Discover
the earliest Great Wall of China
Construction of the Great Wall first began in the seventh sentry
BC. During the Warring States Period (475-221BC), When the ruling
power of the Zhou kingdom declined,principalities sprang up and carved
up the country into many states, rivalling each other. The main kingdoms
were Qin, Qi, Chu, yan, Han, Zhao and Wei. To defend against the attack
of neighboring states, the principalities built great and high walls
in their own domains.
It was the Chu state which was first to construct several
hundred kilometers long wall in mid-7th century B.C., referred to as fangcheng (square city)in Chinese literature. This fangcheng
was said to be in the intersection between Hubei,Shaanxi and Henan provinces.
About 4th
century B.C. the northern parts of the three principalities Of Yan, Zhao and Qin happened to border on the nomadic
Xiong Nu and Dong Hu, with whom frequent contacts had been kept and border incursions frequently occurred by the nomads, which seriously
disturbed normal life. "Long walls to defend against the Hu" were thus constructed by the three principalities in the north. The high walls and fortresses constructed by three kingdoms of Qin, Zhao
and Yan against the nomadic tribes laid the foundation for the present
Great wall.
Difference:
The Great Wall is different from ordinary city walls in that it extends
itself continuously for miles and does not encircle a city. There
were a series of castles of a defensive nature or defense works in
which each state stationed guards in their own domains to watch the
beacon fire. Gradually, however, they were linked up into a great
wall.
|