What is the most famous building of Ancient China?

We know that modern European civilization takes its origins in ancient Greece and Rome, and they, in turn, have drawn a lot from the culture of Ancient Egypt. And what about Asia? Which state was first born at the dawn of civilization? Mesopotamia, India and China are the three main cultures that have been continuously developed since the Neolithic revolution. They had the most direct impact on other countries. In this article we will talk about Ancient China. This mighty civilization consisted of several eras. It had a huge impact on the culture of Japan, Korea and the entire Far Eastern region. What is the most famous building of Ancient China? You will find out if you read this article to the end.

Chinese objects from the UNESCO list

If we talk about architecture, then in the country there are many monuments of ancient and medieval samples preserved. Many of them occupy a worthy place in the prestigious Catalog of the World Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It should be noted that not all countries can boast of such a large number of objects included in the UNESCO list. There are single architectural structures of Ancient China, such as the Temple of Heaven or the Beijing Park of Ikeiu, complexes such as the Palace of Guogun, ancient houses on the southern outskirts of Anhui Province, the largest square in the world - Tiananmen. But the whole cities were included in the list, like Lijiang (in Yunnan). Temples, parks, palaces, ordinary houses and even graves are very original. They are united by a single aesthetic aspiration, an idea that originates in the worldview and religion of this great nation. They are elegant and majestic at the same time, dynamic and solemn. But the most famous building of Ancient China is, of course, the Great Wall of China.

The Seventh Miracle of the Light

What is this largest monument of ancient architecture? The stretched chain of fortifications is so large that one mention of its length is awe. More than eight thousand eight hundred and fifty kilometers, consisting of towers and walls, stretched all over North China. Defensive redoubts are quite impressive. The most famous building of Ancient China - "The Great Wall in Ten Thousand Leagues" - has a width of five to six and a half meters, and in height - 6-10 meters. After a certain distance it has sentinel towers, smoke alarm towers and casemates, And fortresses were built near the aisles. In the ancient world of Greece, the Great Wall of China already existed. But, for obvious reasons (Alexander of Macedon reached only India), the Europeans did not know about it. And because this epic structure could not enter into the number of seven wonders of the Light of the ancient world. But now it is an omission that made up for it.

Great Wall of China: map

The defensive chain begins with the Bay of Liaodong. Further to the west, it passes quite close to Beijing. Since the defense of the capital was of paramount importance, this part of the wall, called Badalin, was maintained in good working condition until the 19th century. The proximity to Beijing makes it the most visited tourist place - there are forty million people annually. Most of them are inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom. After all, even Mao Zedong said: "If you have not visited the Great Wall, you are not a Chinese." Further to the west, a grandiose chain of fortifications goes to the Gobi Desert. By the way, its length is more than eight thousand kilometers, if counting numerous branches. And directly, from the edge to the edge, the Great Wall of China (the map allows making calculations) stretched out "only" for 2,196 km. Also an impressive figure, agree. Therefore, in 1987, UNESCO included this object on its list.

Construction of the Great Wall of China

The purpose of the structure was banal - to be shielded from the barbarians from the north. The ancient era did not know any other means of protection, except for the ramparts, moats and walls with towers. The erection of fortifications began in 220 BC, in the era of the "Fighting Kingdoms". More than a million people participated in the construction simultaneously. This figure is unbelievable. It is one fifth of the population of China at that time. The wall was supposed to protect the "Middle Empire" from the nomadic Huns. In the time of the ambitious and cruel ruler Qin Shi-huandi, the construction of the Great Wall of China took giant proportions. If previously it was built from primitive materials, now they began to use stone. The fixing solution was rice flour. According to various sources, about two million people died during the construction. This is a kind of Chinese "Kotel". .

Effective protection?

In the construction of the Wall, so many state funds were invested, so many lives were sacrificed that it seemed that it was to become a reliable outpost for centuries. However, this did not happen. Subsequent dynasties erected new sites (especially the construction under the Han was tens of thousands of kilometers), but this did not yield tangible results. The guards at the sight of the awesome army, detached from the rear, simply let enemy troops into the depths of the country. Those parts of the wall that have reached us are the architecture of medieval China. They were built in an era when the empire suffered from the invasion of the Mongols.

Myths and Reality

Somehow it is so, the most famous building of Ancient China is surrounded by legends and untested rumors. So, for example, there is an opinion that this wall can be seen from a satellite or a spaceship - it is so big. In fact, the width of the building at five meters makes this impossible. Although NASA pictures it and can be seen - as, indeed, other buildings. Another myth about the Great Wall of China - allegedly fallen from hunger, overwork and epidemics of workers buried directly in the foundation, so that their bones strengthen the construction more firmly. As studies show, nothing, except rice flour, between the stones is not found.