of China was not the work of the Chinese, but of the northern inhabitants. Then, it is quite logical that the loopholes should have helped defend against their southern neighbor.

Scientists cite the following facts to support their theory. The first dates back to the time of the construction of the wall - somewhere between 445 and 222 BC, when there was no news of the Mongol-Tatar nomads yet, therefore, there was no reason for defense. In addition, instead of a united China, there were eight small states, which individually could not “pull” the construction of the Great Wall.

The Qin Dynasty, one of whose representatives was Shi Huangdi, began its reign in 221 BC, therefore, by these years most of the Great Wall had already been completed. And the grandiose structure itself in its style is more similar to European defensive structures erected after the Middle Ages.

Considering the above, it is likely that the towers, loopholes and the famous road above that are so familiar to us were built much later than is believed.

It is no coincidence that all great buildings, such as the huge pyramids in Egypt, the Great Wall in China, and the grandiose Aztec pyramids, raise many questions and bewilderments among historians. Scientists argue not only about When they were the ones who were erected, but also Who specifically built them. Sometimes, in the absence of facts, people begin to believe that they interfered with the construction of such significant structures. higher power. However, the truth is this: all great buildings owe their existence to ordinary people who not only shed blood and sweat for them, but also gave their lives.

THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

The colossal defensive structures known today as the “Great Wall of China” were built by those who, thousands of years ago, possessed technologies that we have not yet developed. And these were clearly not Chinese...

In China, there is another material evidence of the presence in this country of a highly developed civilization, to which the Chinese have no relation. Unlike the Chinese pyramids, this evidence is well known to everyone. This is the so-called Great Wall of China.

Let's see what orthodox historians have to say about this largest architectural monument, which has recently become a major tourist attraction in China. The wall is located in the north of the country, stretching from the sea coast and going deep into the Mongolian steppes, and according to various estimates, its length, including branches, is from 6 to 13,000 km. The thickness of the wall is several meters (on average 5 meters), the height is 6-10 meters. It is alleged that the wall included 25 thousand towers.

A brief history of the construction of the wall today looks like this. The construction of the wall supposedly began in the 3rd century BC. during the reign of the Qin dynasty, to defend against raids by nomads from the north and clearly define the border of Chinese civilization. The construction was initiated by the famous “collector of Chinese lands” Emperor Qin Shi-Huang Di. He brought about half a million people to the construction, which, with 20 million general population is a very impressive figure. Then the wall was a structure made mainly of earth - a huge earthen rampart.

During the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), the wall was expanded to the west, reinforced with stone and a line of watchtowers was built that went deep into the desert. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the wall continued to be built. As a result, it stretched from east to west from the Bohai Gulf in the Yellow Sea to the western border of the modern province of Gansu, entering the territory of the Gobi Desert. It is believed that this wall was built by the efforts of a million Chinese from bricks and stone blocks, which is why these sections of the wall have been preserved to this day in the form in which a modern tourist is already accustomed to seeing it. The Ming Dynasty was replaced by the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which did not build the wall. She limited herself to maintaining in relative order small area near Beijing, which served as the "gateway to the capital."

In 1899, American newspapers started a rumor that the wall would soon be demolished and a highway would be built in its place. However, no one was going to demolish anything. Moreover, in 1984, a program to restore the wall was launched on the initiative of Deng Xiaoping and under the leadership of Mao Zedong, which is still being carried out today, and is financed from Chinese and foreign companies, as well as individuals. It is not reported how much Mao drove to restore the wall. Several areas were repaired, and in some places they were completely rebuilt. So we can assume that in 1984 the construction of the fourth wall of China began. Usually, tourists are shown one of the sections of the wall, located 60 km northwest of Beijing. This is the area of ​​Mount Badaling, the length of the wall is 50 km.

The wall makes the greatest impression not in the Beijing region, where it was built on not very high mountains, but in remote mountainous areas. There, by the way, you can clearly see that the wall, as a defensive structure, was made very thoughtfully. Firstly, five people in a row could move along the wall itself, so it was also a good road, which is extremely important when it is necessary to transport troops. Under the cover of the battlements, the guards could secretly approach the area where the enemies were planning to attack. The signal towers were located in such a way that each of them was within sight of the other two. Some important messages were transmitted either by drumming, or by smoke, or by the fire of fires. Thus, the news of an enemy invasion from the farthest frontiers could be transmitted to the center within a day!

During the restoration process the walls were opened Interesting Facts. For example, its stone blocks were held together with sticky rice porridge mixed with slaked lime. Or that the loopholes on her fortresses looked towards China; what's wrong north side The height of the wall is small, much less than on the south, and there are stairs there. The latest facts, for obvious reasons, are not advertised and are not commented on in any way by official science - neither Chinese nor world. Moreover, when reconstructing towers, they try to build loopholes in the opposite direction, although this is not possible everywhere. These photos show the south side of the wall - the sun is shining at midday.

However, this is where the weirdness comes from Chinese wall don't end. Wikipedia has a complete map of the wall, where different colors shows the wall that we are told was built by every Chinese dynasty. As we see, there is more than one great wall. Northern China is often and densely dotted with the “Great Walls of China”, which extend into the territory of modern Mongolia and even Russia. Light was shed on these oddities by A.A. Tyunyaev in his work “The Chinese Wall - a great barrier from the Chinese”:

“Tracing the stages of construction of the “Chinese” wall, based on the data of Chinese scientists, is extremely interesting. It is clear from them that the Chinese scientists who call the wall “Chinese” are not very concerned about the fact that the Chinese people themselves did not take any part in its construction: every time another section of the wall was built, the Chinese state was far from the construction sites.

So, the first and main part of the wall was built in the period from 445 BC. to 222 BC It runs along 41-42° north latitude and at the same time along some sections of the river. Yellow River. At this time, naturally, there were no Mongol-Tatars. Moreover, the first unification of peoples within China took place only in 221 BC. under the kingdom of Qin. And before that there was the Zhanguo period (5-3 centuries BC), in which eight states existed on Chinese territory. Only in the middle of the 4th century. BC. The Qin began to fight against other kingdoms, and by 221 BC. conquered some of them.

The figure shows that the western and northern border of the Qin state by 221 BC. began to coincide with that section of the “Chinese” wall, which began to be built back in 445 BC. and was built precisely in 222 BC.

Thus, we see that this section of the “Chinese” wall was built not by the Chinese of the Qin state, but by its northern neighbors, but precisely from the Chinese spreading to the north. In just 5 years - from 221 to 206. BC. - a wall was built along the entire border of the Qin state, which stopped the spread of its subjects to the north and west. In addition, at the same time, 100-200 km west and north of the first, a second line of defense against Qin was built - the second “Chinese” wall of this period.

The next period of construction covers the time from 206 BC. to 220 AD During this period, sections of the wall were built, located 500 km to the west and 100 km to the north of the previous ones... In the period from 618 to 907. China was ruled by the Tang dynasty, which did not mark itself with victories over its northern neighbors.

In the next period, from 960 to 1279. The Song Empire established itself in China. At this time, China lost dominance over its vassals in the west, in the northeast (on the Korean Peninsula) and in the south - in northern Vietnam. The Song Empire lost a significant part of the territories of the Chinese proper in the north and northwest, which went to the Khitan state of Liao (part of the modern provinces of Hebei and Shanxi), the Tangut kingdom of Xi-Xia (part of the territories of the modern province of Shaanxi, the entire territory of the modern province of Gansu and Ningxia-Hui autonomous region).

In 1125, the border between the non-Chinese Jurchen kingdom and China ran along the river. Huaihe is 500-700 km south of where the wall was built. And in 1141, a peace treaty was signed, according to which the Chinese Song Empire recognized itself as a vassal of the non-Chinese state of Jin, pledging to pay it a large tribute.

However, while China itself huddled south of the river. Hunahe, 2100-2500 km north of its borders, another section of the “Chinese” wall was erected. This part of the wall, built from 1066 to 1234, runs along Russian territory north of Borzya village next to the river. Argun. At the same time, 1500-2000 km north of China, another section of the wall was built, located along the Greater Khingan...

The next section of the wall was built between 1366 and 1644. It runs along the 40th parallel from Andong (40°), just north of Beijing (40°), through Yinchuan (39°) to Dunhuang and Anxi (40°) in the west. This section of the wall is the last, the southernmost and the deepest penetrating into the territory of China... At the time of the construction of this section of the wall, the entire Amur region belonged to Russian territories. By the middle of the 17th century, Russian fortresses (Albazinsky, Kumarsky, etc.), peasant settlements and arable lands already existed on both banks of the Amur. In 1656, the Daurian (later Albazinsky) voivodeship was formed, which included the valley of the Upper and Middle Amur on both banks... The “Chinese” wall, built by the Russians by 1644, ran exactly along the border of Russia with Qing China. In the 1650s, Qing China invaded Russian lands to a depth of 1,500 km, which was secured by the Aigun (1858) and Beijing (1860) treaties...”

Today the Chinese Wall is located inside China. However, there was a time when the wall marked the border of the country.

This fact is confirmed by ancient maps that have reached us. For example, the map of China by the famous medieval cartographer Abraham Ortelius from his 1602 geographical atlas of the world Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. On the map, north is on the right. It clearly shows that China is separated from the northern country - Tartaria by a wall.

The 1754 map “Le Carte de l’Asie” also clearly shows that the border of China with Great Tartary runs along the wall.

And even a map from 1880 shows the wall as China's border with its northern neighbor. It is noteworthy that part of the wall extends quite far into the territory of China’s western neighbor – Chinese Tartaria...

Interesting illustrations for this article are collected on the “Food RA” website...

Elena Lyubimova

WHO BUILT THIS WALL?

A group of British archaeologists, led by William Lindsay, managed to make a sensational discovery in the fall of 2011: a part of the Great Wall of China was discovered, which is located outside of China - in Mongolia.

The remains of this huge structure (100 kilometers long and 2.5 meters high) were discovered in the Gobi Desert, located in southern Mongolia. Scientists have concluded that the find is part of a famous Chinese landmark. The materials of the wall section include wood, earth and volcanic stone. The building itself dates back to between 1040 and 1160 BC.

Back in 2007, on the border of Mongolia and China, during an expedition organized by the same Lindsay, a significant section of the wall was found, which was attributed to the reign of the Han Dynasty. Since then, the search for the remaining fragments of the wall has continued, which finally ended in success in Mongolia. The Great Wall of China, let us remind you, is one of the largest architectural monuments and one of the most famous defensive structures of antiquity. It passes through Northern China and is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

It is generally accepted that it began to be built back in the 3rd century BC. to protect the state of the Qin dynasty from the attacks of the “northern barbarians” - the nomadic Xiongnu people. In the 3rd century AD, during the Han Dynasty, construction of the wall was resumed and it was expanded westward. Over time, the wall began to collapse, but during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), as they say Chinese historians, the wall was restored and strengthened. Those parts of it that have survived to this day were built mainly in the 15th – 16th centuries.

During the three centuries of the Manchu Qing dynasty (from 1644), the defensive structure became dilapidated and almost everything was destroyed, since the new rulers of the Celestial Empire did not need protection from the north. Only in our time, in the mid-1980s, did restoration of sections of the wall begin as material evidence of the ancient origin of statehood in the lands of Northeast Asia.

Some Russian researchers (President of the Academy of Basic Sciences A.A. Tyunyaev and his like-minded person, honorary doctor of the University of Brussels V.I. Semeiko) express doubts about the generally accepted version of the origin of the protective structure on the northern borders of the state of the Qin dynasty. In November 2006, in one of his publications, Andrei Tyunyaev formulated his thoughts on this topic as follows: “As is known, to the north of the territory modern China there was another, much more ancient civilization. This has been repeatedly confirmed by archaeological discoveries made, in particular, in Eastern Siberia. Impressive evidence of this civilization, comparable to Arkaim in the Urals, not only has not yet been studied and comprehended by the world historical science, but did not even receive proper assessment in Russia itself.”

As for the ancient wall, then, as Tyunyaev claims, “the loopholes on a significant part of the wall are directed not to the north, but to the south. And this is clearly visible not only in the most ancient, unreconstructed sections of the wall, but even in recent photographs and works of Chinese drawing.”

In 2008, at the First International Congress “Pre-Cyrillic Slavic Literature and Pre-Christian Slavic Culture” in Leningrad state university named after A.S. Pushkin Tyunyaev made a report “China is the younger brother of Rus',” during which he presented fragments of Neolithic ceramics from the territory of the eastern part of Northern China. The signs depicted on the ceramics did not look like Chinese characters, but demonstrated almost complete coincidence with the ancient Russian runica - up to 80 percent.

The researcher, based on the latest archaeological data, expresses the opinion that during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages the population of the western part of Northern China was Caucasian. Indeed, throughout Siberia, right up to China, mummies of Caucasians are being discovered. According to genetic data, this population had the Old Russian haplogroup R1a1.

This version is also supported by the mythology of the ancient Slavs, which tells the story of the movement of the ancient Rus in an eastern direction - they were led by Bogumir, Slavunya and their son Scythian. These events are reflected, in particular, in the Book of Veles, which, let us make a reservation, is not recognized by academic historians.

Tyunyaev and his supporters point out that the Great Wall of China was built similarly to European and Russian medieval walls, the main purpose of which was protection from firearms. The construction of such structures began no earlier than the 15th century, when cannons and other weapons appeared on the battlefields. siege weapons. Before the 15th century, the so-called northern nomads did not have artillery.

Based on these data, Tyunyaev expresses the opinion that the wall in eastern Asia was built as a defensive structure marking the border between two medieval states. It was erected after an agreement was reached on the delimitation of territories. And this, according to Tyunyaev, is confirmed by a map of the time when the border between Russian Empire and the Qing Empire passed precisely along the wall.

We are talking about a map of the Qing Empire of the second half of the 17th–18th centuries, presented in the academic 10-volume “World History”. That map shows in detail a wall running exactly along the border between the Russian Empire and the empire of the Manchu dynasty (Qing Empire).

An 18th-century map of Asia produced by the Royal Academy in Amsterdam shows two geographical formations: in the north - Tartarie, in the south - China, the northern border of which runs approximately along the 40th parallel, that is, exactly along the wall. On this map the wall is marked with a thick line and labeled "Muraille de la Chine". Now this phrase is usually translated from French as “Chinese Wall”.
However, when translated literally, the meaning is somewhat different: muraille (“wall”) in a construction with the preposition de (noun + preposition de + noun) and the word la Chine expresses the object and belonging of the wall. That is, the “wall of China”. Based on analogies (for example, place de la Concorde - Place de la Concorde), then Muraille de la Chine is a wall named after the country that Europeans called Chine.

There are other translation options from the French phrase “Muraille de la Chine” - “wall from China”, “wall delimiting from China”. After all, in an apartment or in a house we call the wall that separates us from our neighbors the neighbor’s wall, and the wall that separates us from the street - outer wall. We have the same thing when naming borders: Finnish border, Ukrainian border... In this case, the adjectives indicate only the geographical location of the Russian borders.

It is noteworthy that in medieval Rus' there was a word “kita” - a tying of poles that were used in the construction of fortifications. Thus, the name of the Moscow district Kitai-Gorod was given in the 16th century for the same reasons - the building consisted of a stone wall with 13 towers and 6 gates...

According to the opinion enshrined in the official version of history, the construction of the Great Wall of China began in 246 BC. under Emperor Shi Huangdi, its height was from 6 to 7 meters, the purpose of construction was protection from northern nomads.

Russian historian L.N. Gumilyov wrote: “The wall stretched for 4 thousand km. Its height reached 10 meters, and watchtowers rose every 60–100 meters.” He noted: “When the work was completed, it turned out that everyone armed forces There won't be enough China to mount an effective defense on the wall. In fact, if you place a small detachment on each tower, the enemy will destroy it before the neighbors have time to gather and send help. If large detachments are placed less frequently, gaps will be created through which the enemy can easily and unnoticed penetrate into the interior of the country. A fortress without defenders is not a fortress.”
From European experience it is known that ancient walls more than several hundred years old are not repaired, but rebuilt - due to the fact that the materials also gain fatigue over such a long time and simply fall apart. But in relation to the Chinese Wall, the opinion has been firmly established that the structure was built two thousand years ago and nevertheless survived.

We will not go into controversy on this issue, but simply use Chinese dating and see who built different sections of the wall and against whom. The first and main part of the wall was built before our era. It runs along 41–42 degrees north latitude, including along some sections of the Yellow River.
The western and northern borders of the Qin state only by 221 BC. began to coincide with the section of the wall built by this time. It is logical to assume that this site was built not by the inhabitants of the Qin kingdom, but by their northern neighbors. From 221 to 206 BC A wall was built along the entire border of the Qin state. In addition, at the same time, a second line of defense was built 100–200 km west and north of the first wall - another wall.

It certainly could not have been built by the Qin kingdom, since it did not control these lands at that time.
During the Han Dynasty (from 206 BC to 220 AD), sections of the wall were built, located 500 km west and 100 km north of the previous ones. Their location corresponded to the expansion of territories controlled by this state. Who built these protective structures- southerners or northerners, it is very difficult to say today. From the point of view of traditional history, it is the state of the Han Dynasty, which sought to protect itself from the warlike northern nomads.

In 1125, the border between the Jurchen kingdom and China passed along the Yellow River - this is 500-700 kilometers south of the location of the built wall. And in 1141, a peace treaty was signed, according to which the Chinese Song Empire recognized itself as a vassal of the Jurchen state of Jin, pledging to pay it a large tribute.

However, while the lands of China proper were located south of the Yellow River, another section of the wall was erected 2,100–2,500 kilometers north of its borders. This part of the wall, built from 1066 to 1234, runs through Russian territory north of the village of Borzya next to the Argun River. At the same time, another section of the wall was built 1,500–2,000 kilometers north of China, located along the Greater Khingan.
But if only hypotheses can be put forward on the topic of the nationality of the builders of the wall due to the lack of reliable historical information, then the study of the style in the architecture of this defensive structure allows us, it seems, to make more accurate assumptions.

The architectural style of the wall, now located in China, is imprinted with the “handprints” of its creators by the construction features. Elements of the wall and towers, similar to fragments of the wall, in the Middle Ages can only be found in the architecture of ancient Russian defensive structures of the central regions of Russia - “northern architecture”.

Andrey Tyunyaev proposes to compare two towers - from the Chinese Wall and from the Novgorod Kremlin. The shape of the towers is the same: a rectangle, slightly narrowed at the top. From the wall there is an entrance leading into both towers, covered with a round arch made of the same brick as the wall with the tower. Each of the towers has two upper “working” floors. On the first floor of both towers there are round-arched windows. The number of windows on the first floor of both towers is 3 on one side and 4 on the other. The height of the windows is approximately the same - about 130–160 centimeters.

There are loopholes on the top (second) floor. They are made in the form of rectangular narrow grooves approximately 35–45 cm wide. The number of such loopholes in the Chinese tower is 3 deep and 4 wide, and in the Novgorod one - 4 deep and 5 wide. On top floor of the “Chinese” tower they walk along its very edge square holes. There are similar holes in the Novgorod tower, and the ends of the rafters sticking out of them, on which the wooden roof is supported.

The situation is the same in comparing the Chinese tower and the tower of the Tula Kremlin. The Chinese and Tula towers have the same number of loopholes in width - there are 4 of them. And the same number arched openings- 4 each. On the top floor between the large loopholes there are small ones - at the Chinese and at the Tula towers. The shape of the towers is still the same. In the Tula tower, as in the Chinese one, it was used White stone. The vaults are made in the same way: at the Tula one there are gates, at the “Chinese” one there are entrances.

For comparison, you can also use the Russian towers of the Nikolsky Gate (Smolensk) and the northern fortress wall of the Nikitsky Monastery (Pereslavl-Zalessky, 16th century), as well as the tower in Suzdal ( mid XVII century). Conclusion: the design features of the towers of the Chinese Wall reveal almost exact analogies among the towers of Russian Kremlins.

Nikolsky Gate towers (Smolensk)

What does a comparison of surviving towers say? Chinese city Beijing with medieval towers of Europe? The fortress walls of the Spanish city of Avila and Beijing are very similar to each other, especially in the fact that the towers are located very often and have practically no architectural adaptations for military needs. The Beijing towers have only an upper deck with loopholes, and are laid out at the same height as the rest of the wall.
Neither the Spanish nor the Beijing towers show such a high similarity with the defensive towers of the Chinese Wall, as do the towers of Russian kremlins and fortress walls. And this is something for historians to think about.