A 13,000 mile dragon of earth and stone winds its way through the countryside of China with a history almost as long and serpentine as the structure. The Great Wall began as multiple walls of rammed earth built by individual feudal states during the Chunqiu period to protect against nomadic raiders north of China and each other. When Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified the states in 221 BCE, the Tibetan Plateau and Pacific Ocean became natural barriers, but the mountains in the north remained vulnerable to Mongol, Turkish, and Xiongnu invasions. To defend against them, the Emperor expanded the small walls built by his predecessors, connecting some and fortifying others. As the structures grew from Lintao in the west to Liaodong in the east, they collectively became known as The Long Wall. To accomplish this task, the Emperor enlisted soldiers and commoners, not always voluntarily. Of the hundreds of thousands of builders recorded during the Qin Dynasty, many were forcibly conscripted peasants and others were criminals serving out sentences. Under the Han Dynasty, the wall grew longer still, reaching 3700 miles, and spanning from Dunhuang to the Bohai Sea. Forced labor continued under the Han Emperor Han-Wudi , and the walls reputation grew into a notorious place of suffering. Poems and legends of the time told of laborers buried in nearby mass graves, or even within the wall itself. And while no human remains have been found inside, grave pits do indicate that many workers died from accidents, hunger and exhaustion. The wall was formidable but not invincible. Both Genghis and his son Khublai Khan managed to surmount the wall during the Mongol invasion of the 13th Century. After the Ming dynasty gained control in 1368, they began to refortify and further consolidate the wall using bricks and stones from local kilns. Averaging 23 feet high and 21 feet wide, the walls 5500 miles were punctuated by watchtowers. When raiders were sighted, fire and smoke signals traveled between towers until reinforcements arrived. Small openings along the wall let archers fire on invaders, while larger ones were used to drop stones and more. But even this new and improved wall was not enough. In 1644, northern Manchu clans overthrew the Ming to establish the Qing dynasty, incorporating Mongolia as well, Thus, for the second time, China was ruled by the very people the wall had tried to keep out. With the empire's borders now extending beyond the Great Wall, the fortifications lost their purpose. And without regular reinforcement, the wall fell into disrepair, rammed earth eroded, while brick and stone were plundered for building materials. But its job wasn't finished. During World War II, China used sections for defense against Japanese invasion, and some parts are still rumored to be used for military training. But the Wall's main purpose today is cultural. As one of the largest man-made structures on Earth, it was granted UNESCO World Heritage Status in 1987. Originally built to keep people out of China, the Great Wall now welcomes millions of visitors each year. In fact, the influx of tourists has caused the wall to deteriorate, leading the Chinese government to launch preservation initiatives. It's also often acclaimed as the only man-made structure visible from space. Unfortunately, that's not at all true. In low Earth orbit, all sorts of structures, like bridges, highways and airports are visible, and the Great Wall is only barely discernible. From the moon, it doesn't stand a chance. But regardless, it's the Earth we should be studying it from because new sections are still discovered every few years, branching off from the main body and expanding this remarkable monument to human achievement.
Ejderhayekî ji kevir û 20 hezar km dirêj di seranserê Çînê re bi awayê fetlonekî digere. Bedenên Çînê di serdema Chunqiu de ji aliyê mîrekîyên cuda ve bi dîwarên, ji bo parastina li hemberî êrişên eşirên koçber hat avakirin. Dema Qin Shi Huang B.Z. di sala 221î de Yekîtiya Çînê pek anî, ji bo parastinê, zozanên Tîbetê û Okyanûsa Pasîfîk ev dîwar bûn bariyerên xwezayî lê bakur ji bo êrîşên Moxol-Tirkan vekirî bû. Ji bo parastina li dijî van êrîşan, Împaratorî dîwar, kevin, mezintir û qewîntir kirin û bi hev ve girêdan. Dîwar ji rojavayê Lintaoyê heta rojhilatê Liaodongê dirêj bûn, bi navê Dîwarê Dirêj, deng veda. Ji bo avakirina dîwêr, Împaratorî leşker û peywirdar tayîn kirin. Di desthilatiya Qin de bi hezeran karkerên wî dîwarî hebûn û gellek ji wan gundiyên ku bi zorê dişixulîn an girtiyên hepsê bûn. Dema desthilatiya Han de dirêjahiya dîwêr giha 6000 kmyê û ji Dunhuang heta Deryaya Bohai ve dewam dikir. Şixulandina karkeran a bi zorê, di dema Împarator Xuandi de jî dewam kir û dîwar bû wek cihê şkenceyê. Helbest û efsane qala goristanên mezin yên karkeran dikin heta dibêjin karker di nav dîwêr de jî hatine weşartin. Tu bermayiyên mirovan neyên dîtin jî kortalên goran nîşan didin ku gellek karker ji ber qeza, birçîbûn û westandinê mirine. Dîwar pirr qewîn e lê hatiya derbaskirin. Cengîz Xan û kurê wî Khublai Xan di Sedsala 13an de di dema dagirkirina Moxolan de dîwar derbas kirin. Dema malbata Ming di sala 1368an de bûn serdest, bi kevir û bi tuxlayên ku ji derdorê peyda kirin, dîwar hê bêhtir qewîn kirin. Bilindahiya vî dîwarî 7 metre, firehiya wî 6,5 m, dirêjiya wî 9 km bû û nobedarên vî dîwarî jî hebûn. Dema ku êrîşkar xuya dikirin ji bo ku hêzên din werin alîkariyê di navbera kelehan de bi agir û dû, peyam belav dikirin. Di qulên biçûk re tîr di yên mezin re kevir diavetin êrîşkaran. Lê dîsa ev têr nekir. Di sala 1644an de, eşîra Manchu ji bo desthilatiya malbata Qing ava bikin, bi Moxolan re hevkarî kirin. Ev cara duyem e ku Çîn ji aliyê wan kesan ve tê birêvebirin ku pêşiyê, dîwar li dijî wan hatibû avakirin. Piştî ku tixubên împaratoriyê dîwar derbas kirin, dîwêr armanca xwe wenda kir. Dûre ji bo ku nehat kutakirin dîwar hilweşiya, binax bû û tuxla û kevirê wî hatin talankirin. Lê hê jî dîwar bikêr bû. Di şerê cîhanê yê duyem de dîwar ji bo parastina li dijî Japonyayê hat bikaranîn û beşek ji dîwêr hê jî ji bo leşkeriyê li kar e. Lê niha armanca sereke ya dîwêr kulturî ye. Dîwarê herî mezin li ser rûyê erdê ye, di lîsteya UNESCOyê ya mîrateyên cîhanê de ye. [1987] Ji bo parastina Çînê hatiye lêkirin, niha pêşbaziyê ji mîlyonan turîstan re dike. Bi hatina evqas turista dîwar tê hilweşandin, lewre Dewleta Çînê ji bo parastina dîwêr hin tedbîr stendin. Carinan tê gotin ku ev dîwar, avahiya yekem e ku ji fezayê tê xuyakirin. Mixabin, ev bi tevahî ne rast e.. Ji nêzîkî erdê hemî avahiyên mezin wek pir, wek balafirgeh xuya dikin, dîwar jî bi dijwarî xuya dike. Ji ser heyvê ji binî xuya nake. Lê ev ne xem e, divê li ser rûyê erdê em li ser dîwêr bixebitin, ji ber ku hin parçeyên dîwêr ji nû ve tên kifşkirin. Her parçeyekî dîwêr ku tê dîtin, nirxên vê abîdeyê bêhtir tê zanîn.