The 10,000-li Great Wall of China is a result of arduous works and wisdoms of laboring people of past ages. It was built by more than 20 kingdoms and feudal dynasties over 2,000 years since the Spring & Autumn Period and Warring States Period. It is one of the greatest miracles in the world.

About 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, our ancestors started to migrate from dens and caves to settle down in plain areas. As the population grew and production was developed, they dug deep ditches around their residences to prevent the assaults of beasts and floods. They piled up earth walls to protect the security of clan members. The existing winding fluctuant Great Wall was developed on the basis of the ditches and earthen walls of the pre-history culture.

When it came to the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period, the kingdoms competed for hegemony. In order to defend themselves and protect their territories, the kingdoms built up sections of garrisoned walls in their own lands. The earliest walls were the constructed in Kingdom Chu and Kingdom Qi. Later on, as the wars were continually elevated, kingdoms Wei, Yan and Qin joined to construct great walls. However, all these walls were separated, thus known as “ground walls”. The walls of the latter three kingdoms constitute the basis for Emperor Qinshihuang to build the 10,000-li Great Wall.

Drawing on local materials was a precious experience of the craftsmen learnt in the course of constructing the Great Wall. In order to avoid long-distance transportation and save manpower, materials and finances, they adopted different building materials in places of different geographical and geological conditions. For instance, they built the walls with sands where there were many sands. They pounded loess into walls in the Loess Plateau.

In 221 B.C., Emperor Qinshihuang put an end to the feudal separatist rules and established a unified feudal empire. In order to ensure the safety of the central plain areas and keep them away from the threats and harassment of the northern nomadic Huns, the emperor sent general Mengtian to drive out the Huns. He also invested great many manpower, materials and finances to build the Great Wall on the basis of the existing ones in northern kingdoms Yan, Zhao and Qin. He had many parts expanded to extend 10,000 li from Lintao in the west and Liaodong in the east. Since then, the greatest ancient architecture of the world has towered majestically in northern China.

In the Chinese history, four dynasties built Great Wall more than 10,000 li long. They were the Qin, Han, Jin and Ming dynasties. The Great Wall of Han Dynasty was the longest, stretching about 20,000 li from Liaodong in the east to Yanze in the west. Emperor Qinshihuang unified the systems of measurement under his reign. Iron weights were equivalent to today’s weights.

The Gobi regions in Yumen Pass, Gansu, ran short of loess. The section of the Great Wall was built with intervening layers of reeds upon layers of gravels. Since reeds and gravels contained salt and alkali, the walls turned into solid bodies when salt and alkali decomposed and solidified. The walls remained solid like huge rocks over 2,000 years sandstorm assaults.

Yipianshi Pass is located at the site where Funing of Hebei Province meets Suizhong of Liaoning Province. Since it has nine gates, the Pass is also known as nine-gate Pass. It was built to drain floods and protect the Great Wall, when the Great Wall was to pass through a section of water-based areas. It is reputed as the first pass to the east of Beijing. As you see, the one to my left is Shanhai Pass, the first pass under heaven. The one behind you is Jiayu Pass in Gansu, the western tip of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall. And this is the Yanmen Pass in Daixian County, Shanxi Province.

Northern Wei, Northern Qi, Eastern Wei and Northern Zhou regimes built Great Wall as well. It further testifies that the Great Wall is a fruit of laboring people of all ethnic groups. Sui Dynasty launched six large-scale constructions of Great Wall. Tang Dynasty boasting powerful national strength did not have any moves to build Great Wall. Song Dynasty built Great Wall to resist attacks of Liao and Western Xia regimes. The Jin Great Wall, about 5,000-li, was the longest built by centralized regimes of ethnic minorities. It is known for trenches. Yuan Dynasty never constructed any Great Wall.

When it was established, Ming Dynasty kept building Great Wall in northern China to prevent restoration of Yuan Dynasty and disturbances of Dadan, Waci, Nczhen and Tufan. In order to fight against foreign invaders, it also built some sections of Great Wall in southeastern coastal lines. Ming Dynasty Great Wall was the longest in Chinese history. It extended 15,000 li from Jiuliancheng at the Yalu River Jiayu Pass of Gansu Province. It was separated into two lines of walls between Beijing and Pianguan of Shanxi Province. In many places, the main walls are protected by many external layers. For instance, Yanmen Pass walls are circled with three major stone walls and 23 petite stone walls. The main walls from Shanhai Pass to Jiayu Pass, running 12,700 li, are well protected. The parts from Shanhai Pass to Beijing look most spectacular after they were reconstructed by Qi Jiguang.

In the early Qing Dynasty, the most famous Shengjing Wall (Liutiaobian) was built in Liaoning and Jilin, totaling 2,600 li. It repaired Shanhai Pass, Juyong Pass, Yanmen Pass and Jiayu Pass, and parts of the old walls. After the mid of the Qing Dynasty, the Great Wall was no longer repaired.

As they were worn out over the years and damaged by human activities, many parts of the ancient walls look desolate. Ming Dynasty Great Wall has also been ruined in many places. Anyway, the 10,000-li Great Wall remains the most spectacular engineering of ancient days. It demonstrates diversified landscapes and architectural talents at different ages, sites and conditions. As a result of long-term communication, Chinese people of all ethnic groups within and beyond the Great Wall have ultimately broken the artificial separations and cultivated a unified and harmonious great family. The Great Wall, a symbol of the Chinese ancient civilization, is a pride of the nation. It is longed for by people across the world. It will make even greater contributions to promote friendships of people of all nations.