The Great Wall of China

Cr: Picture from Google

The Great Wall of China actually consists of numerous walls and fortifications, many running parallel to each other. Originally conceived by Emperor Qin Shi Huang (c. 259-210 B.C.) in the third century B.C. as a means of preventing incursions from barbarian nomads into the Chinese Empire, the wall is one of the most extensive construction projects ever completed. The best-known and best-preserved section of the Great Wall was built in the 14th through 17th centuries A.D., during the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).

To me, The Great Wall of China came to function more as a psychological barrier between Chinese civilization and the world, and remains a powerful symbol of the country’s enduring strength. To China, The Great Wall of China shows what people are able to do if they are committed. They believe their inner strength is symbolized by the wall. The Chinese don't see it merely as a wall but as the strength of its people personified.

The history of the Great Wall of China traditionally began when fortifications built by various states during the Spring and Autumn (771–476 bc)[1] and Warring States periods (475–221 bc) were connected by the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, to protect his newly founded Qin Dynasty (221–206 bc) against incursions by nomads from Inner Asia. Subsequent dynasties differed in their approach to Qin's precedent: the Han (202 bc – 220 ad), the Northern Qi (550–574), the Sui (589–618), and particularly the Ming (1369–1644) were among those that rebuilt, re-manned, and expanded the Walls, although they rarely followed Qin's original routes; conversely, the Tang (618–907), the Song (960–1279), the Yuan (1271–1368), and the Qing (1644–1911) mostly left the Walls to rot, having resolved the Inner Asian threat via active campaigning and diplomacy (the Tang, Yuan, and Qing), or was simply not in a position to build walls (the Song). At several points throughout its history the Great Wall proved unable to prevent invaders from conquering China, including in 1644 when the Manchu Qing marched through the gates of Shanhai Pass and replaced the most ardent of the wall-building dynasties, the Ming, as rulers of China. The Great Wall of China most visible today largely dates from the Ming dynasty. The wall subsequently became a revered national symbol in modern China.

Unification of China: The Great Wall is a powerful symbol. It represents the unification of China, because it was linked together as China was unified for the first time in the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC). It represents the awesome ability of the Chinese to work together for the good of the country, which we should learn from them. If anything bad happens in Singapore or in times of crisis, I hope we can learn from them and work together as one country towards one single goal.

-Malvin (27)

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