Defense & Ancient China

Designing the Earth (94-96, 113)

Chinese military and defense cannot be talked about without discussing the Great Wall of China. Built of stone, brick, rammed-earth, and wood, this series of fortifications spans across the historical northern border of China from east-to-west. It’s an engineering feat that is not only a work of ancient military prowess but also an amazing work of art.

The construction of the wall started in the third millennium B.C., and what started out as only 4 miles long and 30 feet high turned into and estimated 2,150 miles with additional branches of 1,780 miles. What most tourists think of when they imagine the Great Wall is the 400 mile stretch in the Yanshan Mountains from Beijing. 

The wall was built to keep the nomadic and Mongolian tribes in the North from invading. It has stood for thousands of years, but by the 1930’s when Japan invaded the Great Wall had finally became defenseless. Though it has lost its usefulness, the wall symbolically unifies eras and dynasties from China’s past. It is a testament for the use of natural resources and proves it by standing the test of time.