Why is the Great Wall so significant?
Who knows how long the Chinese Empire would have lasted without this wall? The Chinese Empire lasted all the way from before the Classical Period to the 20th century-around 4,000 years! It is the longest lasting Empire ever. But there are reasons for their success. Most early civilizations fell due to invasion. Because they had the Great Wall, China was able to resist invaders more easily than other nations. If the Chinese had not built the Wall, then they may have fallen to invasion, and their continuity of culture and the dynastic cycle would not have lasted. The Chinese legacy on the world today would have been very different.
The Great Wall is certainly the largest construction project ever in China, if not the largest in the world. The Wall is a well recognized symbol all around the world today. When people think of China, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the Great Wall. During the Classical Period, the Wall was a symbol of Chinese pride, power, and technological dominance over the rest of the world. It was also a mark of China's isolation from the rest of the world for thousands of years, which was perhaps one of the reasons why they were so successful.
The Great Wall has never been equalled in terms of scale. Even in this modern age of advancement, humans have yet to embark on a construction project of this size. Perhaps they never will. No other structure has been as long or used as much material as this marvel. Maybe even more significant is the number of people that worked on it. During the Qin Dynasty, no less than one million people worked on the Wall at any given time. Original construction occurred for 9 years. There were many fatalities, and new laborers were being brought in every day. During the Han Dynasty, there were thousands of people constructing the Wall for a period of 20 years. Adding up the number of people who worked on the Wall for these two dynasties alone is a startling number. Consider future construction, particularly that of the Ming Dynasty, and it is truly unbelievable how many people labored to make this wall.
The Great Wall is certainly the largest construction project ever in China, if not the largest in the world. The Wall is a well recognized symbol all around the world today. When people think of China, the first thing that comes to mind is usually the Great Wall. During the Classical Period, the Wall was a symbol of Chinese pride, power, and technological dominance over the rest of the world. It was also a mark of China's isolation from the rest of the world for thousands of years, which was perhaps one of the reasons why they were so successful.
The Great Wall has never been equalled in terms of scale. Even in this modern age of advancement, humans have yet to embark on a construction project of this size. Perhaps they never will. No other structure has been as long or used as much material as this marvel. Maybe even more significant is the number of people that worked on it. During the Qin Dynasty, no less than one million people worked on the Wall at any given time. Original construction occurred for 9 years. There were many fatalities, and new laborers were being brought in every day. During the Han Dynasty, there were thousands of people constructing the Wall for a period of 20 years. Adding up the number of people who worked on the Wall for these two dynasties alone is a startling number. Consider future construction, particularly that of the Ming Dynasty, and it is truly unbelievable how many people labored to make this wall.